In Hennepin County, they have a program called “Financial Early Neutral Evaluation.”  It is similar to the custody and parenting time neutral evaluation program, but there are differences.  For example, there is only one evaluator and the parties are required to pay him or her an hourly rate. 

I have participated in Financial Early Neutral Evaluation proceedings in Hennepin County on numerous occasions.  My experience is that sometimes it is effective, sometimes it is not.  In my opinion, the difference is the quality, skill and experience of the neutral evaluator.   The hands-on evaluators who work actively to push both parties towards a reasonable settlement tend to get the best results.  The evaluators who seldom express an opinion, who rely on accountants or others to do their work, tend to get worse results.

Call me for more information and a free consultation at (952) 270-7700.