Walther Family Law PC

We are a well established law firm dedicated solely to Family Law in New Mexico. Clients benefit from expertise accumulated over many years of this single focus and from the individual attention and follow through afforded by a smaller firm. Each case is handled by the individual lawyer retained by the client, but is reviewed by and benefits from the knowledge of all attorneys at the firm.

Gretchen Walther brings a strong commitment to helping clients understand their choices during separation and divorce. After earning a reputation as a tough negotiator and litigator, Ms. Walther sought alternatives to the often deleterious process of divorce. She is author of Power Imbalances in Divorce Mediation, a definitive source for attorneys seeking to understand the potential pitfalls of mediated settlements. She is President and co-founder of the New Mexico Collaborative Practice Group, an association of lawyers and counselors committed to offering an alternative to litigious divorce, while fully representing the best interests of clients.

Ms. Walther focuses on and is well versed in several complex areas of divorce law, including asset discovery, valuation and distribution of retirement benefits and privately owned businesses of high net worth individuals. She has had cases cited by the federal courts, including Navani v. Shahani, a landmark Hague Convention case.

Ms. Walther has taught classes on the divorce process and is frequently sought as a speaker on subjects for other lawyers, including speaking at the prestigious Law Education Institute Aspen Conference.

Ms. Walther is:

• President of the Albuquerque Bar Association

• Founding member and President of the New Mexico Collaborative Practice Group.
• A New Mexico Super Lawyer,  2011

• Former chair of the State Bar of New Mexico Family Law Section
• Former chair of the Family Law Continuing Legal Education Committee, which provides educational programs for domestic relations lawyers in New Mexico on current and innovative areas of divorce and family law.
• Former Chair of the Annual New Mexico Family Law Institute which brings concentrated learning programs to New Mexico divorce lawyers, judges, and other family law related professionals.
• Committee member of the Second Judicial District Pro Se Challenge Project, a project designed to assist domestic relations litigants who do not have attorneys.
• Appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court as a Committee member of the New Mexico Domestic Relations Task Force.
• Committee member for the drafting of the Uniform Collaborative Law Act sponsored by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.
• Chair of the Albuquerque Practice Group Public Education Committee which seeks to educate the public about the benefits of Collaborative Divorce.

Education:

J.D., Pace University School of Law, New York, NY, Dean’s List
B.A., New York University, New York, NY, Cum Laude
Franklin College, Lugano, Switzerland

 

Kathryn Terry's commitment to children's advocacy has greatly influenced her career choices, including her decision to join Walther Family Law PC in October, 2007. Ms. Terry's interest in children's rights was established early in her career. In Law School, she completed advanced training in mediation, which she continues to view as an important alternative or adjunct to litigation, and critical to children's well being during a non collaborative divorce. She has been published in the American Journal of Bioethics on the topic of adolescent law and serves as Guardian ad Litem for abused or neglected children in Bernalillo county.  She also serves as a Guardian ad Litem for high conflict divorce cases in Torrance, Sandoval and Bernalillo counties.

Ms. Terry's continued interest in Family Law, both through traditional litigation and Collaborative Practice, and in Children's law, including Adoption and Kinship Guardianship, complement and enhance the ability of Walther Family Law PC to deliver compassionate family dispute resolution.

Ms. Terry is also well versed in Community Property Law and has taught the subject at UNM School of Law.

Ms. Terry is fluent in Spanish.

Ms. Terry’s professional accomplishments include:

• Appointed and voted Secretary to the New Mexico Collaborative Practice Group Board, Oct. 2011
• Appointed Chair, Heroin Awareness Committee Board, Jan. 2011
• Appointed to the Children’s Court Rules Committee by the New Mexico Supreme Court in 2007 and reappointed for a second term in 2011
• Member, and past Chair, Secretary and Budget Officer, Children’s Law Section of the State Bar
• Member, and New Member Liaison, Albuquerque Collaborative Practice Group
• Mentor to newly graduated attorneys for the Bridge the Gap Mentorship Program through the State Bar
• Settlement Facilitator, Domestic Relations Cases, Second Judicial District Court
• New Mexico board recognized family law specialist

Education:

J.D., New Mexico School of Law, Albuquerque, NM, Dean’s List
B.A., Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
University of Minnesota, Semester Abroad, Toledo, Spain

Paralegals and Office Personnel

Nina Patel Office Manager	Raesha de Ruiter Zylker, Paralegal	Audra Burdwell Paralegal

Lorraine Talley Legal Assistant	Sheree Landry Receptionist

Walther Family Law PC offices in Santa Fe and Albuquerque are staffed by a team of paralegals and other professionals with years of experience. A paralegal is assigned to each Walther Family Law PC case and remains up to date on case status through the resolution of the case. WFL’s certified paralegals ensure that clients always have access to their legal team, even when the attorney is in court or otherwise out of the office. By handling many of the routine aspects of a case, paralegals are also instrumental in seeing that client expenses are minimized.

If you require legal assistance and would like to schedule an appointment with a Walther Family Law attorney, please phone us at 505 889 8240 (in Albuquerque) or 505 984 0097 (in Santa Fe) or contact us via info@waltherfamilylaw.com.