The 180 Day Rule and Jurisdiction
Almost every state has a requirement that you must live in that state for a certain amount of time before you can file for a divorce there. Minnesota is no…
To File or Not to File?
In Minnesota, a divorce case commences when the Petitioner serves the Summons and Petition for Marital Dissolution (and usually some other documents, too) upon the Respondent. The law requires that…
Grandparent Visitation: Getting Your Foot in the Door
There are some laws on the books that although neutral on their face, can have different results when applied to different situations. Personally, I question whether the legislature truly intended…
A Lesson In Attorney’s Fees
As a lawyer, I don’t have any great products to sell you. My office is not like Best Buy or a car dealership. Other than a bunch of paper, you…
Divorce Settlements: Your Terms versus the Judge’s Terms
Clients will sometimes ask me whether the Court would “allow” a certain settlement proposal. My response is almost always that so long as both parties agree to the terms, you…
Are Style Points Important?
When I am meeting with a potential client during an initial consultation I am sometimes asked, “What is your style?” Or more to the point, they may simply say, “I…
Child Custody: The Importance of Making it Legal
When married couples separate with the intention of making it permanent, a divorce almost always follows. That is because the law recognizes the legal relationship known as marriage. In order…
Financial Infidelity
KARE-11 recently did a series on what they called “financial infidelity.” We linked one of the pieces to our Facebook page. By financial infidelity, KARE-11 is referring to situations where…
Out of State Moves
In my opinion, one of the most difficult issues in family court cases is out-of- state moves. Let’s say that following a divorce, Mom has primary physical custody of the…
Honey or Vinegar?
I often hear from my clients that they “just want this to be over.” And, who doesn’t? Divorce is not pleasant. Not too many people enjoy it. Yet, despite making…