Perspectives

Most people may be surprised to learn that a father  has no legal rights to custody or  parenting time with his child if he was not  married to the child’s mother at the time of the child’s birth. In Minnesota, if a child is born to an unwed mother, the mother is the sole legal and physical custodian of the child. A father has to bring a legal action to obtain rights to custody and parenting time, even in cases where paternity is uncontested. …

Minnesota uses an income shares module to determine the appropriate amount of child support  each party shall pay for a child.  Child Support is comprised of 3 parts: basic support, medical/dental support, and child care. The amount of child support an obligor may be ordered to pay to the other parent depends on the combined gross income of both parents and the amount of court-ordered parenting time the obligor has with the child. The non-custodial parent, or parent with less parenting time, will pay the custodial parent child support. …

Your child did nothing wrong.  One day your son was walking on a sidewalk.  The driver of a car drove onto the sidewalk striking your child and causing a broken leg and concussion. Your first concern is your child’s well being, but once your son is discharged, paying the medical bills and covering your expenses while you are home caring for him are real issues. Fortunately, you found a good attorney and have received a settlement offer from the driver’s insurance company. But now you learn that a judge has to approve the settlement and has the right to say “no” on behalf of your son. Why is this procedure necessary? …

If you perform labor or provide materials for a public  (government-owned)  project in Arizona, there are a few unique provisions in Arizona’s public bond laws that are designed to speed the flow of funds from the general contractor to lower parties in the chain. Like in many other states, the general contractor is required to pay its subcontractors and suppliers within a certain time period from receiving a payment for the project. In Arizona, the general contractor must pay its subcontractors within seven days after the date a progress payment is received from the public owner. …

Minnesota’s child support guidelines are based upon an income shares model.  Both parents are expected to support their children in proportion to their respective gross incomes. To calculate the amount of basic child support, the gross monthly income for both parties is used. But what happens when one parent is unemployed or employed on less than a full-time basis? What happens when one party changes their income as a result of a career change or because they are returning to school? …

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). In support, the staff of WFJ will be holding a bake sale and participating in a number of different fundraising activities. The Shareholders at WFJ have pledged to donate to this worthy cause as well. All of this money will go towards the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. Over the course of its 25-year history, NBCAM has increased awareness of breast cancer, provided widespread education about screenings and treatment, and granted greater access to breast cancer-related services. To learn more about breast cancer, early detection and what you can do to help, visit the NBCAM website.

Please join us in supporting their mission!

There is a classic scene in one of the Pink Panther movies with  Inspector Clouseau where he enters a shop and sees a little dog.  He asks the shop owner if his dog bites. The shop owner says “no.”  Inspector Clouseau promptly bends over to give the little dog a pat and, voila, the dog bites him. Inspector Clouseau looks angrily at the shop owner and exclaims, “I thought you said your dog doesn’t bite!”  …