Woodbury Family Law Blog

Going through a marital dissolution can financially affect an individual whether he or she was married five years or 50 years. However, getting a divorce closer to one's golden years can especially be challenging in Minnesota. The good news is that Social Security benefits are available for divorced individuals to claim based on their ex-spouses' employment records, and their exes will not be impacted by the benefits they claim.

Here is how Social Security works for divorced parties. People who are divorced may receive 1/2 of their exes' full retirement benefit amounts at full retirement age. In addition, if their ex-spouses die before they do, they may claim the benefits that their ex-spouses would have obtained. Still, prior to receiving benefits based on their exes' work records, they have to fulfill a few requirements.

Toxic marriages can be crippling. They can take a tremendous emotional toll and have a way of contaminating self-esteem and self-worth. It seems irrational to stay with someone who isn’t good for you, but sometimes the most destructive relationships can be the hardest ones to leave.

When facing the end of a toxic marriage, it’s common for people to feel “less than” or like a failure. But you’re not less than, and you’re not a failure. And, you’re also not alone. According to the American Psychological Association, approximately 40-50% of marriages will end in divorce. Divorce is never easy but divorcing someone with a high conflict personality can add additional challenges.

A particularly challenging aspect of the divorce process is figuring out how to deal with a future ex-spouse during the negotiation process. This can be especially difficult for the parents of young children who are going through divorce, as child custody can quickly become a source of conflict. A couple of steps, however, may help to make the divorce process as smooth as possible for those in this situation in Minnesota.

First, it may be beneficial for the two parties who are getting divorced to try to minimize their contact with one another following their divorce. As co-parents, they will likely need to have discussions about their shared children, but that does not mean they have to speak often. Encouraging open dialogue while setting boundaries may help to avoid unnecessary conflict in the co-parenting relationship. In addition, it is a smart idea for the parents to use the same rules and parenting styles to further avoid conflict.

When two people in Minnesota decide to get divorced, they may be worried about how they will handle issues like alimony and property division. If they have young children, child support and child custody may also be of concern. However, it is possible for people who are going through divorce to resolve these and other family law issues without having to go through the costly and time-consuming litigation process.

An increasing number of divorcing couples are opting for alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes, such as arbitration and mediation, rather than going to trial. Why? Because an ADR process offers a far more customized way of ending a marriage. This approach is also faster and more flexible than litigation.