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Jason Brown is a shareholder with  Barna, Guzy & Steffen, where he specializes in divorce and family law. With 25 years of experience, he is ready to provide the answers you need. Call (763) 783-5146 to speak with Jason.

 

Most divorces involve some type of division of property. However, not all assets or property are subject to division. Part of the divorce process explores the property of each party to determine what exactly needs to be divided. During this process, property is labeled as either “marital” or “non-marital.” Determining whether property is marital or non-marital is crucial in a divorce. In general, non-marital property will not be part of the “equitable” distribution between the parties. Non-marital property, as its name suggests, is property that ……

Continue Reading The Distinction Between Marital and Non-Marital Property Interests

A divorce doesn’t just involve the two spouses and their lawyers. In any divorce proceeding, there are a variety of legal factors involved.  The more issues present, the more experts will generally need to be involved. Some of the typical roles in a divorce include a home appraiser, custody evaluator, vocational assessor, business appraiser, and an actuary. The number of experts present will obviously increase the overall cost of the divorce, but they will also ensure that the proceedings are as fair as possible. A home appraiser is the most common ……

Continue Reading The Many Roles Experts Play in a Divorce

If you’ve gone through a divorce, you understand that the challenges don’t stop once matters are finalized. As soon as all the agreements and decisions are made, you now have to spend a lot of your time figuring out exactly how you are going to follow all of the provisions within the divorce decree. One of the biggest challenges involves all of the complex issues that go into scheduling your parenting time and/or working with the other parent. Luckily, there are tools available to assist you with this process. When it comes to spending time with ……

Continue Reading Simplify Child Custody with the “Our Family Wizard” Site

If you are involved in any type of custody dispute, you will inevitably have to face a custody evaluator. This process can be very stressful no matter what your situation is. Ultimately, what the custody evaluator determines about you will be a major deciding factor in the type of custody you receive. Wh en you are faced with a custody evaluation in Minnesota, it’s important to follow the advice of your attorney. Your custody lawyer understands your situation and will provide you with tips to make sure the outcome will benefit you. Here are some ……

Continue Reading How to Approach a Custody Evaluation

For many people, being a grandparent is about getting to enjoy grandchildren and spend a lot of time with them without having to deal with the stresses of parenting. Unfortunately, divorce or the death of a parent can result in a grandparent potentially losing visitation rights. If you are a grandparent somehow involved in a situation that is causing you to see your grandchildren less frequently or not at all, it’s important that you understand what your rights are as a grandparent. Minnesota does have both statutory laws and common laws that allow ……

Continue Reading Grandparent Rights Under Minnesota Law

It is important to know how the IRS treats spousal maintenance and child support to ensure that both are considered correctly on your income tax return. Generally speaking, spousal maintenance is tax deductible to the payor, but the payee (recipient) must pay taxes on it. Child support is not tax deductible to the payor, and the payee does not have to pay income tax on it. While it is easy to determine what is characterized as “child support,” it can be a bit more complicated to determine what qualifying “alimony” is. Alimony, in order to be tax ……

Continue Reading How Does the IRS Treat Spousal Maintenance and Child Support?

The phrase “custody” is used to describe the obligations, and rights, of parents regarding the care of their children.

Child custody issues come about when an unmarried couple has a child together, or when married parents get a divorce.

The two types of child custody in Minnesota are physical custody and legal custody.

Legal custody…

When in court for a divorce case, one of the last things you want to do is anger the judge. It is important to remember that judges are people too, and their jobs are not simple – especially when they are dealing with a family matter like divorce. Judges have to listen to witness testimony, review evidence, and try to determine who is telling the truth and who isn’t. Anything that happens in the courtroom that distracts the judge is going to upset them. Being that he or she is deciding some very important issues, you want to be cautious and not upset ……

Continue Reading Courtroom Decorum : Tips for Keeping the Judge Happy

Step-parent adoption is an enjoyable part of our family law practice. Here are a few of the key concepts: Termination of Parental Rights: Biological parent executes paperwork to terminate rights to child. Two week cooling off period applies. Petition: Remaining parent, and spouse, file Petition for Adoption with the Court with all relevant paperwork. Background Information: Some counties require a limited amount of background information gathered concerning the step-parent, including a criminal history. Hearing: Once the background check is ……

Continue Reading Step-Parent Adoption in Minnesota : Key Concepts