Summary:
Minnesota divorces now routinely involve digital property, including streaming subscriptions, cryptocurrency, and cloud-based files and photos. Courts treat these assets as marital property when acquired during the marriage, so spouses need full inventories, records, and clear valuation dates, especially for volatile crypto. Practical steps include listing all accounts, backing up shared files, deciding who will keep or recreate subscriptions, and dividing digital assets alongside more traditional property.
For many Minnesota families, life lives online. Movie nights run through shared streaming queues. Savings may sit in a crypto wallet instead of a traditional bank. Decades of photos, school projects, and scanned tax returns live in the cloud rather than a file cabinet. When a marriage ends, those digital pieces can feel as personal as a house or a retirement account, yet they are easier to overlook. Passwords, subscription terms, and digital ownership rules can turn into real-world disagreements if no one planned ahead.
Digital assets may not take up space in a garage, but they absolutely show up in a Minnesota divorce. Bringing them into the open early keeps surprises out of an already emotional process and helps both people leave with a plan that works in everyday life.
Cryptocurrency And Digital Investments
Minnesota follows an equitable distribution system. Property acquired during the marriage is generally treated as marital property and divided in a way the court considers fair, not necessarily fifty-fifty. That approach applies to cryptocurrency and other digital investments as well. Crypto bought with marital funds during the marriage will typically fall into the marital bucket, even if the account is in one spouse’s name.
Crypto raises two big questions: finding it and valuing it. Each spouse must give full disclosure of assets, which includes digital wallets, exchange accounts, and any tax forms tied to crypto trades. Best practice is to gather records from each exchange, wallet, and linked bank or card going back at least one year, often longer. Because crypto prices move quickly, many couples pick a specific valuation date that lines up with Minnesota’s rules on valuing marital assets, typically the date of the initial prehearing settlement conference, unless the parties or court select a different fair date.
Cloud Storage, Photos, And Shared Files
Cloud storage can hold some of the most emotionally charged “property” in a divorce. Family photos, home videos, and shared documents may all sit under one person’s login, even though both spouses contributed over the years. Legally, the account holder may control access under the service’s terms, but in practice, courts and families often treat those files as shared.
A thoughtful approach starts with a full inventory of cloud services and what lives inside them: photo archives, tax documents, business records, or children’s school files. Decide what each spouse needs a copy of in daily life. Then set clear steps, such as exporting all photos from the marriage to a shared drive for a limited time, giving both people an opportunity to download and back up those memories. After that, separate storage plans and fresh passwords keep future content cleanly divided.
Minnesota Law And Practical Steps For Digital Assets
In Minnesota, the court must divide marital property in a manner that is fair in light of the length of the marriage, incomes, health, and other listed factors. Digital assets fall into that same framework. The real challenge often lies in identifying them early and documenting them clearly, so they can be treated alongside homes, vehicles, and retirement accounts.
A useful checklist includes: making a written inventory of all online accounts, subscriptions, and digital assets; gathering at least 12 months of account statements and screenshots where appropriate; backing up irreplaceable files to separate drives; and agreeing on a valuation date for volatile items like crypto. Couples should also avoid deleting accounts or moving funds during the divorce, because Minnesota law allows the court to address any concealment or transfer of marital assets.
Talk With A Minnesota Attorney About Your Digital Life
If your divorce involves streaming accounts, crypto, or cloud storage, you do not have to sort it out on your own. A Minnesota family law attorney can help you list your digital property, gather the right records, and create a practical plan for division that fits your daily life. To talk through your situation and your digital assets, contact Melchert Hubert Sjodin, PLLP, at (952) 442-7700.
