Family Law Attorney's in Minnesota

Minnesota Adopts Freedom to Marry Law

Jason — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:04:58 +0000

Gay Marriage Is Now The Law Of The Land In Minnesota. On Tuesday, May 14, Governor Dayton signed into law Minnesota’s “Freedom to Marry Act,” making Minnesota the 12th state to permit same-sex marriage. Minnesota was previously the first state to reject a constitutional amendment which would have defined marriage as being between one man and one woman. After the defeat of that amendment, lawmakers went to work to enact legislation which would affirmatively allow gay marriages. The newly-passed law will take effect August 1. What does the new law say? Minnesota law previously stated explicitly that marriages between persons ...

The post Minnesota Adopts Freedom to Marry Law appeared first on Family Law Attorney's in Minnesota.

Social Security Benefits And Minnesota Divorce

Jason — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:00:37 +0000

Ex-s With Benefits: Collecting social security benefits after a Minnesota divorce Did you know that if you are divorced, you may be able to collect social security benefits based on your ex-spouse’s payment record? You can be ex’s with benefits—of the financial kind. To make things even better (or worse, depending on the friendliness of your relationship with your ex), if you collect benefits based on your ex’s record, this does not reduce the amount of benefits that your ex receives. Before I cover what is required to get social security benefits, it’s important that you understand this. Many people ...

The post Social Security Benefits And Minnesota Divorce appeared first on Family Law Attorney's in Minnesota.

Divorce and Domestic Abuse In Minnesota

Jason — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:35:59 +0000

Domestic Abuse and Divorce in Minnesota Victims of domestic violence have many difficulties on their plate at any given time: dealing with the physical effects of abuse, seeking help with mental trauma, and finding a positive care situation for children. Going through a divorce can often exacerbate these issues. Emotions run high in almost any divorce process, and the increase in tension can make a bad situation worse. If you are a victim of domestic violence and are considering a divorce, or are already started on the divorce process, here are some things you should keep in mind that ...

The post Divorce and Domestic Abuse In Minnesota appeared first on Family Law Attorney's in Minnesota.

Brendan Fraser Broke Due To Alimony?

Jason — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 18:30:57 +0000

Brendan Fraser Broke? It looks like it just might be that America’s favorite frozen caveman, Brendan Fraser, might very well be broke do to his family law situation. According to reports (and yes I’ll be the first to admit that Wetpaint.com does not have the same journalistic chops as NY Times) Mr. Fraser is trying to reduce his alimony and child support payment. Apparently he is paying over $900,000 to his ex-wife and his three sons. It’s was a ten year marriage (from 1998-2008) and if you recall, Mr. Fraser was a darling of Hollywood in the early 2000′s e ...

The post Brendan Fraser Broke Due To Alimony? appeared first on Family Law Attorney's in Minnesota.

No Thanks, I’m Fine: Waiving Alimony In A Prenup?

Jason — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:32:04 +0000

No Thanks, I’m Fine: Can you waive alimony through a Minnesota prenuptial agreement? In many divorces, alimony and acrimony go hand in hand: the biggest fights often revolve around how much, if any, money one spouse should pay to the other following the divorce. Alimony, a.k.a. spousal maintenance, a.k.a. spousal support, is generally awarded at the discretion of the judge and is intended to provide support for a spouse who may have insufficient income to support himself or herself after the breakup of the marriage. But if you’re already planning to execute a prenuptial agreement to protect your property and/or ...

The post No Thanks, I’m Fine: Waiving Alimony In A Prenup? appeared first on Family Law Attorney's in Minnesota.

Fathers Rights Group Push For More Time With Kids

Jason — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:02:40 +0000

The Associated Press recently wrote an article highlighting a movement that has been popping up in various states, including our own Minneosta, which is to increase the presumption of time each parent has with their child. Presumption of Parenting Time It may come as a surprise but if you get divorced or have a child out of wedlock with a person, there is a presumption in Minnesota that one parent will have at least 25% of the parenting time (with the other having, obviously 75%). Side note: a presumption under the law is a term of art, that means it ...

The post Fathers Rights Group Push For More Time With Kids appeared first on Family Law Attorney's in Minnesota.

Minnesota child custody modification with parents in different states

Jason — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:47:06 +0000

Out of Sight But Not Out of Mind: Minnesota child custody modification with parents or children in different states While you might generally be thrilled to have your ex living in a different state from you, this situation does bring up potential complications about which state’s courts will have jurisdiction to determine child custody issues relating to your children. As we discussed in a previous post, many states, including Minnesota, have enacted a law called the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) to help alleviate the potential for bureaucratic complications to custody issues when the parents and/or children ...

The post Minnesota child custody modification with parents in different states appeared first on Family Law Attorney's in Minnesota.

Child support claims against sperm donors?

Jason — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:02:08 +0000

Can a sperm donor be forced to pay child support? In a story that made national news, the state of Kansas is seeking to have a sperm donor declared to be the father of a child and to be made financially responsible for the child. The donation had been made to a lesbian couple’s request on Craigslist for sperm. Crucially, the man donated a container of sperm directly to the women rather than through a doctor or clinic. Although both the couple and the man signed an agreement stating that the man would not be liable for child support, this ...

The post Child support claims against sperm donors? appeared first on Family Law Attorney's in Minnesota.

Making Custody Arrangements Work at a Special Time of Year

Jason — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:57:36 +0000

Note: Dear Reader, your author has been in a nearly 2 week long family law trial that has taken a great deal of time prepping for. I thought I posted this prior to Christmas, but it turns out I did not. So, instead of being a month late, I like to think I am 11 months early! Home for the Holidays Many divorced parents can attest to the headache and hassle that can accompany a visitation schedule involving frequent shuttling of the kids back and forth between the parents’ homes. In the holiday season, these difficulties can be amplified by a hectic flurry of ...

The post Making Custody Arrangements Work at a Special Time of Year appeared first on Family Law Attorney's in Minnesota.

10 Minnesota Family Law Questions With Straightforward Answers

Jason — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:46:10 +0000

Sometimes you just want the facts, just the facts Ma’am. And that is what this post, a down and dirty look at some very common questions (I bet I answer at least 4 of these a week on the phone!). You won’t find any crazy long-winded answers here, just what you need to know. While it may be frustrating to ask your lawyer a series of questions only to hear “it depends” all too often in response, it’s an unavoidable fact of life (and law) that the correct answer frequently IS “it depends.” And having your lawyer simplify the issue too ...

The post 10 Minnesota Family Law Questions With Straightforward Answers appeared first on Family Law Attorney's in Minnesota.