It is often noted that money issues cause divorce. And financial issues are a top reason. People generally frame this as an indication that a lack of funds is what causes the marital stress. Couples who don’t have any money are more likely to get divorced, the narrative goes, because they’re unable to make ends meet and they’re trying to better their lives. But is this narrative actually true? Money issues like this can cause divorce, but do not assume that having a larger amount of wealth is going to insulate you. In some ways, it can actually make divorce more likely. Conflicts are still pos ..read more

Your estate plan can name guardians for your children, caregivers for companion animals, recipients for assets and even nonprofit beneficiaries for some of your financial resources. You may have put significant personal effort into documenting your financial resources and personal property and then determining how to divide those assets after you die. Unfortunately, your plans could end up ignored and the value of your estate significantly diminished if one of your family members or a beneficiary of your estate contests the will and tries to challenge your legacy. Even when they are unsuccessf ..read more

When you’re going through a divorce, you may need to spend a significant amount of time with your attorney and other professionals who can assist with your finances and other aspects of the divorce. These fees can add up, so it’s sometimes a good idea to ask if your higher-earning spouse could be held accountable for those fees. It’s possible to ask your spouse to pay for your divorce fees. The court may agree to order them to pay for a number of reasons, too, if you ask the judge to make them do so. When can you ask your ex-spouse to pay your divorce fees? There are a couple of times when you ..read more

Family stress is a significant problem that may lead to people becoming frustrated or upset. While there is no excuse for domestic violence, the reality is that everyone has a breaking point. Every person has a point when they might raise their voice or become upset because of a stressful day, frustrating life event or death in the family, for example. Stress does have a way of bringing out the worst in people, and it can be a factor in family violence as well. Domestic abuse may be as much as three times higher in situations where families are dealing with financial stress, and the anxiety of ..read more

You’re 35 years old when you find out that your spouse has been having an affair. You can’t believe it. You’ve been married for 10 years and you have two kids together. You’re looking at the text messages showing that the affair happened, but it’s hard to wrap your head around this new reality. Naturally, with this broken trust, your confusion may turn to anger, frustration and sorrow. There’s a reason that affairs so often lead to divorce. It’s very hard to get past something like this, even if your spouse tells you that they’ll end the relationship and they won’t do it again. But is the divo ..read more

As a father, you have a lot of responsibility, including the need to shelter and clothe your child. You also have certain rights as a parent, including the right to help make decisions about your child’s health care and education and the right to spend time with them. Establishing paternity or parentage is very straightforward, but paternity is a bit more complex. There are essentially three ways that a father in Minnesota can establish himself as the legal parent of a child. Marriage to the mother makes you the presumptive father Just being married to the mother of your child gives you a very ..read more

As a divorcee, one of the things you’ve always focused on was providing your kids with as much as you could. You made sure to be at their sporting events and to show up at rehearsals. You spent as much time as possible with them when they were young, and you focus on being there for them when they need you now. As your children age, you may find that they’re becoming more independent. Some may begin to question their custody arrangements or begin saying that they have their own preferences for where to live or when they come and go. Teenage custody plans can be tough, but it’s important to giv ..read more

With the rate of divorces for those over the age of 50 doubling since the 1990s, there is a chance that you could also find yourself in the position where you’re ready to split from your spouse. If you’ve decided to split up, you will need to consider your future finances carefully. You should know that there are highly specific rules for splitting your 401(k) plans, for example, which you will need to follow to be fair and to avoid penalties for early withdrawals. Here’s a little more about your 401(k) plan and how you can divide it. Get a qualified domestic relations order The first thing yo ..read more

Divorce often means a lot of fighting, but some couples are able to agree on terms before they ever go to court. When couples resolve issues about custody and property settlement before filing for divorce, they can have uncontested divorce proceedings which are often faster and cheaper than contested divorces. If you and your ex aren’t able to cooperate or agree on terms, you will likely have to have a judge review the situation and decide what to do. It can take longer than an uncontested divorce, but there’s the added protection of having the courts review everything carefully. While it can ..read more

Journalists and social researchers have dubbed divorces that occur later in life, often after decades of marriage, gray divorces. These gray divorces are often different than divorces that occur earlier in life because they take place between a couple that may have already raised the family together and could have been married for more than half of their life. While it used to be relatively rare for older couples to divorce, it has now become a common occurrence. In fact, research shows that older couples currently divorce at higher rates than younger couples in the United States. What factors ..read more