PARENTING TIME & CHILD CUSTODY DISPUTES: LEAVE YOUR KIDS OUT OF IT!
Parents should know better than to involve their children in parental disputes. After all, whatever the reasons for the breakdown of the parents’ relationship; it isn’t the kid’s fault. For…
Minnesota Recognition of Parentage & Its Effect on Child Custody & Adoption Proceedings
A child born to unmarried parents creates a bit of a child custody conundrum under Minnesota law. For one, without a legal document recognizing paternity or parentage of a child,…
NON-MARITAL INTERESTS: THE ROAD TO EQUITY IN A DIVORCE
Minnesota divorce law requires that Courts assume all property owned by divorcing spouses is marital; meaning both spouses have an interest in everything they own. Minn. Stat. 518.003,,subd. 3b. And…
Factors To Consider When Seeking an Order For Protection
In 1979 Minnesota’s Domestic Abuse Act was created to grant relief to victims of domestic abuse. Included in that relief is an Order for Protection (‘OFP’) which, among other remedies,…
Paternity; Still a Matter of Biology
In Minnesota, the legal relationship between a child and parent is recognized because there are rights awarded and obligations imposed by that relationship. The State has an interest in not…
Divorce Lessons from Kenny Rogers
If you’re still grieving over the loss of Kenny Rogers, you’re not alone. The Gambler left us with a myriad of soulful ballads set to melodies etched in our hearts;…
Posting Your Kid’s Images on Social Media
Recently, the Minnesota Court of Appeals was asked to consider whether a Family Court judge can prohibit a parent from featuring or mentioning his children in YouTube videos and remove…
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…
Even a ‘Slight Adjustment’ to a Parenting Time Schedule Requires a Parent to Meet a Burden of Proof
In Minnesota, the law says at section 518.175 that a parenting time schedule may be modified if it serves the best interests of the child and doesn’t change the child’s…
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…