You made a painful decision to end your marriage after months of therapy and emotional conversations. You’re coming to terms, emotionally, with the idea of separating, and now you need to split up your assets and debts. How can you ensure this process goes fairly? What if you’re worried that your spouse’s grip on the
As a proud step-parent, you care dearly for your spouse’s children, and your relationship with them is likely rich, enduring and full of love. Whether you recently married into the family, or you’ve been functioning as a family unit for over a decade, you’d like to explore the possibility of legally adopting your stepchildren. Before
When couples negotiate prenuptial agreements, they have the opportunity to take a practical look at many issues that will be the foundation for their marriages. This is why each Minneapolis prenuptial agreement lawyer at our firm often recommends the process of creating a legal contract prior to marriage as an important first step toward developing a lasting relationship.
Continue Reading Prenuptial Agreements Can Have Particular Value for Second Marriages
If you have relatives or close friends who have gone through a divorce, you might have watched one person navigate the process with minimal upheaval while his or her partner spiraled downward into depression. Does divorce really increase the risk of depression? How can you prepare yourself emotionally if you plan to divorce? And are
As you prepare to end your marriage, you will likely experience a myriad of emotions, ranging from relief to uncertainty to emotional turmoil. However, the upheaval for your children will probably be even worse as they often feel torn, forced to choose between both parents. Andrew J. Cherlin, a professor and sociologist at John Hopkins
Even in the best circumstances, divorce affects everyone in the family — particularly younger children who cannot totally grasp what is happening and why family life has to change. When parents go through the divorce process with a cooperative spirit, the children typically fare better because their parents are naturally looking out for their best interests.
Continue Reading How Guardians Ad Litem Advocate for Children of Divorce
Lawyer Stuart Webb created collaborative divorce right here in Minneapolis in 1990 due to his frustration at the red tape surrounding the end of marriages. He refused to keep going to court on the behalf of divorcing clients, instead helping them work out their differences outside of court. He decided to turn his more difficult
The period after divorce is rough on the entire family for many reasons. This is a time of complete change in most aspects of life, including residential changes, scheduling considerations and budgetary adjustments. In spite of these concerns, parents cannot afford to make major errors involving the children as they develop new routines.
Continue Reading After Divorce, Minnesota Courts Can Monitor the Wellbeing of the Children
The following vivid (although fictional) account demonstrates the pain and helplessness that far too many mothers and fathers in Minnesota experience as they try to reclaim their lives.
Minnesota orders all couples without a history of spousal abuse to use some type of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) before taking their case to court. One of the most common and generally successful forms of ADR is mediation. In this process, a neutral third party, known as the mediator, helps the couple work out their