Minnesota Family Law Lawyers & Attorneys

Do you think you can agree on the terms of your own divorce?

Do-it-yourself-forms are available for download; however, they are lengthy and repetitive and are not designed to address unique issues present when long-term marriages or children are involved.

If you and your spouse have agreed that you can resolve many issues on your own before hiring an attorney, discussing and having agreements on the issues listed below can help keep your legal fees and future complications low:
Be sure to use your full names, obtain all account numbers for credit cards and investments.

If Children Are Involved:

1. Legal custody of the children
2. Physical custody of the children (where they wake up in the morning)
3. Parenting Time with the children
4. Your Parenting Plan
5. Child support
6. Division of medical and dental insurance and uncovered expenses for children
7. Summer camps, extracurricular activities—costs and timing
8. College education for children
9. Income tax exemptions for the children

Whether Children Involved Or Not, Division Of Debts And Assets:

1. Division of credit card and other unsecured debt
2. Division of motor vehicles
3. Division of recreational vehicles
4. Division of retirement assets
5. Division of savings and investments
6. Division of personal property
7. How to file income taxes during separation but prior to divorce
8. What to do with the house and the mortgage

Protecting Yourself:

1. What to do in the event of bankruptcy
2. Spousal Abuse, Harassment Orders and Orders for Protection
3. Life insurance policies to secure child support and spousal maintenance
4. Spousal maintenance
5. Is your spouse hiding assets?
6. Payment of attorney, appraiser, and/or mediator fees
7. Continuing health insurance for spouse

Other Considerations:

1. Name change
2. Move out date for the person leaving the house
3. Division of expenses while living
4. Divorce is not cheap… Even the filing fee has increased by 250% over the past ten years. As of 2009, each party can expect to pay a filing fee of up to $332.00.

For more information, contact our office at 763-427-5131 or contact Lisa Kallemeyn at Lisa@Kallemeyn.com