» Legal Costs, Finances & Property

What happens after the decree is final, the divorce is over, and the dust settles? Ideally, families should settle into the routine of their “new normal.” Parenting time would take place as agreed, and child support would be promptly and… Read More

Under Minnesota law, both parents are obligated to support their children in accordance with their respective incomes. The state calculates child support according to what’s called an “Income shares” model. Minnesota child support h… Read More

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

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

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

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

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

Clients always ask, “What is this divorce going to cost?” As attorneys our answer is, “It depends.” There are a range of factors that affect the cost of a divorce making it difficult to say with certainty how much it will ultimately c… Read More

A prenuptial agreement may not be for everyone; however, certain individuals should consider one. Prenuptial agreements get a bad reputation because you are planning for the marriage to end before it even starts. A common disbelief is that at the sam… Read More

One of the most challenging aspects for a couple going through a divorce is deciding how to divide property. This is particularly true for spouses with sizable assets, such as a family-owned or closely-held business, a vacation home, investment prope… Read More

One of the most difficult issues for a couple to address during a divorce surrounds the question of how to divide what they own. Even more challenging can be the task of dividing what they owe. Dividing debt in divorce has become an increasingly comm… Read More

One of the thorniest issues in a divorce or custody and parenting time matter is who gets to claim the kids on their income tax returns. It should not be done by going eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Understanding the ins and outs of the federal and state ta… Read More