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D. Zane Swank

Family Attorney at Albuquerque, NM

4.8   14 reviews
  • Licensed for 15 years
    State NM
    Acquired 2008
    Status
    Active No misconduct found

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

About D. Zane

Learn D. Zane’s areas of practice.

3
Practice areas
  1. Family
    75%
    Family Law includes divorce, child custody, visitation, child support, parenting plans, alimony, pre-nuptial agreements, marital settlements and related matters.

  2. Criminal defense
    15%
    Criminal Defense includes all areas of non-capital felony and misdemeanor cases, jury and non-jury trials, de novo appeals (as applicable), probation violations, conditions of release, bond issues and compliance measures.

  3. DUI and DWI
    10%
    DUI/DWI defense is a particular area of criminal defense which generally requires defense of both criminal claims before the courts and defense of driver license suspension and/or revocation as an administrative matter before the MVD Hearing Officer. DUI/DWI defense may also include de novo appeals, as applicable.

Daniel “Zane” Swank is from Bloomfield, New Mexico and is a proud parent of three children and one grandchild. Mr. Swank is a veteran of the United States Navy’s Nuclear Submarine Service (Silent Service) having served aboard USS Memphis (SSN-691) on several deployments. Mr. Swank has been deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, the Arctic Ocean (under-ice), the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Mr. Swank is also a former Semiconductor Manufacturing Team Leader, LASER Lithographer and robotics technician for Intel, Corporation in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

 

LICENSURE

            Mr. Swank is licensed to practice in New Mexico and is admitted to practice before all New Mexico State Courts, the Pueblo of Isleta Tribal Court, Children’s Court and Appellate Court and the Pueblo of Pojoaque Tribal Courts.

 

EDUCATION

            In 2007, Mr. Swank received his Juris Doctor from Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas where he earned a Certificate in Business and Transactional Law, with distinction, and with a Concentration in Bankruptcy Law. Mr. Swank also interned in chambers for the Honorable Dale L. Somers, United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas. Mr. Swank earned his Master of Business Administration degree, with an emphasis in Human Resources Management, from The College of Santa Fe and received his undergraduate degree with highest honors from National American University.

 

AREAS OF LEGAL EMPHASIS

            Mr. Swank has been working in the courtroom as a Trial Attorney for more than eight (8) years, all of which has been “first chair” trial experience. Mr. Swank now practices mainly in the areas of divorce, child custody and support, parentage, restraining orders, grandparental visitation, involuntary termination of parental rights, misdemeanor and felony DWIs, including MVD Hearings, and other criminal defense cases. Mr. Swank also handles general litigation cases.

 

PRIOR EXPERIENCE

            Mr. Swank has broad criminal prosecution and defense experience. Mr. Swank has worked as a former Assistant District Attorney for the Eleventh Judicial District in New Mexico and as Assistant City Attorney and Prosecutor for the City of Farmington, New Mexico. Mr. Swank was later invited to be an associate at the prestigious Titus & Murphy Law Firm in Farmington, New Mexico often working, as defense counsel, on issues of first impression in the areas of drug-related DWI’s, DWI-related driver’s license revocation cases and prosecuting appeals to the New Mexico Court of Appeals.

 

            Further, Mr. Swank handled nearly all Family Law and Domestic Cases for Titus & Murphy Law Firm in both San Juan and McKinley Counties. Mr. Swank is one of the highest performing associates in the history of Titus & Murphy Law Firm. While at Titus & Murphy Law Firm, Mr. Swank also worked as Assistant Public Defender for the City of Farmington and Public Defender for the City of Bloomfield.

 

            Mr. Swank has also worked as a Department Head and Tribal Public Defender for the Pueblo of Isleta handling serious crimes on reservation lands. With his unique knowledge of tribal law, Mr. Swank has successfully represented clients before the Pueblo of Isleta Tribal Courts, the Pueblo of Pojoaque Tribal Courts and state courts on a variety of legal matters. Mr. Swank has appeared state-wide on cases before several Municipal Courts, Magistrate Courts, District Courts and the New Mexico Court of Appeals.

 

            Since 2009, after gaining experience as a prosecutor, Mr. Swank has actively represented private clients in cases involving divorce, child custody and support, parentage, restraining orders, grandparental visitation, involuntary termination of parental rights, misdemeanor and felony DWIs, including MVD Hearings, and other criminal and administrative law cases.

 

            Since 2011, Mr. Swank has been called upon to consult and give advice on unique legal issues and other “matters of first impression” by other experienced attorneys. He has also previously been retained by two Metro-area law firms to supervise, train and teach less experienced attorneys in the areas of pleadings practice and trial practice.

