Maybe you and your spouse have discussed divorce, and you have been anticipating this moment. Or perhaps you had no idea that your spouse was thinking about divorce, and you’ve just been blindsided by a process server handing you divorce papers. Either way, when your spouse’s Petition for Divorce is placed in your hand, things get real in a hurry. Being served divorce papers means that you have decisions to make—not someday, but now. One of the first is whether you will choose to respond to the divorce papers.  Do I Have to Respond to a Filing of Divorce Papers? You may be surprised to le ..read more

People often think of prenuptial agreements as a safeguard in the event a marriage fails. However, they can also be used in connection with estate planning. Not only can a prenup agreement help to avoid unintended consequences when it comes to who will inherit your property, but it can also outline each spouse’s property rights in the other’s estate. Although prenups and estate plans have very different purposes, they can help ensure your final wishes are carried out when used together.                   ..read more

You’ve probably seen a movie or TV show where one spouse wants a divorce, the other doesn’t, and the spouse seeking to get unhitched has to chase the reluctant spouse down to get them to sign divorce papers. Sometimes, just to add spice, the spouse who wants the divorce needs it on the double, before their imminent wedding to someone who has no idea they’re already married. It makes for good comedy, but it’s not very realistic—at least in Minnesota, where we have something called “default divorce,” or “divorce by default.” Default divorce is terrible for movie scripts that depend on an urgent ..read more

There’s no better time to commit to creating an estate plan — or review one you already have in place — than the new year. Although it might not be the most exciting New Year’s resolution you make, creating a comprehensive estate plan is a vital step to ensure your loved ones are financially protected and your wishes are carried out when you pass away. Since the topic can be emotionally charged, it’s essential to carefully consider how to discuss estate planning with your family and the time that is best to have this important talk.     How to Discuss Estate Planning Estate plan ..read more

Divorce is never easy, even under the best of circumstances. But when you are divorcing a narcissist or someone with another personality disorder such as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), divorce can be a living nightmare. You’re trying to get out with as little harm to yourself and your children as possible; they’re trying to punish you for leaving and make you suffer as much as they can. These goals are obviously incompatible, so divorcing a narcissist is almost always a long, nasty, exhausting battle. If you are wondering if your spouse is a narcissist, or how to escape their web, you ..read more

A trust is a crucial estate planning tool that can help ensure your wishes are carried out not only upon your passing, but also during your lifetime. When properly set up, a trust can avoid probate, allow you to remain in control of your assets, and save your loved ones a substantial amount of estate taxes. However, it’s important to understand that unlike a will, a trust isn’t just a document. In addition to drafting the written instrument, the trust needs to be funded — failure to do so can mean the instructions in the trust will not be followed and probate may not be avoided. But what does ..read more

A couple that divorces when their children are small, or parents who never married, may find themselves co-parenting together for almost two decades. That’s a long time, and a lot is likely to change over that period. At the outset, parents may agree on a child support arrangement that makes sense for them and their children.  If you have a child support order in place, you may find that it works pretty well for you initially. But as inevitable life changes happen, you may realize that your child support order no longer fits your family’s financial situation. Fortunately, Minnesota child ..read more

Divorce can have a profound impact on various facets of your life, particularly your financial circumstances. Once your marriage ends, you will no longer have two incomes to rely on and you will find yourself solely responsible for your financial future. When you are going through the divorce process, it’s important to collaborate with your legal counsel to structure a plan that will help ensure you are financially secure as you start your new beginning. Here are some essential tips for financial planning after divorce: Close Joint Accounts and Open New Ones During your marriage, you and your ..read more

As any divorced parent knows, family law matters like child custody,  parenting time schedules, and child support aren’t really over even when they’re over. If you have young children, your custody, parenting time, and child support orders may be in place for well over a decade, and in that time, all kinds of changes can happen. Some are predictable, and some come out of left field. But one thing that is very likely is that your order will need to be modified at some point to meet your family’s changing circumstances. There is a certain tension in family law cases like these. On the one h ..read more

One dilemma that many parents face when making their estate plan is the question of whether to divide their estate equally among their children. The answer to that question depends heavily on the circumstances, and will vary from family to family. Parents often prefer to divide their estate equally among their children to prevent sibling rivalry and avoid allegations of “Mom always liked you best!” As a general rule, dividing the estate equally can be a good strategy for preventing conflict among beneficiaries. However, there may also be valid reasons to make an unequal distribution—and there ..read more