What Do You Need To Know Before Getting A Divorce?
You might have been thinking about the idea of a divorce for a long time. Maybe you have been unsure if you were ready, if it would negatively impact your family, or if you had questions about whether you could survive financially. These are all very important questions as you consider this big decision. Here are some important pieces of information to know before you move ahead with a divorce:
1. Minnesota is a no-fault divorce state: In the state of Minnesota, the court will grant a divorce without considering who might be at fault
It has often been said that divorce is one of the most stressful of all life events. It is marked with high emotion, pain, and conflict and, in some cases, is coupled with a move/relocation and other logistical changes that can cause further stress. Everyone needs some level of support while they are going through a divorce – which can come in many different forms: family, friends, co-workers, a pastor, a therapist or another professional. One of the most important things is to figure out the type of support you need and then plan to put it in place during and after the divorce process.
If you are going through a divorce and need assistance sorting out issues related to finances, parenting time or custody, an early neutral evaluation might be a helpful tool for your family. Johnson Mediation can complete both financial early neutral evaluations (FENE) or a social early neutral evaluation (ENE) to help your family settle these complicated issues without going through the long and expensive litigation process. Both of these processes are considered
When it comes to the legal divorce process, every state is a bit different. It is important to understand the divorce law in your state so that you can plan accordingly and make informed decisions. Minnesota is a no-fault state, meaning that you do not have to establish that your spouse did something wrong in order to qualify for divorce. You can simply state that you have an irretrievable breakdown in the marriage. This is important because it means that a divorce will be approved even if only one party wants it. In addition, as a no-fault state, the court does not make decisions about custody, division of property or spousal maintenance based on whether one spouse was at fault in the dissolution of the marriage.
For many of us, the thought of having meetings over the computer rather than in person may have seemed impossible, unnecessary or just not practical. Before 2020, virtual meetings were highly unusual. But, since that time, our society has transitioned to more flexible work options, working from home and zoom meetings have become common for all types of meetings and appointments. Mediation services have benefited from this transition to virtual meetings and the results for families have been highly successful. Johnson Mediation now offers virtual divorce mediation services to couples all over
Every marriage is different, and no two divorces are the same, but one thing that nearly all divorces have in common is conflict. If you share children, then you are probably already concerned with ways to protect them from the conflict between you and your spouse. The staff at Johnson Mediation offers a wide variety of resources that can help you with this important part of the process. Below are strategies to help you protect your children from the conflict and tension between you and your ex.
The Minnesota court system recommends that all couples attempt mediation or another alternative dispute resolution technique before going through the court system. Some couples will be extremely amicable and other couples may have significant conflict and adversarial communication. Mediation can be effective no matter what level of conflict you and your spouse have. A trained and qualified mediator can find common ground with all kinds of couples in all types of situations.
Deciding to divorce is more than a decision to make a logistical change in your life. For many couples, it represents a personal loss and can elicit emotions like regret, sadness, and disappointment. These emotions impact the two individuals in the marriage but also have an effect on the children from the marriage as well. There are strategies for reducing the emotional toll of a divorce on a family and the team at Johnson Mediation can help you find your way forward while you and your family heal.
One of the major issues to resolve in a divorce is how to fairly and equitably divide the property that you have shared during your marriage. For many couples, this can be the source of a lot of conflict and can take many hours to resolve. Mediation is a great option for determining how best to divide joint property in a fair way. Johnson Mediation can help you and your ex come up with a plan that works for you and your family and can reduce the conflict between you in a way both of you will understand. In the state of Minnesota is what is known as an equitable distribution state.
It is impossible to protect your children completely from your divorce, but younger children present a unique challenge when it comes to helping them navigate the change. They are not able to communicate their needs as clearly and openly as older children, so you need to be able to interpret their behaviors and provide them with support that is age appropriate and make decisions that are in their best interest. Supporting their needs while you go through the emotional strain of a divorce adds another level of complexity.
