Under Minnesota law, there are two types of child custody: physical custody and legal custody. Legal custody involves the right to make important decisions for the child, including decisions about education, health care, and religion. Physical custody is the right to make decisions about the routine day-to-day activities of the child and where the child
Adultery can cause a marriage to become an emotional nightmare, and it’s a common cause of divorce. When you’re ending your marriage because one or both of you has cheated on the other, it’s possible that the adultery will impact the outcome of your divorce in Minnesota.
Minnesota is a “no-fault” state, which means if
If you would like to obtain a copy of your divorce decree or other Minnesota divorce records, you can access and download a copy online using the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) website: https://publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/
If you would like to order a certified copy of your Minnesota divorce decree, you can obtain it directly from the
The Pilot Project allows approved Minnesota legal paraprofessionals (paralegals), like our own Pam Martin, to represent and advise clients in select family law cases with an attorney’s supervision. In some cases, a paralegal can represent a client in court.
The goal of the program is to increase access to legal representation in cases where one
Minnesota Statutes section 609.748 grants an individual the right to seek a harassment restraining order against another. An HRO makes conduct that is otherwise legal (such as contact or presence at a location) a crime.
Everyone feels offended by the behavior of another from time to time. Sometimes people go too far, yelling obscenities or
The stakes are high in divorce cases. The stress of the proceeding is heightened by the fact that there are, with rare exception, no “do-overs” in family court.
Unnecessary errors can be made that may result in an unjust outcome – or put you at risk.
Here are the top ten mistakes I see litigants
It was a privilege to offer a recent presentation to the Minnesota Judicial Branch concerning domestic abuse issues – my third invitation to teach over the last two years.
Over 130 judges and law clerks were in attendance to learn about the four types of cases that can result from an allegation of child abuse:
Spousal maintenance is an emotionally-charged issue in divorce. I’ve handled many cases requiring a trial because the parties could not agree on whether alimony was appropriate, or the amount and duration of spousal maintenance. Maintenance is tricky because, unlike child support, there are no formal guidelines or formulas to assist divorce litigants in determining what
Many divorce litigants are accused of “dissipating” marital assets by their spouse or opposing counsel. Quite often, however, that term is misapplied. Those who have “dissipated” assets stand to have a credit assigned to them for the value of lost property. If you’ve been accused of dissipating marital assets, we can help.
“Dissipation,” just like
In Minnesota, child support is calculated through the application of a statutory formula – unless the litigants or judge opt to deviate upward or downward. Better than 95% of the time, a strict application of the Minnesota child support guidelines will occur.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services has published an online child support calculator
Custody cases in Minnesota are complex if the parties do not agree. Legal custody, physical custody and parenting time disputes involve an entangled set of ever-evolving statutes and caselaw. Alcoholism, drug abuse, mental illness, domestic abuse, special needs, and child development are just a few of the issues that must be addressed.
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