Family Law:
Family law encompasses legal matters relating to family relationships and domestic issues. It covers a wide range of topics, including divorce, child custody, adoption, domestic violence, and paternity.
Yes, you can get a divorce without an attorney in Minnesota. You can go to Minnesota's Judicial Branch's self help website, for more information.
Legal custody gives a parent the right to make decisions about the child's upbringing, such as education, health care, and spiritual/religious direction.
Physical custody deals more with routine daily care of the child and where the child lives. It is commonly referred to as "parenting time," but there are differences.
Parenting time decisions are made based on the best interests of the child. Courts consider a number of enumerated factors, such as the child's age, health, relationship with each parent, stability of each parent's home environment, and the child's preferences if they are old enough to express them.
Most of the time, when there is an uncontested divorce, you will not need to go to court to get a divorce.
Even when the parties aren't in agreement on many things, the court will start with an informal hearing. The court will emphasize collaborative approaches like mediation to reach settlement.
However, if the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the matter will proceed to more formal court proceedings.