St. Paul Divorce Law Blog

Establishing credit after divorce can be difficult

Anyone who has decided to end their marriage knows that it can have far-reaching and lasting effects on a person's life. Minnesota residents who have gone through a divorce may have experienced emotional swings, feelings of guilt toward their minor children or general struggles with stress. While these are common side effects of divorce, the process can also come with some other unintended consequences that are less obvious.

A lack of access to consumer credit is one such problem that can result from divorce. In many marriages only one spouse handles the bulk of the family's finances. That spouse is usually the primary earner and their income allows the family to access credit lines for big expenses like a home or automobile purchase. This means that the other spouse often does little to establish or maintain credit in their own name.

Minnesota appeals court reverses court on child support question

Minnesota has laws designed to protect the children of parents who are divorced or separated. Like other states, child support is the primary tool by which Minnesota law ensures that parents will uphold their financial obligations to their children, regardless of the parents' marital status.

Under Minnesota law, a court must order child support when parents of a minor child divorce or separate. Unfortunately, not all parents meet their child support obligations. When this happens, the Minnesota Department of Human Services can step in to try various methods of collecting on behalf of the parent who should be receiving child support payments.

Divorce law changes starting to take hold

Minnesota couples who have ended their marriage know that a split can mean significant lifestyle changes. For example, divorce can have a profound impact on finances. This is especially true when the couple has been married for many years.

In some cases, one person might not work during the marriage, and instead rely upon the other spouse's income. Likewise, where both spouses work, they probably enjoy a better standard of living than they could if they were unmarried and on their own.

MN native ends contested divorce with TV star

When two people who both have substantial assets decide to get married, they often sign premarital agreements just in case the marriage fails. The goal of a premarital agreement is to spell out certain contractual details between the couple. Therefore, if the marriage ends, the couple has little to fight about and can finalize their divorce in a timely manner. On the other hand, some divorcing couples who do not have premarital agreements face long and tiring contested divorces.

The divorce saga between Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian illustrates how drawn out a complex divorce can become. Humphries, a Minnesota native and professional basketball star, married the reality TV icon in August 2011. But their marriage quickly soured and the couple decided to part ways after just a few months of marriage.

Minn. court backs biological mother in child custody appeal

Most Minnesota parents would probably shudder at the thought of losing custody of their children. A child custody dispute is always an emotionally difficult event for everyone involved, especially the children. It is common for divorcing or separating parents to wage a legal battle for custody of their children. However, it is much less frequent for child custody cases to involve parties other than the parents.

This situation did come up in a recent case at the Minnesota Court of Appeals. The question before the court was whether the grandparents of a four-year-old should get custody of the child. The grandparents argued that they should be awarded custody of the child, because they were legal residents of the United States while the mother was an undocumented immigrant.

Minnesota high court rules on divorce question

Marriage joins two people in all aspects of their lives. Most people understand that marriage revolves around sharing values and respecting and supporting each other. However, marriage is also a financial partnership. When married couples decide to divorce, they must figure out what to do about their finances. Much like dissolving a business partnership, the complexity of ending the financial partnership of marriage can vary widely depending upon the assets involved.

In a recent ruling, the Minnesota Supreme Court weighed in on an issue involving divorce and pension benefits. Similar to other assets in a marriage, pension benefits are subject to division between divorcing spouses.

Minn. legislation aimed at divorcing parents

It is no secret that children are better off when both of their parents are involved in their children's lives. Moreover, it is helpful when parents can work together in raising their children, regardless of whether the parents are married.

Most parents who go through a divorce probably understand that the process can be very difficult on their children. This is especially true when the children are young. The difficulties become magnified in situations where the parents have bitter feelings towards each other and are unable to put their animosity aside for the sake of their children. With this in mind, Minnesota legislators have proposed a new bill aimed at divorcing parents with minor children.

Lawmakers look to improve enforcement of child support

Parents in Minnesota who are separated or divorced pay each other significant amounts of money each year in child support payments. Like similar departments in most other states, the Minnesota Department of Human Services oversees and administers the state's child support programs. While many child support obligors make their payments on time and in full, others are not always as diligent. When this happens, the Department of Human Services may intervene to help with collection and enforcement of a child support order.

Of course, Minnesota is not the only state in which parents sometimes fail to make timely child support payments. Other states have tried to come up with new ideas to combat this problem.

Alternative methods of divorce settlement gaining traction

Minnesota residents who have gone through a divorce know that the entire process can be difficult and emotionally draining. In many cases, parts of the divorce litigation can become an outlet for the spouses to exact revenge for years of frustration with each other. Even the divorce lawyers can sometimes become engulfed in the animosity that divorcing spouses may harbor towards each other.

While divorce is never an easy proposition, many people do not want a contentious divorce in which both sides battle each other into submission over every single issue. Years ago, lawyers in Minnesota pioneered a different method of divorce known as collaborative law divorce. It is now becoming more popular as a growing number of couples look for easier ways to reach a divorce settlement.

Planning for divorce can make a big difference

Minnesota couples who have ended their marriage know that marital dissolution can stem from a number of different circumstances and problems. Likewise, the end of a marriage can come in a variety of different ways; some are abrupt and others can drag out for years.

Because each marriage and each divorce has its own unique characteristics, it can be very difficult to predict, with any certainty, the outcome of any given divorce proceeding. This is especially true in contested divorces involving many issues. However, every person who is considering divorce can take a few simple steps to help ensure that they will get the best possible results in their divorce.

About Coodin & Overson St Paul Woodbury MN Attorneys

http://www.coodinoverson.com 651-319-5180 Coodin & Overson, PLLP in Woodbury, Minnesota serves clients throughout the state of Minnesota in the areas of family law, criminal defense, business law and personal injury.

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