Every once in a while, people ask me whether I will travel to out state Minnesota to represent someone in a divorce proceeding. Usually the answer is “yes,” but I have to qualify the answer. As a Minneapolis divorce lawyer, I primarily work in the greater Twin Cities are, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding seven county area.
There are two issues relating to my working out of state. The first is that it can get expensive if I have to travel to a destination that is more than, say, 100 miles out of the Twin Cities. The second issue is that there can sometimes be a “home town” advantage that goes to local counsel. Generally, an attorney who practices in a small town in northern Minnesota is more familiar with the local bench and their local rules and practices. Sometimes this can be an advantage.
On the other hand, since I settle most of my cases amicably, without a trial, knowledge of the local rules and peronalities is not as important. As we are taught to say in law school, “It all depends.”
I do not represent people in Iowa, Wisconsin, or the Dakotas, unless the case involves Minnesota parties or Minnesota issues. Divorce law is unique from state to state. For example, Wisconsin is a community property state while Minnesota is a common law property state (Minnesota is also called a “marital property” state) but common law is more accurate because essentially the existing common law was incorporated into Minnesota’s divorce statutes when the statutes were written.
So, even though I am a Minneapolis divorce lawyer, I welcome telephone inquiries from all over the State of Minnesota. Sometimes I can be helpful, sometimes I can’t, but its always worth a telephone call to find out.
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