Legal Question in Family Law in New Mexico
Divorces and accident settlement
Can my wife legally get half of my motorcycle accident settlement which is still pending, after the divorce is already final?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Divorces and accident settlement
You need to supply more information. First, if the accident
occured after the marriage was over the answer is probably no.
However, if you have only filed for divorce and then the accident
occured and then you finalized the divorce but not the settlement
for the accident the answer is that she might have some interest
in the settlement. But, depending on the terms that were in the
final decree of divorce or in the marital settlement agreement the
answer could be a flat no. So, you should post a follow up and
state whether the motorcycle was purchased during the marriage. Then
state what was the terms of the divorce decree or marital settlement
agreement; i.e., was your personal property awarded to you? How was
the property divided? Was the motorcycle awarded to you? These are
just some of the questions that a lawyer will want to know before he or
she can answer the question fully.
You can usually obtain a no cost consultation with an attorney and
they can give you a pretty good picture of the likely outcome of your
issue. It might be worth your time to call the state bar of New Mexico
and ask for lawyer referral service for an attorney in your town.
Re: Divorces and accident settlement
If a personal injury claim arose during the course of your marriage your ex will have a claim to part of the proceeds. If it arose after the divorce, then she will not.
If it arose during the marriage, then why was it not specifically dealt with in the divorce? If it was not mentioned then the presumption is that it was overlooked and she will still have a claim to part of the proceeds.
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