Child in the middle of a divorce while going through her developmental stages.

Divorce and Your Children's Developmental Stages

December 24th, 2014
Divorce is difficult for the adults going through it, but as tough as it may be, adults have a couple of things going for them: they have some measure of control over the situation, and they are, well, adults. It can be easy to forget, in the midst o… Read More
Custody Labels in play between a divorced couple.

Custody Labels: Do They Matter in Minnesota?

December 8th, 2014
In Minnesota, it used to matter a great deal, on multiple levels, how a parent’s custodial relationship to his or her child was described. Custody labels affected child support and a parent’s ability to move out of state. Changes in Minne… Read More
What to know about co-parenting.

Co-Parenting: What Does It Really Mean for Minnesota Families?

November 18th, 2014
When Minnesota parents divorce or separate, their relationship doesn’t end. Instead, it transforms from a romantic relationship into a co-parenting relationship, in which the children are the focus of the parents’ interactions with each o… Read More
Communicating effectively with the other co-parent.

Communicating Effectively With Your Child's Other Parent

October 28th, 2014
If you have a child with another person, whether you’re divorced or have never been married, you know that it is impossible to completely sever ties with your co-parent so long as both of you want to have a relationship with your child. Almost… Read More
A guide to unmarried new father's.

What Unmarried New Fathers in Minnesota Must Know

October 14th, 2014
When is a father not a father? In Minnesota, the answer is sometimes, “when he’s not married to his child’s mother.” That is to say, even if a man is a biological father, if he’s not married to his child’s mother,… Read More
The co parenting method of 2/2/5/5 in action starting with Dad.

The 2/2/5/5 Parenting Schedule: Important Considerations

September 22nd, 2014
Minnesota, like other states, operates on the premise that it is in a child’s best interests to have regular, frequent, and meaningful contact with both parents. While it’s difficult to argue with this premise, the way parents and courts… Read More
Domestic abuse plan from a woman wanting to leave her partner.

Domestic Abuse: Making a Safety Plan Before You Leave

September 15th, 2014
Every nine seconds in this country, a woman is battered by a spouse or intimate partner. The American Medical Association (AMA) and FBI estimate that between three and four million women are battered each year in the United States. In Minnesota in 20… Read More
The decision of school choice.

School Choice

August 21st, 2014
Its getting to be that time of year again, back to school. Which for some parents is a great relief, but for separated parents it can be quite stressful. What happens when you have joint legal custody and you disagree with your ex about where your ch… Read More
What to know when your parents are paying for a divorce.

Three Things to Remember When Your Parents Pay for Your Divorce

August 21st, 2014
We’ve all heard the statistic: roughly half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. This translates to one divorce every thirteen seconds, and well over 6,000 divorces every single day. Looking at the big picture, divorce is a com… Read More
Consoling your adult child through a divorce.

How to (Emotionally) Support Your Adult Child Through A Divorce (and Survive it Yourself)

July 30th, 2014
Everyone understands that divorce is hard on the couple whose marriage is ending, and of course for any children they may have. Fewer people think about the impact of a divorce on the parents of the divorcing husband and wife, but watching your adult… Read More
Legal jargon concept image.

Legal Jargon 101

July 16th, 2014
The most preposterous statement I ever heard from another attorney was that clients who hire me expect me to use big words that they (the clients) do not understand. I think that attorney was trying to cop out of explaining our legal shorthand or jar… Read More
The cost of not hiring an attorney concept image.

The Cost of Not Hiring an Attorney

July 15th, 2014
You may have seen cars sporting bumper stickers that say, “If you think education’s expensive, try ignorance.” There could just as easily be one that says, “If you think hiring an attorney is expensive, try representing yourse… Read More
Measuring money

Budgeting for Divorce

June 5th, 2014
For many people, the idea of budgeting–for anything–is unpleasant. Budgeting involves putting pencil to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and taking a hard look at finances in black and white. That hard look can reveal realities that are dif… Read More
Talk to an attorney prior to spousal maintenance decision.

Karon Waivers: Why You Must Talk to an Attorney Before You Waive the Right to Modify Spousal Maintenance

May 5th, 2014
We’ve already discussed in this space the basics of awarding spousal maintenance in Minnesota, but we’ve touched only briefly on the concept of modifying spousal maintenance. Normally, once an award of spousal maintenance has been granted… Read More
Spousal Maintenance 101 explained.

Minnesota Spousal Maintenance 101: What You Need to Know

April 21st, 2014
What is Spousal Maintenance? Spousal maintenance is simply what used to be known as alimony. In Minnesota, there are two types of spousal maintenance: Short-Term or Temporary Spousal Maintenance is paid to one spouse by another for a specified period… Read More