BGS Attorney, Scott Lepak, Reflects on the Boy Scouts Program
February 21, 2013 | Scott M. LepakChuck Seykora and I attended the annual Three Rivers District Boy Scout Breakfast February 21, 2013. I have been attending this breakfast event for years and am continually amazed at the energy and enthusiasm that our community has for scouting. It is no surprise that many of our community leaders have a background in scouting. This organization serves more than 72,000 boys and girls ages 6 through 20 over the course of a year and supports nearly 21,000 volunteers. The stars of this breakfast were, as always, the Boy Scouts themselves. Anyone that has ever worried about the future of our country should attend a Boy Scout event. We are in good hands for the future. My favorite part of the breakfast is when the current and former Scouts in attendance recite the Scout Promise. Listening to individuals in their seventies and eighties easily recite the Scout Promise is proof that Scouting stays with people all their lives. One thing I learned is that our local scouting organization now has a Lions Cub program for kindergartners. In attending these events, I fondly recalled my time in scouting. I was a Cub Scout and made it to the Webelos level. Webelos means We’ll Be Loyal Scouts. The township where I grew up did not…
Read MoreWill I Get, or Have to Pay, Alimony?
February 20, 2013 | Elizabeth A. SchadingIn Minnesota, alimony is known as “spousal support” or “spousal maintenance.” There are few hard and fast rules where spousal support is concerned. It won’t be a factor at all in some divorce cases, and it’s difficult to predict for sure whether it will be a factor in yours, or what kinds of numbers you might be looking at. There are, however, some common scenarios that trigger spousal support considerations. The first is a large disparity in income between you and your spouse. If one spouse makes $100,000.00 per year and the other makes nothing, then spousal support is almost certain. The second “trigger” would be a long marriage period. Again, there’s no hard and fast rule, but the dissolution of a 30 year marriage is more likely to result in the payment of spousal support than the dissolution of a marriage of 5 years. The courts take many factors into account before awarding spousal support. Spousal support also may or may not last forever. There are temporary awards, meant to get one spouse “back on their feet” before moving into independence, and there are permanent awards which are awarded for life, typically when such a move into independence seems unlikely. The age and skills of the spouse who might be awarded spousal…
Read More3 Things to Consider Doing If You’ve Moved Out of the Marital Home
February 14, 2013 | Elizabeth A. SchadingWhile 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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