Minnesota courts will continue to hear and process Family Law cases during the Corona virus outbreak, with only a few changes in the way some cases are handled.  Certain Family Law cases have been designated as “high priority” and certain cases have been designated as “medium priority.”

High Priority Family Law – Cases involving Orders for Protection, motions for Temporary Custody and Parenting Time, and trials in which Custody and Parenting Time are at issue are designated “High Priority” cases.  This means that there will be little or no delay in the processing of these cases.  Applications for Orders for Protection require immediate processing and a prompt hearing (within 14 days or sooner).  Cases involving contested Custody and Parenting Time generally require a hearing at the earliest practicable date.  Child Protection cases also require prompt hearing.

Medium Priority Family Law – Cases involving Paternity Custody Trials, Post-Decree Motions, and Temporary Support and Maintenance are designated “Medium Priority” cases.  This means that these cases will continue to be heard, but the timing could be delayed somewhat depending upon the needs of the Court.  In many cases, Court will conduct telephone conferences with the attorneys in order to resolve issues without the need for the parties and attorneys to appear personally in court.

Our Precautions

Minnetonka Family Law, P.A., is a boutique law firm specializing in Family Law.  We have implemented procedures intended to limit the client’s risk of exposure to the Corona virus.  These include the following:

• We now offer free, virtual consultations through either Apple Face Time or Skype. You can call us at (952) 270-7700 to schedule a virtual consultation.
• A significant portion of our work with each client can now be performed virtually. We can obtain information via telephone or Skype.  We can prepare the necessary pleadings and other paperwork and e-mail this to the client for his or her review and signature.
• Whenever possible, we will request that Court activities and Early Neutral Evaluations take place via telephone or Skype.

For in-person clients, we follow the Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.  We have implemented the following procedures:

• We perform routine environmental cleaning three times per day. This includes cleaning all surfaces, including desks, chairs, computer keyboards and mice, computer screens, and doorknobs.
• My paralegal and I wash our hands and use hand sanitizer frequently and we have hand sanitizer for our clients to use.
• We avoid shaking hands.

If you have questions about Corona Virus and its impact on Minnesota divorce cases, call attorney Daniel M. Fiskum now, at (952) 270-7700.  Dan Fiskum is a Minnesota divorce attorney with over twenty-eight (28) years’ experience.  He has been designated a Super Lawyer and is a member of the American Bar Association and Minnesota State Bar Association, family law sections.  Minnetonka Family Law, P.A., is conveniently located in the Carlson Towers in Minnetonka, near the Ridgedale Shopping Center, at the intersection of Interstate 494 and Interstate 394.