Contact D. Zane

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D. Zane Swank, LLC
6300 Riverside Plaza Lane NW
Suite 100
Albuquerque, NM, 87120

Reviews

4.8 / 5.0
  14 customer reviews
Posted by Michael | October 9, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great Attorney
As a father in a child custody case, it was difficult to find an attorney that saw my situation for what it actually was and was able to represent my position truthfully as what was in my children's best interest. I hired Zane because he was willing to take the time during the consultation to get to the bottom of the situation and effectively develop and present a winning strategy. His pragmatic representation ultimately led to a successful settlement that was what needed to be done in the best interest of my children in a manner that also protected me legally. I could not be more pleased with his work in my behalf.
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Posted by Oliver | October 21, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent Family Attorney
If you are looking for a Family Lawyer with splendid and with very excellent experience. I highly recommend Mr. D. Zane Swank and staff from (Swank Law Firm) located in Albuquerque, NM. Their professionalism and courtesy proceeds them as they use all resources necessary for your case. The preparation, communication, knowledge and research are many of the quality they use an posses. They were very successful in our custody case. My family and I couldn't be any happier with their results. Thank you Mr/Mrs Swank and Staff.... We give your 5 star Rating for you help and results! Sincerely Mr/Mrs Oliver and Family
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Posted by Kitrina | July 25, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Client
Zane Swank is a morally grounded man who is very passionate about his work. He has always put my children first. He had a huge mess to clean up and was honest about everything. You will never be out of the loop. He ensures you are in control in a very out of control situation.
Posted by Barbara | January 12, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Post divorce litigation
D. Zane Swank is passionate about his work. His deep respect and comprehensive knowledge of the law is a powerful combination. Add to that his commitment to 'doing the right thing' , his quite extraordinary focus and stamina, and you have a 'top notch' attorney and a genuinely decent man. I hired Zane to deal with litigation my former husband had initiated. His work was consistently thorough and detailed. He kept me informed of every aspect of the case and prepared me for the court appearance. He was absolutely solid and dependable throughout. Needless to say, we prevailed and got the result we wanted. He is quite simply a superb attorney.
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Posted by anonymous | October 26, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
DWI case
Superb lawyer with excellent results. Mr. Zane delivered in every aspect of my case. He went beyond expectations and had quick immediate results. Highly recommended and trustworthy.
Posted by Sabrina | October 18, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent Attorney
I have had the pleasure of speaking to Mr. Swank regarding legal matters on numerous occasions. He is one of the most knowledgeable and caring Attorneys I have ever met. He does not skip a step or stop until a case has a positive outcome. I have recommended him to everyone I know because I know they will be in great hands.
Posted by Amanda | September 14, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Savvy & Knowledgeable! Very Professional & Realistic.
Mr. Swank was able to help me in my divorce case where the other party failed to show up continuously. He was able to uphold justice and place proper sanctions on the other party. Zane was willing to go the distance at every step and put in the necessary time & energy to prepare my case in a very methodical fashion. He was very intimidating with his veracity and respectable character. He was always upfront about his fees and very realistic about the case. He kept me informed every step of the way. It is because of Zane's passion for what he does that we were able to see a good settlement for my families future. The judges were always impressed with his punctuality and his impeccable professionalism. Without a doubt I would hire Mr. Swank to defend me in the future.
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Posted by Iris | August 30, 2016
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Mothers Estate
I was the administrator on my mothers estate and did not know what to do on income taxes and how to handle the responsibility . We discussed my options and as a result I was able to handle it with confidence.
Posted by Christa | August 27, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Divorce
Zane is a dedicated wonderful attorney. I am going through a horrible divorce right now and it's been one of the hardest things in my life I've ever had face. Zane and his staff are always there for me and have worked very hard on my case. He is always prepared and has done an outstanding job from day one. If anyone ever needs an attorney that is going to be totally dedicated to your case you need to call Zane Swank. He is very intelligent, does his homework on your case and will fight for you.
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Posted by anonymous | August 25, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
D. Zane Swank, Excellent Lawyer
Our lawyer, D.Zane Swank has been our lawyer for about two years. He is an excellent lawyer and has won our case over land property. He has listened attentively to our issue, has studied the best legal route to proceed, and keeps on top of the situation.
Posted by Lynette | August 24, 2016
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
A family man helping you with your family legal matters
Mr Swank helped me understand the guardianship/adoption process and my legal rights. He set expectations regarding the process, explained legal terms, and the actions I needed to complete to adopt my nephew. I'm now confident moving forward regarding this family legal matter. I highly recommend Mr Swank for his legal expertise and knowledge. He has your best interest at heart.
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Posted by anonymous | August 19, 2016
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Zane Swank
Mr Swank has listened to me intently and with much compassion on several cases of mine. His advice, direction and council have been the best direction that any could have ever pointed me in. I will continue to consult Mr Swank as the occasions occur. I highly recommend Mr Swank and his services.
Posted by anonymous | August 26, 2016
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Auto accident
Mr. Swank provided me a detailed review of my rights and information I needed to take to court. He answered my questions and helped me understand the legal process for my court hearing.
Posted by anonymous | August 9, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
My experience
First off, I'm not happy at all with the "representation". This was a situation where more and more money was being asked from me while not getting, or seeing anyway any results. This is my opinion. I know the judge is the final authority. However, for a lawyer to be a GOOD lawyer, I feel this person needs to be willing to speak out to the judge. This lawyer, it seemed just could NOT sway, or convince the judge at all to find in our favor. Sometimes the judge can only see things from what they are told by others that are fighting against you. It is the lawyers job to say HEY!! this is not right..that is not right..THIS is what is REALLY going on here. Ya, this lawyer is possibly going to "upset" the judge for standing up for his clients rights, but isn't that what anyone hires a lawyer for in the first place? What I see is that Mr. Swank, although a fairly good lawyer, but not a rock star by any means, like most lawyers NEEDS to be willing to put themselves out there, use their voice, and STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT!! In this case, I did not see that at all. It seems, or appears to me that lawyers nowadays are just afraid to stand up and and say "Look judge, with all respect, this is NOT right what is going on." The question I wonder though, is why? Unfortunately, I ended up having to let this lawyer go because like I said earlier, I never saw any results. Actually, I'm quite disgusted about the whole ordeal!! Ok, So I will go ahead and get off my soap box now. Again I say to anyone else out there, this has just been MY personal experience in the matter. I hope this helps. God bless you all.. and don't you ever EVER stop fighting for what is right!!
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Cost

