Under Jewish tradition, a man and a woman are married forever, even if they get a civil divorce from a secular court. However, their own biblical literature allows for a man to divorce his wife if he finds anything “unseemly” about her (Deuteronomy 24: 1-2). For that divorce to be recognized by Jewish authorities, the…

Since annulling a marriage essentially makes it null and void, it seems on the surface as if it is the same as never having married in the first place. However, Minnesota is one of several states that modeled its laws after the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act. This Act recognizes the concept of innocent (or putative) spouses, who are individuals who enter into marriage in good faith that the marriage was legally valid.
Continue Reading An Annulment Can Leave Either Party With Long-Term Rights

When it’s time to finalize your divorce, the way you dress for divorce court can have an impact on the outcome of your case. This isn’t to suggest that the judge won’t be as impartial as possible regardless of what you wear—it’s just to say that the judge is a human being, and humans are…

Divorcing parents frequently hear that judges use the best interests of the child standard when making child-related determinations. Usually, those parents also believe that settlements that provide them with full physical custody and more parenting time overall automatically meet the best interests of the child.
Continue Reading How Minnesota Courts Determine the Best Interests of the Child

The Minnesota/Texas Adoption Research Project is a longitudinal study that explores the effect of the nature of adoption. It’s a collaborative effort between the University of Minnesota and the University of Texas at Austin. Recruitment began in the 1980s. The Project questioned parents (both adoptive and birth) over the course of several decades using in-person…

Divorce is arguably harder on children than it is on adults, particularly when the divorce necessitates a move. If the children of divorce are forced to switch schools, they must leave behind their friends and favorite teachers. This can be a challenge for even the most outgoing children. Thankfully, there are many ways you can help your kids navigate this…

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Child Welfare Information Gateway, out of approximately 2.1 million reports of child abuse or neglect in 2013, investigations revealed that only about 20 percent of them were valid claims, slanting heavily toward neglect. Although foster children file a fair number of claims, the majority of alleged perpetrators were biological parents.
Continue Reading Statistics Show That Child Abuse Claims Are Often Invalid