
Minnesota Adoption Laws; Timing is Everything.
Minnesota allows a child to be placed for adoption without the consent of the natural father, unless that father acts fast in getting a legal action started. A sad illustration…

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]…

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…

KEVIN GARNETT AND CHILD SUPPORT
Whenever a celebrity gets a divorce, the media likes to focus on the dollar amounts as a way to sensationalize the story. When Tiger Woods divorced, for example, the headlines…

Physical Discipline or Domestic Abuse?
I hope this is not a distinction we need to spend a lot of time worrying about; either way someone’s getting hit, and unless we’re talking about contact sports or…
ENFORCING SPOUSAL MAINTENANCE AND CHILD SUPPORT FROM ANOTHER STATE
Minnesota courts recognize that not all Minnesota divorced residents became divorced by a Minnesota court. Many people who move to this State, became divorced by the courts of another State,…
Watch Tim Simonson Speak To Kare 11 News About Privacy Rights in Divorce Matters
Recently, the divorce file of a high profile public servant, Representative Keith Ellison, brought to attention the issue of divorce files in family court. The question raised was whether a…
DETERMINING CHILD CUSTODY IN MINNESOTA COURTS WHERE IS HOME?
If you want a court to help you figure what right(s) you might have to raise your child, you want to be sure you’re asking the right court, and in…
Al Pacino & Spousal Maintenance in a Minnesota Divorce
What does a Court need to consider when figuring out whether to award spousal maintenance (formerly known as ‘alimony’) in a Minnesota divorce? And what information should you bring up…
A Lesson from Child Support Court: “Pull No Punches”
Minnesota Child Support Law mandates that child support is determined primarily by the parents’ incomes. Because income is so important to a court when figuring out a child support obligation,…