The difference between legal and physical custody is important to understand and is often confused. Minnesota Statute section 518.003 defines “legal custody” as the right to determine the child’s upbringing, including education, health care, religious training and other important, long-term decisions regarding their child or…
Although Depletion and Dissipation of property carry different meanings, in Minnesota divorce cases the terms are sometimes used synonymously by the Court. Dissipation is defined by Minnesota case law as “wasting or expending funds foolishly.” Volesky v. Volesky, 412 N.W.2d 750 (Minn. Ct. App. 1987).…
Financial concerns are often a sticking point when two people are going through a divorce. Not only can splitting assets become a point of contention in some cases, but resolving debt issues is also a major concern. Determining who will be responsible to pay off…
In cases that involve divorces, the district court is awarded broad discretion to the division of property, award of maintenance, custody determination and child support. Rutten v. Rutten, 347 N.W.2d 47, 50 (Minn. 1984). The district court’s conclusions must be clearly erroneous given the…
Equitable does not necessarily mean equal (check Black’s Law Dictionary). In Minnesota Divorce cases, the division of Assets and Debts does not need to be mathematically equal, and you are not entitled, under Minnesota law, to “exactly half .” Minnesota Statute 518.58, subd. 1, states that…
In Minnesota, Spousal Maintenance (Alimony) is based upon need, and not the equalization of cash flow (equalizing monthly cash flow is not required or even addressed by Minnesota Statue 518.552). Unlike Child Support, Spousal Maintenance does not provide the parties with a basic formula to…
Many people wonder (including attorneys and mediators), are mediated settlement agreements enforceable? Well, that depends on the situation. In a recent case, Tornstrom v. Tornstrom, 887 N.W.2d 680 (Minn. Ct. App. 2016) the court determined that a mediated settlement agreement was enforceable. Again, in an…
Tax season is upon us. During this time of year, we often focus on things like deductions and taxable income, and how we can maximize our tax credits and deductions to obtain the largest benefit from the IRS. When reviewing tax laws, attorneys and parties…
