Top Minnesota Divorce Question – How Long Will My Case Last?
One of the most important questions facing any person who is thinking about divorce is “How long will my case last, or how long will it take for my divorce to be final.” These are important questions, and the answer is not always simple. Many divorce case can be handled in a collaborative manner, and the parties agree to cooperate during the divorce process and to resolve all issues out of Court and without the assistance of a Judge. In most divorce cases, the process is initiated when a Summons and Petition is served on one spouse. An Answer is submitted and in most counties across the Twin Cities, the Court will hold what is called the Initial Case Management Conference (ICMC) within 30+ days after the case is filed with the Court. Many counties, including Hennepin, Anoka, Ramsey, Dakota, Scott and Wright have adopted the Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE) process, including both Financial (FENE) and Social (SENE) to help parties resolve issues at the early part of the case. Mediation can also be used as a means to resolve disputes between the parties. If necessary, a Pre-trial and Trial are held and a Judge will make decisions regarding how to resolve the disputed case issues. Most cases do settle (approximately 95%). Some divorce cases are settled and completed in less than 120 days; some case take much longer, depending on the specific issues and whether the parties are willing to compromise. Some of the primary areas of dispute in divorce cases include division of assets and debts, spousal maintenance (alimony), child support, child custody, real estate issues, parenting time, retirement account and pension valuation, non-marital claims and business issues related to income and valuation. Lake Harriet Law Office represents clients in Minneapolis, Edina, Bloomington, Golden Valley, Hopkins, St. Paul, Plymouth, Eden Prairie, Roseville and St. Louis Park. Please call 612-750-4843 to schedule a consultation.