Burnsville Contested Divorce Attorney

Handling Complex & Contentious Cases in Minneapolis & throughout Minnesota

Divorce can be simple or it can be complicated, but your experience is going to depend upon the challenges you and your spouse encounter along the way. For instance, you may not be able to agree on how your property should be divided or how you should share custody of your children.

Our Burnsville contested divorce lawyer can help you through the process so that you and your spouse can reach agreements and move on with your lives. There are a few stages to the divorce process and we can help you through each one.

Call (952) 260-6376 for a free consultation with our contested divorce attorney.

Preliminary Case Workup

The first stage of the contested divorce process is the preliminary case workup. This is when the client provides their attorney with crucial information, such as bank statements, credit card statements, titles, and property documents. There is a questionnaire that clients must complete so that all the necessary information can be obtained to draft a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. You will sign off on this petition and determine how to serve your spouse with the papers. Once your spouse is served, the documents are filed with the court to secure a place on the docket.

Discovery

The second stage is the discovery phase of the process. This is where your attorney questions your spouse attorney for information about your spouse’s possessions and their stance on issues in the case. That way, we know what is being contested and what isn’t. We use the discovery process to identify and value assets. John Burns is skilled at uncovering hidden assets.

Temporary Relief/Settlement Negotiations

During this phase, you will meet with the judge regarding temporary child support and who will temporarily have possession of the homestead, as well as whether spousal maintenance, custody and parenting time need to be established.

It is also common for several experts to be involved in the case to handle property valuation, assess business interests, or perform a custody evaluation. This process can take several months depending on how extensive the assessments need to be.

Settlement

Your Burnsville contested divorce attorney will work with the other side to try to reach agreements. A mediator will most likely be used to try to reach a favorable outcome regarding agreements about property division, child custody, and support.

Trial

Some cases have to go through a trial, but the case is tried in front of a judge, not a jury. Sometimes cases can take a day and other times they can take several days. How long the trial process takes depends on the disputed issues that could not be resolved in mediation.

Contact the Contested Divorce Lawyer at Burns Law Office

Even if there are issues to be disputed in your court case, the divorce process doesn’t have to be as painful. John can advise you every step of the way so that you can make the right decisions in your case. Our contested divorce attorneys also act as your advocate so that you never have to feel alone in your case.

To learn more through a free initial consultation, contact our contested divorce lawyerat (952) 260-6376 today. Our firm serves clients in the Minneapolis metro area and throughout Minnesota.