Divorce and Family Law in Minnesota: Client Self Help

FAMILY LAW IN MN

Recently, I met with a group of family law Divorce Attorney at a conference.  We were discussing the fact that so many people are using Minnesota’s online forms to file family law matters without the help of attorneys these days.  We were all very happy that people who may not have the resources to hire us have greater access to the Courts, but there was a consensus at the table that the forms leave a lot to be desired.

Just this week, I met with a woman who wanted to file a motion in her child support case.  The ultimate amount in controversy did not warrant hiring me, but she was at a loss as to how to fill in the forms.  So, I sat down with her for an hour and suggested some language and some arguments she might make.  We talked about how to fill out the forms, and what her next steps might be.

MINNESOTA SELF-HELP CENTERS

She could have gone to the Self-Help Center at the courthouse, but these services offer extremely limited legal advice—usually limited to how the forms should be filled out. The staffs at the self-help centers generally do not offer strategic advice.  Nor do they suggest when one of your arguments might be inconsistent with some other argument.

I read a study a couple years ago that suggested that despite the fact that self-help centers are well-respected by the judiciary, judges generally feel that family court litigants get a better result if they are represented by attorneys.  But what if you can’t afford representation, and you or your matter do not qualify for legal aid services?

BUYING TIME FROM AN ATTORNEY

The answer is that you are well-served buying whatever amount of time you can afford from an attorney.  Sometimes, you will want to hire the attorney to help you prepare papers.  Other times, you will want to hire an attorney to appear with you in Court.  Most attorneys will offer you these so-called “unbundled” services.  Your family law matter is probably one of the most important matters in your life.  You should have the comfort of knowing that you did the best you could to do it right.

About Author

Jennifer graduated from the University of Minnesota cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in speech communications. In 2006, Jennifer achieved her life’s dream; owning her own Family Law MN practices. She practices every day as Divorce Attorney MN with the intention of representing her clients’ future.