Insights

Dramatic Changes to Adoption Tax Credit for 2013
If you\'ve been paying attention to what Congress is (or isn\'t) doing this year, chances are you\'ve heard that several advantageous estate and gift tax provisions are set to expire at the end of this year. However, it\'s less likely you\'ve heard that the ...Read More

Assisted Reproductive Technology & Divorce: “Custody” Battles Over the Kids You Don’t Have (Yet?)
Custody and visitation issues are often the most important and contentious parts of a divorce. If you and your spouse have embryos in storage at an infertility clinic or other medical facility, the question of who \"owns\" that stored genetic material may be almost ...Read More

Exit Interviews
st employers know that conducting an exit interview with an employee who has resigned is a good idea. No company wants to lose valued and productive employees without knowing why. But exactly how an exit interview is facilitated will dictate the amount of useful ...Read More

Use of Criminal Record in Hiring Decisions
Employers frequently require job applicants to submit to a criminal background check. An applicant\'s criminal history can be relevant to an employer in combating theft and fraud, preventing workplace violence, and avoiding potential liability for negligent hiring. However, the use of criminal-history records can ...Read More

The Pitfalls of Retaliation: Jimmy John’s vs. International Workers of the World
MikLin Enterprises, the owner of 10 Jimmy John\'s restaurants, recently learned the hard way that retaliating against employees who are engaged in legally protected activity can have serious consequences.
In recent years the International Workers of the World (the \"Union\"), began organizing Jimmy John\'s workers ...Read More

Keeping the Minnesota Family Farm After Divorce
Minnesota divorce lawyers are faced with unique and challenging issues when representing farmers in divorce proceedings, especially when dividing up the marital assets and debts.
Particularly important in light of today\'s farmland prices and other issues contributing to the value of the marital estate, a substantial ...Read More

Going Nowhere Fast, Part II: Using PassPort Controls to Insure Your Child Stays in the U.S.
In part one of Going Nowhere Fast, I talked about the headaches of getting a U.S. passport for a child under the age of 16. As big of a hassle as the dual parental consent process may be, there are very good reasons for ...Read More

Going Nowhere Fast, Part I: Using PassPort Controls to Insure Your Child Stays in the U.S.
If you plan to take your child anywhere from a fishing trip to Canada to a Caribbean cruise, a divorce can create many complications, especially in getting the Bureau of Consular Affairs to issue your child a passport. In addition to the normal proofs ...Read More

My Friend Didn’t Have to Pay Spousal Maintenance, So Why Do I?
One of the most difficult areas of Minnesota family law (for both lawyers and clients) is spousal maintenance, otherwise known as alimony. Unlike child support, there is no formula that you can plug numbers into and come away with a good answer.
Instead, awards of ...Read More

Breaking Up Really Is Hard To Do: Protect Your Business From Divorce With Buy-Sell Agreements & Antenuptial Agreements
For anyone who owns a business, the topic of what happens to their business upon divorce (especially if it is someone else\'s divorce) is crucial. Here are some tips and suggestions to help you plan for possibility of divorce, so that you can get ...Read More