Under Minnesota Statute 517.01, Minnesota marriages are a civil contract. So what does that mean and why is it important? In lawyman’s terms, a marriage is a contractual relationship between a man and a woman where the couple makes certain promises to one another and, in turn, those promises are recognized by the State of…
Minnesota Public Radio and the Minnesota Star Tribune report that lawmakers in Minnesota have approved a bill to strengthen Minnesota child neglect laws. Governor Mark Dayton said that the law would protect the elderly and children who were victims of neglect. Under the new law, caretakers can be charged with a felony rather than a misdemeanor if…
In a recent article in the Minnesota Bench and Bar, attorney Tom James wrote a nice piece about the relationship between two different family laws in Minnesota and their possible conflict with each other. As James point out, Minnesota divorce lawyers need to be aware that Minnesota Statute 518B.01, which is the order for protection (OFP) statute, has…
In a story reported by The American Independent, a Federal Court judge has found that a man who married a transgendered woman has a legally recognizable marriage under Minnesota’s defense of marriage laws. The judge held that because one of the parties is male and the other legally transitioned to a female, the couple qualifies as…
As first made known to this blog by Judge Steve Halsey on his blog, Minnesota Family Law Issues, a prominent New York lawyer and divorcee will be unable to re-open a divorce settlement in his attempt to recoup losses stemming from investment in Bernie Madoff’s ponzie scheme. The New York Court of Appeals rules that “Mutual…
The Austin County Herald reports that eight counties in Minnesota are going paperless as a part of the eCourtMN initiative. According to the Herald, all Minnesota counties will be required to go paperless in the next five years. The counties which are reported as going paperless include: •Cass •Clay •Cook/Lake •Dakota •Faribault •Kandiyohi •Morrison…
Welcome to the first post in what I hope to be many on this new blog. At least at this initial stage, the plan is for the blog to serve as a resources for all residents of Dakota County to use to find information about the law and lawyers in the county. The blog’s goal…
As a Apple Valley, MN divorce attorney, I often feel the bite of what I will call “society’s general dislike of the law and lawyers.” I understand why many people feel that lawyers and the courts are to blame for messy family law situations. It’s easy to blame them. However, I can tell you from…
