| If you are filing for a divorce in the state | | | | |
| on Minnesota, there are a few things you | | | | The court bases its decision on several |
| should know. If you know the basics of the | | | | factors including the length of the marriage, |
| process before you start, you'll be prepared | | | | age, health, occupation, employability, |
| and will probably find the process smoother. | | | | needs, liabilities, amount and sources of |
| Here are some of the basic facts that you | | | | income of each party, opportunity for future |
| should know. | | | | acquisition of capital assets and any prior |
| | | | marriage of a party. The court also takes |
| The initial document that needs to be filed | | | | into the consideration the contribution of a |
| with the Minnesota court when requesting for | | | | spouse as a homemaker or the contribution of |
| a divorce is called the Petition for | | | | each in any acquisition. It is presumed that |
| Dissolution of Marriage. The filing spouse | | | | both spouses contributed substantially to the |
| will have to use this document to request the | | | | acquisition of property and income while they |
| court to terminate the marriage under certain | | | | were married. |
| specific grounds. If both parties submit the | | | | |
| petition jointly as Co-Petitioners it | | | | Minnesota Child Custody Factors |
| eliminates the necessity for the use of | | | | |
| summons or for service of process. | | | | When deciding child custody issues pertaining |
| | | | to a divorce, the children's best interest is |
| Dissolution of marriage is governed by state | | | | the primary concern of the court. The court |
| law and it is essential that anyone filing | | | | prefers if the parents can decide on the |
| for a dissolution of marriage in the state of | | | | custody issues amicably, failing which the |
| Minnesota should meet specific residency | | | | court bases its custody decision taking into |
| requirements. | | | | consideration several factors including the |
| | | | reasonable preference of the child if the |
| Minnesota Property Division Factors | | | | child is deemed to be old enough to express a |
| | | | preference. Other factors include the |
| Minnesota is an 'equitable distribution' | | | | intimacy and interaction between each parent |
| state. While most debt and property issues | | | | and the child; the child's adjustment to |
| are typically settled between parties by a | | | | school, home and community and the physical |
| signed Marital Termination Agreement, in the | | | | and mental health of all the individuals |
| event that the parties are unable to reach an | | | | involved. |
| agreeable settlement, the District Court will | | | | |
| first determine which debt and property is to | | | | Minnesota Child Support Factors |
| be considered as marital. After assigning a | | | | |
| monetary value to this marital property and | | | | Factors for determining child support include |
| debt, the court will distribute the marital | | | | the financial resources, income, earnings and |
| assets between the spouses in an equitable | | | | assets of the parents; the standard of living |
| fashion. Equitable in this case does not | | | | the child would have enjoyed if the marriage |
| necessarily mean the assets will be equally | | | | was still intact and the educational needs of |
| distributed between the parties but rather it | | | | the child as well as the child's emotional |
| will be allocated according to what is deemed | | | | and physical condition. |
| fair by the District Court. | | | | |