Minneapolis Divorce Attorneys

At Johnson/Turner Legal, we know how nerve-wracking it can be to hire an attorney for your divorce. Our Minneapolis divorce lawyers are committed to ensuring you receive the empathetic, affordable counsel you deserve, enabling you to move forward with confidence.

We assign an experienced divorce attorney, two paralegals, a Client Engagement Specialist, and a life coach to every case. This team offers a support network you can rely on through thick and thin. Even better? It all comes with a flat fee pricing model, so you know what to expect from the outset without having to worry about surprise costs or hidden fees.

To see if our services are right for you, take our divorce assessment today, contact us online, or give us a call to schedule a consultation with one of our Minneapolis divorce lawyers.

How Does the Divorce Process Work in Minnesota?

To file for a divorce in Minnesota, you or your spouse must have lived in the state for at least 180 days prior to filing. However, if:

• You or your spouse was born in or is a citizen of a non-U.S. country; and
• You share a child under the age of 18, and a judge believes that child is in danger of being removed from the U.S. and held in another country;

You can file for divorce without meeting the residency requirements.

Minnesota is a no-fault divorce state, meaning you do not need to have specific grounds or give a reason for the divorce beyond citing an “irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.” However, if certain behaviors – such as substance abuse or domestic violence – did play a role in the marriage, the court may consider those factors when determining what constitutes an equitable outcome for each party.

The divorce process begins when one party (the petitioner) files a petition for divorce with the county court. The petitioner must then serve their spouse (the respondent) with the divorce petition. The petition contains the petitioner’s terms for the divorce.

Whether you decide to file for an uncontested or contested divorce will have a large impact on the timeline of your case.

If you and your spouse agree on terms for the divorce, you can incorporate those terms into a divorce agreement, which both parties must sign. The petitioner can file this agreement as part of initiating the divorce. The respondent can then indicate they consent to the terms indicated in the petition, enabling the court to move forward and dissolve the marriage using the terms of the agreement. This is known as an uncontested divorce.

Conversely, if the respondent disagrees with the petitioner’s terms for the divorce, they must file a response indicating their own terms. This initiates a contested divorce. The court may then hold a series of hearings to issue temporary orders, which govern how processes such as child support or alimony will be handled while the divorce is ongoing. Contested divorces ultimately culminate in a trial, where both parties have the opportunity to present evidence or call forth witnesses. The court will use the information provided in the trial to determine an equitable outcome for the divorce and finalize the dissolution of the marriage by incorporating those terms into a divorce decree.

Generally, contested divorces are more expensive and take longer to resolve than uncontested divorces. However, filing for a contested divorce may be necessary if the parties can’t agree on how they would like to resolve their differences, or one party refuses to work toward a fair result with their spouse.

At Johnson/Turner Legal, our team of experienced Minneapolis divorce lawyers will usher you through the divorce process, defending your rights and ensuring you make decisions that set you up for success.

Our Other Services

In addition to helping Minnesotans navigate divorce, our team also helps clients with:

• Mediation. Mediation enables parties to resolve their differences peacefully, enabling them to save time, stress, and money on their case. Our attorneys are here to ensure your rights remain protected and negotiate with other legal counsel or your spouse on your behalf.
• Child custody and support. We know how sensitive child-related legal disputes can be. Our lawyers are here to advocate for you and your child’s best interests, ensuring they receive the resources they deserve.
• Property division. Minnesota is an equitable distribution state, meaning that parties must distribute property fairly, but not necessarily in a 50/50 split. We’ll help you determine what constitutes an equitable distribution of assets and liabilities, and pursue those findings.
• Spousal maintenance. If you want to receive spousal maintenance or are asked to pay for it, we’ll help ensure your alimony arrangement is fair to both parties.
• Adoption. When you want to welcome a new family member into your life, we’re here to help.
• Guardianship and conservatorship. Our team can help you understand the responsibilities of a guardian or conservator, ensuring that your ward receives the care they’re entitled to.
• Relocation. Relocating with a child can be a difficult process. Whether you want to oppose a relocation attempt or move with your child to pursue better opportunities, our team is here for you.

When you work with our team here at Johnson/Turner Legal, you gain access to a team of experienced legal professionals determined to secure your rights and help you pursue the future you deserve.

To schedule a consultation with our Minneapolis divorce attorneys and learn more about how we can help you navigate your family law dispute, give us a call at (320) 299-4249 or contact us online.