An Overview Of Minneapolis Divorce Law

There are five different issues that must be resolved during a divorce. They are alimony or spousal support, property and debt division, child custody, visitation or parenting time, and child support. An uncontested divorce is one where the spouses are able to come to an agreement on these issues. If the spouses cannot come to an agreement, then they can go to court to have a family court judge make the pertinent decisions. You can also choose to have mediation, arbitration, or a collaborative divorce if a trial is not wished for.

Alimony Or Spousal Support

Alimony is the financial support that one party will have to pay to the other after the divorce is finalized. There are different ways in which it can be paid. It can be in one lump sum, monthly over a certain period of time, or indefinitely. Alimony will be decided on the basis of the length of the marriage and the ability of the spouse to make a living. Your Minneapolis divorce lawyer can help you to get the amount of spousal support you will need to keep your family in the manner to which you have become accustomed.

Division Of Property

Most courts will typically make an equitable or fair division of property between the partners. This does not always mean an equal division, but one that is fair to both parties. Factors that the court will use include the specific circumstances that led to the divorce, the different contributions to the marriage of each partner and the possible and missed academic or career opportunities that one of the partners might have had to deal with due to the marriage or raising of children. The court will look beyond the financial contributions into the amount of work that went into the marriage.

Filing for divorce is never an easy task, but finding the right Minneapolis divorce lawyer can help you make the best decisions for you and your family. There are many issues to consider; this just scratches the surface of what you need to know. Working with a professional attorney, you can make the divorce as simple as possible, while protecting the interests of your family.