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Terzich & Ort, LLP
Photo of Jodi Marie Terzich and Shannon Leigh Ort
Super Lawyers
Divorce in Minnesota

Divorce In Minnesota

Divorce in Minnesota

Divorce In Minnesota

Spousal Maintenance

Spousal Maintenance

Spousal Maintenance

Spousal Maintenance

Property Division

Property Division

Property Division

Property Division

Paternity Cases

Paternity Cases

Paternity Cases

Paternity Cases

Domestic Abuse

Domestic Abuse

Domestic Abuse

Domestic Abuse

According to reports, many couples in Minnesota are either thinking about divorcing or are in the middle of obtaining a divorce. As recently as 20-30 years ago, divorce was rarely discussed. However, things are different now. Divorce is far more accepted than it used to be. So, how does a couple obtain a divorce in Minnesota?

The first requirement is that one spouse must be a resident of Minnesota for six months. Getting divorced often comes with complications and, ironically, it usually takes a lot longer to get a divorce than it takes to get married. There is a lot of paperwork involved in divorce. The first step is to establish the divorce petition. One spouse must start the divorce process by serving the petition to the other spouse. The petition must be served in a very specific manner.

The spouse who has received the petition must respond to the petition. If that spouse does not agree to the divorce, that person must respond accordingly. If the spouses agree to the terms of the divorce, there will be certain documents prepared by the court, such as Conclusions of Law, Order for Judgment, Stipulated Findings of Fact and Judgment and Decree.

A spouse may also request a motion, which is an appeal to decide on a specific issue. A spouse may also ask for A Motion for Temporary Relief, which is a request for temporary child support, child custody and property division that is sent to the court. The order expires when the final divorce decree is issued. The final divorce decree is referred to as Findings of Fact, Order for Judgment, Conclusions of Law and Judgment and Decree. Once the judge signs the order and the court secretary enters it into the books, the divorce is considered final.

Source: MNCourts.gov, “Divorce Basics,” Accessed on Oct. 12, 2014