HF 3996 Summary

• Establishes a cooperative private divorce program through the Bureau of Mediation Services allowing married couples meeting Minnesota residency requirements to dissolve their marriage online without court involvement.

• Requires couples to submit an intent to divorce form, wait 90-180 days, then submit a declaration of divorce signed by both parties; upon approval, the commissioner issues a certificate of marital dissolution that serves as conclusive evidence of divorce.

• Mandates that married parents of minor children complete a four-hour parent education program covering constructive parenting, domestic violence assessment, reconciliation options, and legal dissolution processes before receiving a certificate of marital dissolution.

• Allows couples to include agreements in their declaration regarding parenting plans, child support, property division, spousal support, health insurance, and taxes; unaddressed issues are reserved for future agreement or court review.

• Appropriates funding from the general fund in fiscal year 2017 to develop and implement the online program, which must be operational by January 1, 2017, with evaluation reports required after the first and second years of operation.