MINNESOTA COURT RULES

GENERAL RULES OF PRACTICE

Rule 351.Scope, Purpose

Rule 351.01Scope

These rules govern the procedure for all proceedings conducted in the expedited process, regardless of whether the presiding officer is a child support magistrate, family court referee, or district court judge. The Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure, Minnesota Rules of Evidence, and other provisions of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice for the District Courts shall apply to proceedings in the expedited process unless inconsistent with these rules. These rules do not apply to matters commenced in or referred to district court.

Rule 351.02Purposes and Goals of the Expedited Child Support Process

Subdivision 1. Purposes.

The purposes of these rules are to establish an expedited process that:

(a) is streamlined;

(b) is uniform across the state;

(c) is easily accessible to the parties; and

(d) results in timely and consistent issuance of orders.

Subd. 2.Goals.

These rules should be construed to:

(a) be a constitutional system;

(b) be an expedited process;

(c) be family and user friendly;

(d) be fair to the parties;

(e) be a cost-effective system;

(f) address local administration and implementation concerns;

(g) maintain simple administrative procedures and focus on problem cases;

(h) comply with federal and state laws;

(i) maximize federal financial participation;

(j) ensure consistent decisions statewide; and

(k) have adequate financial and personnel resources.