Like other states, divorce litigation in Minnesota is built on an adversarial system. This means the two parties hire lawyers who file motions and make arguments, while a court makes the final decisions. If the two spouses were not angry with each other before the...
Month: July 2013
Dwayne Wade, ex reach settlement, still fighting over visitation
In high-asset divorces in Minnesota and everywhere else, determining how your money will be divided is often the most contentious aspect. Minnesota property division laws call for equitable, but not equal, division of assets, leaving room for negotiation. Determining...
Filmmaker Michael Moore files for divorce after 21 years
As many in Minnesota know all too well, divorces can happen to all kinds of people and all kinds of marriages. Still, while divorces are rarely easy, for some couples divorces can be more complicated and time-consuming than for others. Recently, the activist and...
Domestic abuse of children, mother, lands St. Paul man in jail
Domestic violence is a serious problem that unfortunately affects many people in Minnesota. Despite the fact that our state has numerous resources for victims of domestic violence, people continue to be harmed by their spouses and partners. While we hope that we can...
Prenups: Either couple decides how to divide, or the state does
When a married couple divorces in Minnesota, a court requires them to divide their assets in a way that meets the state's guidelines of fairness. This often means the couple just split their marital property 50-50 and go their separate ways, but it could mean one...
Do sperm donors have parenting rights?
Minnesota parents know that parenthood is a mysterious thing. It comes with great difficulty, great responsibility and great joy. It's a constant learning process, and what works in one family may not work in another. But, for all the ambiguities involved, it's...
New wrinkles in multi-billion-dollar divorce battle
Several months ago, this blog reported on the divorce of billionaire oilman Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Hamm, his wife of nearly 25 years. Hamm's company Continental Resources made him one of the richest people in the nation, and the dissolution of his marriage could...
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements in Minnesota
Many Minnesota residents see prenuptial agreements as unromantic because it strikes them as self-defeating to contemplate divorce while preparing for marriage. But if that is the case, is a postnuptial agreement better or worse? As the names suggest, a prenuptial...
Child custody, drug tests and poppy seed bagels
Lakeville readers may have seen a recent story about a woman who lost custody of her newborn baby after a poppy seed bagel apparently made her test positive for drug use. The woman has settled a lawsuit against the county and hospital where the baby was born. While...
Court eases same-sex marriage and divorce in Minnesota
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Defense of Marriage Act last month, it was a big boost to Minnesota couples who are hoping to take advantage of the state's recent legalization of same-sex marriage. Amid all the celebrations that came with these recent...