Employee Spotlight: Sarah Thies, Legal Administrative Assistant
May 7, 2013 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.As our clients already know, one of the greatest assets of Barna, Guzy & Steffen is our staff. We are not just a collection of 27 lawyers – we are a team of 64 individuals who are also important members of our community. Periodically we highlight one of our staff and the community organizations that they support. Today, the spotlight is on Sarah Thies. Sarah is the legal administrative assistant in our municipal, labor and employment group. Sarah has been with BGS for over 20 years. She is a monthly platelet donor at Memorial Blood Center and a regular volunteer at the Brooklyn Park Eidem Homestead historical farm. Sarah also volunteers and is on the Board of Directors for Stable Pathways. Stable Pathways is located at Bunker Park Stables in Coon Rapids. It provides equine-assisted activities for people living with physical and cognitive challenges under the careful direction of either a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International Certified Instructor or a Minnesota licensed Occupational Therapist. Sarah says that therapeutic horseback riding helps riders “organize” body and brain. Sarah explained that the horse’s gait is most similar to a human gait so riding provides a connection to a natural rhythmic movement from the horse that stimulated the rider’s body and brain. Sarah says…
Read MoreWhat Happens to Retirement Accounts during a Divorce in Minnesota?
May 6, 2013 | Elizabeth A. SchadingWhen you are divorcing, it’s natural to wonder what happens to retirement accounts. It can be a little discouraging to learn that any money you put into the account during your marriage is generally considered to be marital property, even if the account itself pre-dates the marriage. However, as we’ve discussed before divorce always means making some financial sacrifices. You’re better off fairly and accurately reporting your assets. If a judge finds out that you’re trying to withhold information it will not reflect well for your case. Minnesota law is going to entitle your spouse to a “just and equitable share” of your retirement accounts, even if the account is only in your name and even if you were the only one who was working at the time. If you did contribute to the plan prior to your marriage, then you may have a non-marital interest which should be stated so that the pre-marital portion is awarded solely to you. Remember that “equitable” distribution does not mean “equal” distribution. You won’t always have to make a 50-50 split and you aren’t necessarily going to have to give up half of your current account balance. Having a good divorce attorney is helpful in this regard. A good attorney can help you bring certain aspects…
Read MoreDoes Minnesota Allow Couples To Cancel Their Divorce?
May 3, 2013 | Elizabeth A. SchadingIn Minnesota, once the court file has been opened, if neither you nor your spouse want to go through with the divorce, it is fairly easy to stop the divorce from proceeding up to the moment that the final divorce decree is signed. The initiator of the divorce can file to dismiss the petition, or both of you can file a joint petition for dismissal. [maxbutton id=”1″ ] Once you’ve filed the dismissal the divorce is over with and you can get on with the work of repairing your marriage. You can do this up until the divorce decree is signed because you are still married in the eyes of the law until that happens. You can’t do this after the divorce decree is signed, however. There’s no way to cancel the divorce as you’re no longer married under the law once this happens. At that point you’d need to get re-married. Another option, assuming the court file is open, is to put your divorce on “hold” or “inactive status”. This is accomplished by filing a stipulation that both parties wish to put the matter on hold. The court will generally wait 12 months, and if no action has been taken, the court file will be closed. Any new action will require re-filing. …
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