A petition for a marriage dissolution is not a terribly complicated document. Basically, one states that they are a resident of Minnesota for at least 180 days who is married, and there is an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. As a result, the petitioner requests the court to dissolve the marriage and address other applicable issues. The other issues may involve child custody and co-parenting, spousal maintenance and/or child support, real estate and other assets, liabilities and other financial issues, and the changing of names. But all in all, it is a rather straightforward document.
The statutory requirements of the petition are:
- Petitioning party’s name, address and prior names;
- Other party’s name, address (if known) and prior names (to the petitioner’s knowledge);
- When and where the parties were married;
- Assertion of Minnesota residency, armed services stationing or domiciliary status;
- Names and dates of birth of children born or adopted during the marriage (and expected date of birth of a conceived but as yet unborn child);
- Identifying any other proceeding elsewhere for dissolution, legal separation or child custody involving the parties;
- Statement of the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage;
- General claim of maintenance, support, custody, property and attorney’s fees, if applicable; and
- Whether a restraining order is in place involving the parties or their minor child(ren).