Rates
  • Free Consultation 30 minutes
Payment methods
Cash, Check, Credit Card

Resume

AVVO RATING 8.5 (Excellent)

Work Experience

  • Owner/Principal
  • D. Zane Swank, LLC
  • 2011 - Present
  • Public Defender/Department Head
  • Pueblo of Isleta
  • 2013 - 2014
  • Associate
  • Titus & Murphy Law Firm
  • 2009 - 2011
  • Assistant Public Defender
  • City of Farmington
  • 2009 - 2011
  • Public Defender
  • City of Bloomfield
  • 2009 - 2013
  • Assistant City Attorney
  • City of Farmington
  • 2008 - 2009
  • Assistant District Attorney
  • Eleventh Judicial District Attorney
  • 2008 - 2008
View all work experience

Education

  • Washburn University School of Law
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • 2007
  • College of Santa Fe
  • MBA - Master of Business Administration
  • 2004
  • National American University
  • BS - Bachelor of Science
  • 2003

Languages Spoken

  • English

Attorney endorsements

Received (5)
Given (3)
Endorse D. Zane
Unknown Attorney | Mar 12
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter
"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Swank stepped in last minute for another attorney and handled the matter excellently. I was impressed at his willingness to travel wherever needed for his clients."
Family Attorney | Dec 07
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I worked with Zane for about a year in both family and a land dispute. As a practicing lawyer myself since 2002, I can say that Zane is competent, professional and an overall good person to work with. Zane understands the law and its intricacies and works to confidently and properly provide his clients with guidance as well as overall support. He is an advocate for them and loyal to them but always within the confines of the permitted law and is respected by other lawyers for this. As such, I endorse Zane and know that he can handle streamlined as well as complicated cases with the same diligence and dedication. Without any hesitation, I endorse Zane as a great lawyer that any client would be well worth their time and money to hire."
Family Attorney | Oct 03
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Mr. Swank is one of the brightest and most prepared attorney's I've ever met. Mr. Swank's level of commitment to his clients is first rate! When you combine his knowledge of the law with his passionate representation,; you get one very effective attorney."
Family Attorney | Aug 13
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter
"I endorse this lawyer. I opposed Mr. Swank in a Restraining Order hearing and I was very impressed at his level of preparedness as well as his presentation. He was aggressive and relentless!"
Family Attorney | Aug 09
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"In my nearly 20 years of practicing law, I can count on one hand the number of lawyers I consider brilliant - Zane is one of them. When people think of trial lawyers, they think of someone who is quick on their feet and plays to win, and rightly so - we must be. But Zane's research and writing skills and his commitment to be better prepared than any other lawyer in the courtroom puts him in a rare class of attorneys. In addition to his legal skills, Zane has an MBA and the ability to analyze extremely complex businesses and transactions, making him ideal for divorces involving couples with multiple businesses, investments and other items needing valuation and distribution. The only reason I give him five stars is because this website won't let me give him ten."
Domestic violence
Criminal defense

Avvo Contributions

This attorney hasn't created any legal answers in Q&A or legal guides recently on Avvo.

Albuquerque Family Lawyer D. Zane Swank
D. Zane Swank
Family Attorney
Albuquerque, NM
Licensed for 15 years
Free Consultation