I Pay Spousal Maintenance: Can I Retire?
In a different blog, I wrote on the topic of the duration of “transitional” (previously known as “temporary”) spousal maintenance. There is now a rebuttable presumption in the law that…
Spousal Maintenance: How Long Does It Last?
Following a divorce, in addition to dividing marital property with your spouse, you may also have to pay child support and/or spousal maintenance (i.e. alimony). But how long do these…
Tens Don’t Marry Twos
I clerked for a District Court Judge my first job out of law school. Prior to court hearings, the Judge regularly brought the lawyers back into his chambers to privately…
Who Decides Where the Kids Go to School?
Following a divorce (or custody cases where the parties were never married) parents often disagree about where their children should go to school. In most cases, one parent simply wants…
The Rules of Living Separately vs. Divorce
Quite often when a divorce starts, husband and wife are still living together. Other times, though, they may have been living separately for many months. And, whether or not a…
Just what is an Irretrievable Breakdown?
A local politician was in the news recently because she filed for divorce. In breaking the news, one of the headlines read “In a petition filed in Hennepin County, [politician]…
The Bezos Divorce: A Lesson Learned
Following a 25-year marriage, Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos divorced earlier this year. As the Founder and CEO of Amazon, Jeff is the richest man in the world. The divorce settlement…
Are Lottery Winnings Split with an Ex-Spouse?
A man from Michigan made the news recently when he was ordered to share his $80 million lottery jackpot with his ex-wife. That’s what all the headlines said anyway. But…
When Couples Split – Who Gets the Dog?
A court case from the State of Maine recently made the news. A young, unmarried couple broke up. They did not have any children or joint property. On the surface,…
Game of Thrones and Prohibited Marriages in Minnesota
If you watch the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones,” you know that incest is a thing. Brother and sister Jamie and Cersei Lannister conceived multiple children. There are other…