Many people hear “grandparents’ rights” and assume grandparents have an automatic right to spend time with their grandchildren. In Minnesota, there is no inherent right to visitation. Grandparents—and certain nonparents—have the right to ask a court for visitation, but they must meet specific statutory criteria and a heightened evidentiary burden before a court can order it.
Minnesota Guardianship Changes in 2024 and 2025: What You Need to Know
Minnesota enacted significant revisions to its guardianship statutes in 2024 and 2025. These changes directly impact guardians – who now face greater potential personal liability – as well as individuals subject to guardianships.
Key Tax Changes Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)
On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) became law as President Trump penned the final required signature. The OBBBA extends several provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) and includes other changes affecting the taxes of individuals and businesses. Below are summaries of selected tax law provisions.
Minnesota Adopts Changes to Trust and Estate Law, Including 500-Year Dynasty Trusts
In May 2025, substantial amendments to Minnesota’s trust and estate statutes were enacted. Some of these changes include changes to the Uniform Trust Code, the Uniform Probate Code, the Power of Appointment Act, and to modernize Minnesota’s statutory Rule Against Perpetuities. These revisions update the legal framework governing trusts and estates in Minnesota and enhance planning opportunities for multi-generation estate planning.
When is an IRA not an IRA?
Christopher Burns | Minnesota Lawyer
The unanimous United States Supreme Court decision in Clark v. Rameker affirmed that funds from inherited IRAs were not protected from bankruptcy creditors. Estate, trust and probate attorney Christopher J. Burns and Kiley Henry detail the decision in their article, “When is an IRA not an IRA?” and discuss what attorneys and other advisors should…
Spending Patterns and Resulting Effects on Spousal Maintenance
Melissa Nilsson | Minnesota Lawyer
Melissa Nilsson and William Forsyth have some insight when it comes to spending with a spousal maintenance agreement in a family law article in Minnesota Lawyer™. Spousal maintenance is a tough issue for many reasons and individual spending patterns can make it even more challenging. Read more at Spending Patterns and Resulting Effects on Spousal…
What Happens to Unfinished Commercial Real Estate Properties?
Let’s time travel back to 1999 when the technology market was soaring high. Company A hits the jackpot with a dot-com boom and suddenly realizes, “we need more space!” So, Company A purchases a 100-acre property and begins construction with plans to grow the company ten fold. We know how this story ends. When the…
5 Questions to Ask a Real Estate Lawyer Before Renting Your Vacation Property, Cabin or Lake Home
With July off to a pleasant start and our Independence Day celebrations behind us, it’s officially “mid-summer”. But, there is still time to consider renting or leasing your lakeshore property or cabin. And, with sites like VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals By Owner), HomeAway.com and even other vacation rental options like Craigslist – it is getting easier…
Commercial Real Estate Jargon: Easy as ABC
Navigating the commercial real estate world is challenging for even the most seasoned professionals, especially in today’s fast-changing economy. As the scope and shape of commercial real estate continues to morph, so does the vocabulary used to describe it. There are a myriad of terms in CRE jargon, but we’ve chosen just one (for now)…
The Purchase Agreement: Part III
Previously we took a look at the due diligence process of a commercial real estate transaction. In this edition, let’s discuss what a Buyer needs to know about contingencies. In a typical CRE deal, there are various standard contingencies that work to benefit Buyers (provided that a Buyer is savvy enough to include such contingencies…