Woodland Divorce Lawyer

Marital property is typically defined as any property acquired by either spouse during the duration of the marriage, whether or not the title to the property is co-owned or held individually. In Minnesota, divorcing spouses can agree to divide marital property however they want. Marital estates that include investment accounts, real estate, and closely-held businesses can be complex. M. Sue Wilson will advocate for the most favorable and fair outcome for the divided property. Our skilled lawyers have the expertise to trace property from its original acquisition to its present state to argue whether it is marital or non-marital.

A prenuptial agreement, or prenup, is a contract signed by two individuals before they marry. Prenups are used to protect assets acquired before marriage and can delineate the division of personal estates to specific beneficiaries, should one spouse die or file for divorce. If you are considering a divorce and have a prenup in place, contact our office to discuss its validity and the impact it may have on your divorce. Additionally, if you want to sign a prenup before getting married, we can help with that process as well.

Spousal maintenance is a court-awarded payment made by one spouse for the support and maintenance of the other. To determine the amount of spousal maintenance, if any, the court will consider:

• The length of the marriage
• The physical health of each spouse
• Acquired education levels
• Career advancement sacrifices
• The financial resources and needs of each spouse

Spousal maintenance can be temporary or permanent, and the court will decide the terms of maintenance payments based on fair and equitable findings. If divorce would drastically impact your finances and ability to support yourself, M. Sue Wilson will fight for spousal maintenance for you in court.

Child custody is frequently the most emotionally challenging aspect of a divorce. The court favors stability in the child’s life and prioritizes the child’s best interest in their decision. While many cases result in joint custody, others result in granting one parent full custody. When you work with us, we will do everything in our power to protect your wishes and the best interests of your child. Ultimately, if there is a disagreement about custody that cannot be solved through mediation, the court may appoint a neutral expert to evaluate both sides of the divorce. If this situation occurs, we will guide you through this process and continue to advocate for your wishes.

In cases where full custody is granted to one parent, the court may grant the non-custodial parent visitation rights also referred to as “parenting time.” The ultimate goal of parenting time is to allow each parent to spend one-on-one time with the child. Personal work schedules, distance between residences, and the child’s schooling commitments all impact visitation agreements. Usually, parents can work together to create a visitation schedule, but sometimes the court will order a fixed visitation plan with a specific schedule of when each parent can be with the child. In severe cases, one parent may be considered incompetent to care for their child or regarded as a threat to the child’s wellbeing. In these instances, the court may order supervised visitation in which a third party must supervise the non-custodial parent when spending time with the child.

Child support is divided into three categories: basic, medical, and child care support. Child support is an award determined by the court in a divorce in which a non-custodial spouse makes regular payments to the custodial spouse for childcare-related purposes, including:

• Housing
• Food
• Clothing
• Transportation
• Education
• Medical insurance

The process of moving out or having your spouse move out can be complicated and emotional. However, when couples are separating, we believe that it is beneficial for the spouses to live separately, especially when minor children are involved. M. Sue Wilson is committed to making separate living situations fair for both parties early on in the divorce process.

Attorney fees can vary greatly depending on the unique considerations of each divorce case. At M. Sue Wilson, we strive to be transparent about our pricing. Our firm charges an hourly fee for our divorce services, and you will be charged each time our office works on your file. We are also committed to offering the support of our talented paralegals who can provide our divorce services at a lower hourly rate whenever possible.