Gretchen_Walther

Gretchen M. Walther

Gretchen Walther is a leading voice in New Mexico Family Law. An influential activist, Gretchen has fought for better laws for NM’s children and divorcing couples (Uniform Collaborative Law Rules of New Mexico). She was instrumental in introducing New Mexico to new and effective settlement facilitation techniques, as well as to the basic tenets of Collaborative Divorce.

Emotion is a major factor in divorce and making sure the emotional component of divorce is recognized and respected during the divorce process is an uphill battle Gretchen wages every day. Her reputation and standing in the legal community help ensure that her clients, and their emotions, receive due consideration.

Gretchen is author of Power Imbalances in Divorce Mediation, a definitive source for attorneys seeking to understand the potential pitfalls of mediated settlements. She is Past President and co-founder of the New Mexico Collaborative Practice Group. She is a tireless researcher and champion of effective dispute resolution. Ms. Walther has had cases cited by the federal courts, including Navani v. Shahani, a landmark Hague Convention case, and is regularly invited to present her ideas at the prestigious Law Education Institute Aspen Conference.

MS. WALTHER IS:

  • Past president of the Albuquerque Bar Association
  • Founding member and Past President of the New Mexico Collaborative Practice Group.
  • A New Mexico Super Lawyer since 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

Appearances