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