Parental alienation involves sustained efforts by one parent (the alienating parent) to turn a child against the other parent (the targeted parent). In effect, the alienating parent engineers the child’s rejection of the other parent. This is gener…
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One of the most challenging issues for parents after a divorce or breakup is introducing a new partner to the children. When it’s your partner, you can decide whether the time is right, and how your partner will interact with your children. But wha…
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We’ve all seen dramatic moments in movies or television shows in which a judge thunders, “You’re in contempt!” followed by a participant in a court proceeding being removed from the courtroom, presumably to a jail cell to think about their mi…
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Going through a divorce or other family law case is stressful all on its own. But what happens when you have multiple family law cases going on at once or have a criminal or administrative case that intersects with your family law cases? How do you d…
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The incidence of divorce among couples in their fifties, sixties, and beyond has nearly doubled in the past thirty years. The reasons for the increase in so-called “gray divorces” are many and varied, but the outcome is that more and more older c…
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It seems as if COVID-19 has disrupted every aspect of life: working, going to school, traveling, entertainment, worship services, and even how we get along at home. The pandemic has also made it harder to get things we want — from toilet paper in 2…
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Some of the hardest choices many of us face involve how we care for our loved ones. Do we put our newborn in daycare so that we won’t lose the job that supports them, or stay home with them and slash our budget? Do we stay by the hospital bedside o…
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In Minnesota, as in most states, courts prefer divorced parents to share joint legal custody of their children, which means making major decisions for the child as a team. Those major decisions include things like education and health care decisions,…
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There are many reasons that divorcing or separating parents argue over custody of their children. While gaining a tax advantage may not be the primary reason to seek custody of a child, historically, there have been federal tax benefits associated wi…
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Divorce closes one chapter in your life and opens another. In order to move forward, you need a financial foundation. That foundation comes, in part, from your share of the marital assets. Minnesota is an equitable distribution state, in which marita…
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In Minnesota, as in other states, child custody is decided based on what would be “in the best interests of the child.” The list of “best interest” factors considered by the Minnesota legislature in 2015 to reflect developments in the underst…
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After a divorce, many people vow never to get married again. Some keep that promise to themselves, and others change their minds when they meet the right person after the pain of divorce has faded. Then there are those who want a remarriage as soon a…
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Many factors can complicate a divorce, but the goal of both spouses is usually to get through the process with as little stress and drama as possible. That’s why roughly 95% of divorces settle; people would prefer to avoid an ugly court battle (and…
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Even the best parents have insecurities about how they are performing in that role. It’s easy to wonder if you are being too strict, or too lenient, a helicopter parent or a neglectful one, putting too much pressure on your kids, or not encouraging…
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Most divorce lawyers will tell you that getting a divorce without a lawyer is a terrible idea. Now, coming from people who make their living helping people get divorced, that advice might sound self-serving—but it’s often right. Sometimes, the mo…
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