St. Louis Park Divorce Attorney

If you are facing a dissolution of your marriage, you need a qualified St. Louis Park divorce lawyer to assist you through the process. Issues such as custody, child support, property division and spousal maintenance can be difficult to navigate alone.

Custody

There are many cases in which both parents want custody of their children. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the court will decide whether one parent should be granted sole physical custody, or whether the parties should share joint physical custody. Prior to trial, a custody evaluator will examine a number of elements, including who has served as the primary caretaker, the nature of the relationship between each parent and the child, and the stability of the home environment offered by each parent.

Child Support

The non-custodial parent will be ordered to pay child support. There are different factors that determine what the amount of that support will be. The gross incomes of both parents are considered, as well as the amount of parenting time exercised by a non-custodial parent. Because circumstances can change, child support may be modified at some future date.

Property Division

The marital property (assets or debts acquired during the marriage) are to be divided equitably (most often, equally) among the parties. Assets must be valued, and then allocated. If one party is allocated more value than the other, the party with more equity must pay an equalizer to the other. Non-marital interests remain with the party who owns that interest.

Alimony

One party may be required to pay alimony to the other, if the other party has a financial shortfall in light of limited income. Spousal support may be permanent, or eliminated after a specific amount of time. The amount, and duration, of spousal maintenance is based upon the income and budgets of each party, the length of the marriage, the lifestyle enjoyed during the marriage, the educational background of each party, and the role each party played in supporting the other’s career during the marriage.

Attorney’s Fees

Fee awards may be awarded to those with a financial need, so long as their spouse has the ability to pay. A litigant may also be ordered to pay fees because they engaged in bad-faith conduct, unnecessarily increasing the fees of the other party.

Contact a St. Louis Park Divorce Lawyer

You don’t want the divorce process to be more stressful necessary. A competent attorney by your side can help you make the right decisions. To learn about your options, and how we can make the process move as smooth as possible, call us at 763-323-6555 to schedule your free initial consultation. If you prefer, you can complete our free case evaluation form.