New Mexico Court of Appeals· 6/3/1994
Nelson v. Nelson
Citations
- 878 P.2d 335
- 118 N.M. 17
How courts have described this case
Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.
- refusing to “establish an absolute bar to a divorce action which would effectively leave an incompetent spouse at the mercy of the competent spouse”
- most courts that have addressed the issue hold that, without specific statutory authority, a guardian may not bring an action for divorce on behalf of the ward
- a guardian has the broad “rights, powers, and duties respecting the ward as a parent has respecting a child,” which may include the right to obtain a divorce
- “[M]ost minority-rule courts construe existing statutes authorizing the guardian to pursue and defend civil claims in the interests of their ward to include authority to bring an action for divorce.”
- “Jurisdictions deciding this issue in recent years have increasingly adopted the minority view.”
- “[S]tates may bar a divorce action prosecuted entirely by the guardian but allow the action to go forward when the ward is capable of understanding the nature of the action and of expressing a desire to end the marriage and does so.”
Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).
Judges: Pickard, Apodaca, Hartz
Read full opinion on CourtListenerCited by
8 cases in this archive cite this case.
- In Re Marriage of BurgessIllinois Supreme Court· 2000-02-17· cited 17×
- Karbin v. KarbinIllinois Supreme Court· 2012-10-04· cited 17×
- In Re Marriage of BurgessAppellate Court of Illinois· 1998-12-22· cited 9×
- Luster v. LusterConnecticut Appellate Court· 2011-04-26· cited 9×
- Richards v. McEachernNew Mexico Court of Appeals· 2019-10-29· cited 5×
- Madonna M. Flory v. Rand E. FloryWyoming Supreme Court· 2023-04-10· cited 2×
- Michael J. v. Superior CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal· 2004-07-22
- In the Matter of the Marriage of Carlos Y. Benavides, Jr. and Leticia R. BenavidesTexas Supreme Court· 2025-04-25
Cites
15 cases in this archive are cited by this case.
- In Re Marriage of HiggasonCalifornia Supreme Court· 1973-12-05· cited 56×
- Pentecost v. HudsonNew Mexico Supreme Court· 1953-01-13· cited 33×
- RUVALCABA BY STUBBLEFIELD v. RuvalcabaCourt of Appeals of Arizona· 1993-04-08· cited 31×
- Cohn v. CohnMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court· 1941-10-30· cited 26×
- In Re the Marriage of GannonWashington Supreme Court· 1985-07-03· cited 25×
- Syno v. SynoSuperior Court of Pennsylvania· 1991-06-27· cited 21×
- MURRAY BY MURRAY v. MurraySupreme Court of South Carolina· 1993-02-01· cited 18×
- Scott v. ScottSupreme Court of Florida· 1950-04-25· cited 18×
- Fourth National Bank v. DiverSupreme Court of Kansas· 1930-07-05· cited 16×
- In Re JenningsNew Jersey Superior Court App Division· 1981-10-09· cited 15×
- Wahlenmaier v. WahlenmaierTex. App. Ct., 8th Dist. (El Paso)· 1988-04-06· cited 12×
- Kronberg v. KronbergNew Jersey Superior Court App Division· 1993-01-13· cited 10×
- Jones v. MincWashington Supreme Court· 1969-12-18· cited 8×
- Garner v. GarnerNew Mexico Supreme Court· 1973-07-13· cited 8×
- Hart Ex Rel. Hart v. HartCourt of Appeals of Texas· 1986-02-12· cited 8×
Sourced from CourtListener / Free Law Project (CC0).
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.