3 Things to Consider Doing If You’ve Moved Out of the Marital Home

February 14, 2013  |  Elizabeth A. Schading

While we don’t often counsel people to move out of their marital homes, some people have already made the move long before they have reached us or our website. If this is you, then your situation isn’t hopeless – there are still things you can do to strengthen your position in your case. 1. Consider Visiting Your Children Often The amount of time that you are with your children now could have an enormous impact on your parenting time later. Don’t expect a great outcome if you didn’t see or speak to your kids for six months after moving out of the marital home. Make sure that you document each visit. Consider taking some photographs, but keep a detailed diary of dates, times, and activities, too. 2. Consider Taking some Photographs Take a photo inventory of the marital property. That’s anything that isn’t clearly and definably yours. If you’re not sure what that covers, then assume it’s anything that isn’t your clothing and toiletries. Absent an agreement with your spouse, be mindful of what items you take if you’re the spouse that’s moving. Taking a few towels and a set of sheets is probably not an unreasonable move. Clearing out the house and leaving your spouse and kids to do without won’t be…

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BGS Litigation Attorney Joan M. Quade Featured in MNCREW Profile

February 11, 2013  |  Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.

MNCREW (Minnesota Commercial Real Estate Women) is a professional association of women in Minnesota’s commercial real estate industry. It was founded in 1995 and now has more than 200 members. These members practice in all areas of the commercial real estate industry including development, appraisal, finance, law, leasing, brokerage, title insurance, marketing, architecture, property and asset management. BGS Litigation Attorney Joan Quade has been a member of MNCREW since 1999. This February, Joan’s Member Profile was featured in their online newsletter and contains information about her career path and practice, as well as backgrounds on her achievements both personal and professional. The article can be read in full at February MNCREW Newsletter. Congratulations Joan!

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How Can I Protect Myself Financially During a Divorce?

February 11, 2013  |  Elizabeth A. Schading

While divorce will undoubtedly change your financial position, there are ways that you can reduce the financial danger, especially if you and your spouse have racked up lots of debt. As we covered in a previous article, debt can become a very sticky situation during a divorce. These steps will help you avoid making the situation worse. Start by checking your credit. It’s common for divorcing spouses to discover that there are debts they never knew existed. You and your divorce attorney can’t devise a strategy if you don’t know the full story. Pull a copy of your credit report so you can obtain a complete financial picture. If possible, it would be a good idea to discuss closing credit accounts with your spouse before cutting off your shared lines of credit so that you do not increase the rancor between you by placing your spouse in an embarrassing situation where he or she tries to swipe a credit card that no longer works. Unless unavoidable, you should avoid taking out any new debt, as well, even if it is only in your own name. Some who are divorcing will find that bankruptcy is their only option for securing a fresh start and a secure financial future. It’s sometimes a good idea for…

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