Family Law

One of the worst and most stressful parts of a divorce or break up is often the matter of child custody. As stressful and confusing as it may be for you, imagine how confused the children must be. In North Dakota, when determining child custody, the courts make their decisions […]

When parties divorce who have children in common, they implicitly (and, oftentimes, unwillingly) enter into a long-term relationship with the North Dakota family law court and judge that have jurisdiction over their cases. As the couple’s child grows and develops, one parent or the other will invariably feel the need […]

Prenuptial agreements (often simply referred to as “pre-nups”) are often recommended for couples who anticipate marrying one another and who have valuable assets – like a business – the value of which they wish to preserve in the event the marriage fails. A properly executed prenuptial agreement can provide clarity […]

Communication problems are a common reason that North Dakota marriages fail, and divorce proceedings can exacerbate them. While this may be annoying when ex-spouses need to communicate about issues surrounding their divorce, when ex-spouses have children in common, communication difficulties can lead to needless legal hearings and intense arguments. Communicating […]

The divorce process is an extremely emotional time for spouses who decide to separate. Divorce is a difficult time for the entire family, and is not made any easier by the legal process involved. Having a basic understanding of the divorce law in North Dakota can help. First, North Dakota […]

Americans love their pets. 65% of households—nearly 80 million—have a pet, and a majority of pet owners consider their pets “family members.” Couples seeking to split are increasingly likely to bring pets into their divorce proceedings, with 88% of such cases involving dogs. Despite the way many people regard their […]

A parenting plan describes the child custody arrangement that you and your separating spouse will adhere to after a divorce. According to section 14-09-00.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, a parenting plan “describes each parent’s rights and responsibilities.” Section 14-09-30 elaborates on what such a plan must contain. If […]

In North Dakota, judges have broad discretion in ordering one spouse to provide financial support to the other spouse in the event of a divorce. Spousal support (or “alimony”) is usually paid in regular installments and is intended to level the playing field for both parties. Perhaps one spouse had […]

An estate plan contains arrangements for handling your affairs in case of incapacity or death. Many people concentrate on the material aspects of estate planning—the distribution of assets through a will, for example—but fail to address important considerations such as medical care during times of incapacity, or the guardianship of […]