St. Cloud Legal Blog

For some people, the winter holidays are the best time of the year. They love baking holiday cookies, decorating their homes, burning the Yule log and singing carols around a flickering fire. It truly can be a magical time of the year.

But there is a darker side to the holidays that many ignore. It's a time when more people drink and drive. That, in turn, is combatted by increased patrols by law enforcement to reduce the number of deadly accidents on Minnesota roads. It is possible that you could be ensnared in that widened net if you drive after imbibing this holiday season.

You are a business owner. As you sit down to do your estate planning, it is clear that your largest and most important asset is that business. What you have to decide is how it fits into your family's future and how you need to address it within your plan.

For instance, maybe you want it to be your family's income for years after you're gone. That's the security that you offer them. It's not so much about giving them money when you pass away, as most people do. You are passing them an asset that will make them money perpetually, which could be far more valuable.

Before you got married, did you talk to your spouse about whether you wanted kids? If you're not married yet, are you planning on having that conversation before you tie the knot?

On one hand, it seems obvious that it's a conversation people should have. Getting married, for many, is the first step toward starting a family. They need to know that they have the same plans.

Divorce is already complicated. Don't let it get even more complicated by accepting some of the common myths people tend to spread. These individuals often don't mean to do it; they just don't realize that what they're saying isn't true.

To help you, here are a few myths to watch out for:

1. You're less likely to split up if you move in together before marriage. Reality: For reasons that experts can't quite pin down, this actually leads to higher divorce rates.
2. Your second marriage is more likely to last because you don't repeat mistakes. Reality: Second marriages end at a higher rate than first marriages.
3. Having a child can save a marriage. Reality: Having a child will not prevent divorce. Children actually add a fair amount of stress to a couple's life, and they make that eventual divorce more complicated.
4. Women and men have the same reduction in standard of living after divorce. Reality: A man's standard of living actually goes up by about 10%, while a woman's standard of living drops by 27%.
5. Adults who had divorced parents when they were kids are less likely to get divorced themselves. Reality: The truth is that adults who come from homes with divorced parents have higher divorce rates than those who do not.
6. Any unhappiness means divorce is coming. Reality: Marriages have ups and downs. Sometimes, couples work through periods of unhappiness. Other times, they see that divorce is the only possible end result. Every case is unique.