Everyone deserves a fair outcome to life’s toughest transitions.
Are You Worried That:
A bad custody order
will leave your children
struggling and at risk ?
You will be left cash
strapped each month
unable to get ahead ?
When all is done, it will be
more of the same stress and
fear as you live with now ?
No need to stress or worry. You are at the right place.
These Life Decisions Are Too
Important To Be Made Alone.
Get peace of mind
with our service
guarantee.
Our service guarantee of
sharing, communicating, and
client being in control will
insulate you so you can make
the sound decisions needed
for your bright future.
Use our wisdom
to quickly achieve
your goals.
We help you by identifying
what matters most to you
and then creating a person-
alized plan so that you can
have a fair outcome that
serves your needs.
Feel relief with
a secure future
Our goal for every client
is to secure a clear set of
rules to avoid ever having
to go back to court so they
can build a great life on
our legal solutions.
Matt Ludt See Our Commitment To Our Clients
by Shatika P.
“Natasha Vondracek is wonderful. She really cares about helping the clients of the firm!“
by Julie S.
“Alexandra Reynolds and Carina Spurlock were a constant support during my divorce proceedings. They made a very stressful process much ...“
by Lindsay W.
“Top tier law firm. Jessica Dooley is a kind-hearted individual who strives to do everything she can when advocating for ...“
by Brittany J.
“Jessica Dooley is a fantastic paralegal. She works hard and goes the extra mile. Her dedication and passion for family ...“
by Nancy B.
“I dealt with paralegal Jessica Reilly on several occasions. Her knowledge surpassed any paralegal I’ve dealt with in the past. ...“
by Emily B.
“Jessica Dooley is quite simply the best paralegal anyone could ask for. Very kind, helpful, and dedicated to family law!“
by Aidan V.
“Atticus Family Law only deals with family law cases which is a big plus. Jessica has been a paralegal for ...“
by Teresa G.
“Jessica Dooley goes the extra mile for her clients. And enjoys furthering her education in the family law field.“
by Kellie S.
“Natasha is a fantastic person with a wealth of knowledge from her vast experience. She is kind to her coworkers ...“
by Melanie R.
“My experience with Natasha Vondracek has been nothing short of amazing! I was lucky enough to work with her previously, ...“
Aggressive advocates.
Meet Our Team
Divorce & custody processes
The Typical Divorce &
Custody Processes in Minnesota
Strategy Session
Two weeks prior to filing and service of court documents.
It is essential that we start with our client and their attorney and paralegal from Atticus Family Law meeting to clearly identify all of the client’s objectives. We do this by discussing the facts, the other people involved, such as the other party and children, and identifying the problems.
Strategy Session
Two weeks prior to filing and service of court documents.
It is essential that we start with our client and their attorney and paralegal from Atticus Family Law meeting to clearly identify all of the client’s objectives. We do this by discussing the facts, the other people involved, such as the other party and children, and identifying the problems.
Commencing a Case for Divorce or Custody Establishment
The filing of court documents is the start of litigation.
The process officially begins when one party has a Summons and a Petition given to the other party. The person who initiates this process is called the Petitioner. The Petition states the facts and “pleads” what the Petitioner wants, which includes the applicable concerns for custody, parenting time, child support, assets, debts, spousal maintenance, et cetera.
Initial Case Management Conference
Two – six weeks after the pleadings are filed and served.
Within a few weeks of filing the pleadings for divorce or custody establishment, there will be the first hearing with a judge. At this hearing, the judge, the parties, and their attorneys will hold a short discussion to introduce the judge, identify the disagreed-upon issues to be resolved, and determine whether there are concerns that need sorting while the case is pending (i.e., temporary support, exclusive use of the house, parenting access).
Discovering Information & researching facts
Informally it starts immediately; Formal requests start after ICMC.
In order to reach any agreement, all information relevant to the issues needs to be known; inevitably, there is information and documents that one spouse has access to that the other does not. Colloquially we refer to this as “discovery.”
Temporary Relief Hearing
Two – five weeks after the ICMC.
In some cases, particularly if there are children involved, certain matters must be addressed early in the process. Minor children cannot wait several months to be told where they will sleep each night, for example. In these cases, a temporary relief hearing may be held to decide how certain time-sensitive matters will be handled while the case is in progress.
Mediation or Early Neutral Evaluation
Anytime, but usually after the initial discovery.
All Minnesota courts require that both parties in a contested family law matter first try to reach a settlement outside of court through a process called alternative dispute resolution (ADR). There are several forms of ADR, with the most common being mediation and early neutral evaluations.
Pretrial Hearing
About six months after the ICMC.
A few months after the ICMC the court will hold a Pretrial Hearing. Often the courts expect the parties to use that morning or afternoon to continue to discuss and negotiate the issues to reach further agreements.
Final Trial
Usually, nine months to a year after the start of litigation.
If all attempts at reaching an agreement fail, then your divorce or child custody case will have to be decided by a judge at trial.
Implementation
Legal work by attorneys completed in 20-60 days after final decree.
After a decree has been issued by the court, either because the parties reached a full agreement or there was a trial, the terms of the decree must be implemented.
Checkout Session
60 days after the final decree.
Once the attorney implementation work is done, our client will meet for the last time with their attorney. The purpose of a checkout is to make sure the client has a full understanding of their decree, they know best practices and hacks for managing their relationship with their ex, they anticipate what changes are going to be needed to support and parenting time as incomes and circumstances change in the years to come, they know post-representation questions will be answered without charge, and otherwise close their case.
For divorce, custody & support cases
Our Proven
3-Step Plan
Schedule a Consultation
Come to our relaxed office, talk over the phone or connect via video to
discuss what matters most to you. We make it easy to connect so that
you can get the help that you need.
Get a Customized Plan
We dig deeper to account for how your needs intersect with the legal obstacles. Then we plot the best plan to quickly achieve your goals towards a bright future.
Start a Future with Peace of Mind
Our execution of your plan with the very best service allows you to secure
the fair outcome you and your family deserve.
Explore our legal services to see how we can help.
Contact us now
We Secure Fair Outcomes
For Bright Futures
FREE Download.
10 things you need to secure in your divorce plus crucial questions to choose an attorney. Critical points such as:
- Decisions about the children’s future and parenting time.
- Responsibility for spouse’s debt and spending.
- Separation of assets and income.
- Who will work on my case?
- How long will it all take?
- How will you accomplish my goals?
- How much will it cost and what do the fees include?
Want To Get A Head Start?
Enter your information to download these guides to get a leg up in securing a fair outcome in your family law case.
Atticus Blog Posts
Schedule a consultation
Ready For
A Fresh Start?
Contact Us
Office Phone: 651.430.9700
Duluth Phone: 218.260.4215
Email: info@atticusfamilylaw.com
Fax: 651.305.0058
Attorney Advertising. This information is designed for general information only. The information presented should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. Past results and testimonials are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of the outcome of your case, and should not be construed as such. Past results cannot guarantee future performance. Any result in a single case is not meant to create an expectation of similar results in future matters because each case involves many different factors, therefore, results will differ on a case-by-case basis. *Individuals named in the "Personal Perspective" are composite characters based on the attorneys at Atticus Family Law interactions with many clients. Facts are not specific to any particular case of any Atticus Family Law client.
NUVEW | Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved | Accessibility Notice | Privacy Policy