Minnesota divorce courts continue to operate during the shutdown. The courthouses themselves are closed, except for a very few “super high priority” cases. The current order issued by the Minnesota chief justice has the courthouses closed until May 18, 2020.
But divorce cases themselves are proceeding. The only thing that has changes is “how.”
Before the Minnesota “Shelter In Place” order, most divorce court hearings were conducted in person. These included the Initial Case Management Conference, Early Neutral Evaluations, motion hearings, and pre-trials and trials. Now, the courts have authorized the use of telephones and the Internet to conduct most of these kinds of hearing. This includes Zoom, phone bridges, ITV, and other technologies.
It is even more important for the average person looking for a MN divorce lawyer to find one with significant experience. It is extremely important for pleadings to be detailed and thorough, because there is less opportunity for the kind of nuanced discussion that could take place in person.
In my experience, the Early Neutral Evaluation stage is where a case is successfully made, or broken. The evaluative decision results in a final settlement and order about 80% of the time. Because of this, it is crucial that a party have a thorough understanding of the process – what to say, what not to say, and how do develop an effective strategy to influence the evaluator’s decision.
If you are looking for a divorce lawyer in MN, feel free to call Daniel M. Fiskum at (952) 270-7700. Daniel M. Fiskum, and Minnetonka Family Law, are conveniently located in the Carlson Towers at the intersection of I 494 and I 394. Dan Fiskum is a Minnesota divorce Super Lawyer with over 28 years experience. Call (952) 270-7700 now to schedule a free divorce case analysis.