Family Law

Minneapolis Family Law Attorney

In the Twin Cities, the vast majority, over 90%, of family law cases are settled before the parties ever get to court. In fact, many couples have nearly all the issues worked out for an uncontested divorce before they ever call a Minneapolis family law attorney. At Patrick Burns and Associates, we realize that in most cases the last thing a couple wants to do is waste their resources on huge court battles. We agree with them.

• Cost-effective Strategies Creative Solutions for Legal Problems
• Child support: Minnesota child support guidelines are set so that divorcing couples need simply to plug their incomes and amount of time the children spend with each parent into a formula. However, sometimes disputes arise over what is the payor's actual income. If you are having trouble agreeing on the right amount of child support, contact our office for assistance.
• Property division: Equitable division or equitable distribution of marital assets can be an amorphous term. If you are wondering what the family law court would do in your case, contact us for an assessment of your complete financial picture.
• Spousal support: Numerous factors go into the computation regarding whether a spouse will receive alimony or spousal maintenance on a permanent, temporary, or rehabilitative basis. If you are wondering if you will receive an award for support or if you will have to pay your spouse, we can help you understand the law.

Prenuptial Agreements

We also draft prenuptial (also called ante nuptial) agreements. We advise everyone to have a prenup drafted prior to a second marriage. It's not a bad idea even before a first marriage if children from other relationships or major individual property are involved.

It is difficult, though, for starry-eyed young people to envision the failure of their marriage. Our clients who are marrying for the second time, however, often realize they need an exit strategy just in case things fall apart. They tell us that they wish they had realized before their first marriage how important it is to have a premarital agreement in the event of disaster in the relationship. If you are getting married, contact our office to discuss Minnesota law regarding premarital agreements.

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