Family Law Articles

**M. Sue Wilson Law Offices, P.A. does not necessarily endorse the content of the articles we link to, but we provide these links as a service to the visitors of our website. It is up to the visitor to determine the veracity and accuracy of any article or website, these included.**

M. Sue Wilson Law Offices, P.A. has compiled a list of informative articles to provide you with additional education and information in the following areas of family law:

• Divorce and Separation
  
• Child Custody, Visitation Rights and Child Support
  
• Spousal Maintenance
  
• Marital Estates
  
• Domestic Abuse
  
• Alternative Family Law

Divorce and Separation

• The Decline in Marriage: What To Do [PDF], Brookings, 9/13/2005. This article focuses on federal and state initiatives to promote healthy family dynamics.
• The State of Our Unions: 2005 [PDF], National Marriage Project, 7/19/2005.
• Parenting Challenges During Separation, Parenting and Marital Advice. This article focuses on how to sit down with children and talk with them about the divorce.
• What is the First Thing to Say When You Want a Divorce?, Articles on Divorce, Custody, and Parental Alienation Syndrome, 10/1/03. A short article on how to talk to your spouse about a divorce. There is also a section on what to do if you are anticipating a divorce that could be abusive.
• The Divorce Grieving Process: An Overview, Divorce Transitions 10/99. This article explains the five stages of grief, helping you understand what you're feeling and what you may expect in your emotional journey toward comfortable singlehood.

Child Custody, Visitation Rights and Child Support

• Child Support Laws in Minnesota: An Overview [PDF], State of Minnesota, 3/30/2005. An information brief about child support laws pertaining to Minnesota.
• Child Custody. This article explains the different types of child custody.
• Child Support. A definition of child support. What it does and doesn't include and answers to common questions.
• Child Support in Minnesota, A complete guide to Minnesota Child Support. An explanation on the financial aspect of child support in Minnesota.
• Visitation Dos and Don'ts, Divorce matters. A guide of Do's and Don'ts concerning parental visitation.
• Visitation and Visitation Issues, Minnesota Divorce Source. An article that looks at the different types of visitation laws and schedules.
• Child Support and the Limitations on Private Agreements, Responsible Divorce Newsletter, 10/15/2004. This article discusses the obligation of both parents to support their children after a divorce. It provides hypothetical examples of how child support payments are conducted.

Spousal Maintenance

• Spousal Maintenance in Minnesota, Divorce Net, 8/17/04. This article explains the deciding factors of how spousal maintenance is decided.
• The Seven Alimony Rules, Divorce Net, 8/17/06. This article covers seven important things a person should know when paying alimony.

Marital Estates

• Property and Debt Allocation in Minnesota Divorce, Divorce Net, 8/17/04. This article explains what is considered to be a marital asset and a non-marital asset and how these assets are divided and allocated in a divorce.
• Property Divisions and Non-Marital Assets, Divorce Net, 8/17/06. This article explains the marital estate and the assets of each party.

Domestic Abuse

• Domestic Violence and Abuse: Types, Signs, Symptoms, Causes and Effects, Help guide: Mental Health issues, 11/9/04. A lengthy article about domestic violence that covers many topics such as the reasons for domestic abuse and how to detect it.
• Domestic Violence Statistics: Prevalence and Trends, Mental Health Journal, 2/01. This article gives many statistics about domestic abuse and provides links in order to navigate online and find more information on the topic.
• Domestic Violence Screening, Psyche Central, 5/14/04. This is a quiz that helps to determine if you are in an abusive relationship.
• Dealing with Domestic Abuse, 6/29/06. This is an article from the perspective of a woman named Kathy and how she dealt with an abusive partner. After her story is told the article gives information about domestic abuse with lessons on how to cope.
• Steps to Address Domestic Violence, 2/2/01. This article offers suggestions on how to go about addressing a violent situation. It also includes helpful worksheets.

Alternative Family Law

• Adoption By Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Parents, National Center for Lesbian Rights, 1/04. This article gives an overview of adoption by the homosexual community as well as information on the current laws.