Spousal Maintenance (Alimony) and Cash Flow – No Need to Equalize
In Minnesota, Spousal Maintenance (Alimony) is based upon need, and not the equalization of cash flow or income. The 2017 Curtis v. Curtis decision from the Minnesota Supreme Court stated that "need" is the first step in analyzing spousal maintenance. Some divorce lawyers like to equalize cash flow, which is [...]
Spousal Maintenance (Alimony) and the Imputation of Income
During a divorce proceeding, and once a divorce is finalized, the court may order that one spouse pay alimony, or what Minnesota refers to as spousal maintenance, to the other spouse. The primary reason for spousal maintenance is to provide cash flow to a spouse in order to approximate the [...]
Attorney Gail E. Mattey Joins Lake Harriet Law Office
Associate Attorney Gail E. Mattey earned her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2008, and her Honors B.A in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology from the University of Delaware in 2003. Gail represents clients in a variety of Family Law matters including Divorce, Child Custody [...]
Who Gets The House? And Other Questions Relating to Division of Assets.
When our parents were young, life progressed in this fashion: finish school; get married; buy a house; have children; retire. As life changed, this progression has also changed for many. Maybe you bought a house after you finished school and before you even met your spouse. Maybe you had children [...]
Mediation and Family Law
In Minnesota, mediation is not a new or abstract legal idea. In many Family Law cases, it is the best option for spouses to resolve conflict and contested issues, especially during a divorce. Mediation can help foster a healthier environment to resolve issues including custody, parenting time and financial matters. [...]
Summer Visitation
Divorce is never easy, especially when children are involved. Not only is your life about to change, but also the lives of your children. You and your soon to be ex-spouse will now parent part-time and have to adapt to two separate schedules. Separate schedules can be difficult if one [...]
Mitigating Tax Liability in Divorce
Divorce can be emotional, confusing and sometimes expensive. During a divorce proceeding, any advice to save money, protect cash flow or mitigate tax liability is welcomed by a client. Fortunately, there are ways to address financial issues and mitigate taxes to help offset the existence of other new expenses. You [...]
Finalizing Divorce Proceedings
There are certain issues that must be cleared up and questions that must be asked of both parties to finalize a divorce proceeding. If these questions are not asked and answered properly, the terms of the divorce may be contested at a future date. While you may ask yourself, “Who [...]
Basic Rules for Family Law Motions
Family Law can be very emotional compared to many other areas of law. Both parties are taking a huge step to change their life as they have known it, whether it be through divorce, adoption, or child custody. That is why it is so very important for the attorneys involved [...]
Child Support and Taxes: 5 Essential Rules
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 going through the legal process [...]