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Lianne Guenther Law

952-432-2123

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Services

Divorce and Family Law Services

I began working with family law clients while attending law school almost thirty years ago. My passion for advocating for “real people” and their families is what drew me to family law and keeps me in the field. I tailor a strategy for every case that is unique to each person. I view my role as assisting you and your family in getting through the transition of divorce intact, emotionally and financially. I can advise you of your options in all types of family cases, from clients working through mediation to cases proceeding to trial.

I am equally comfortable attending mediation with clients, and going to court as an advocate. I work to settle cases and seek results that are best for my clients. Sometimes trials are necessary though, and I will persuasively present your case. I clearly explain the legal process to clients. I want to make sure that my clients have the information that they need to make good decisions in their case.

I represent clients in all stages of divorce. I talk to people who are gathering information as they decide whether they want to dissolve their marriage and those who have made the decision to move forward with a divorce. Clients also often retain me for post-decree work on their case. These are people whose divorce has been finalized, but they need additional legal help after the case was closed. Sometimes these are people seeking changes to child support, spousal maintenance or custody of their children. Post-decree matters may involve issues where one party is not following a court order, and the client needs help with enforcement.

Some clients hire me because they’re not happy with the representation they are getting from their current lawyer. Others meet with me for post-decree matters who were not satisfied with their previous attorney. Regardless of where they are in the legal process, after clients meet with me for the first time, they consistently tell me that they feel much better! Call me today to set up a meeting to discuss your case.

Divorce Mediation/Alternative Divorce Resolution

Family Law mediation is a process where both parties meet with a neutral person to reach an agreement about the issues in their divorce. As a mediator, I will provide you both with a safe manner to discuss those concerns that need to be resolved before you can reach a final divorce or modification agreement. As an attorney, I can give you both the legal framework you need to understand to reach a workable agreement, and I can also prepare the legal documents necessary to finalize your family law matter. If I work with you as your mediator, I cannot represent either of you individually, but I can help you to reach a settlement.

Mediation can take different forms. Sometimes I mediate cases by meeting solely with parties. In other cases, the parties and their attorneys attend mediation together.

I am a Rule 114 qualified neutral, and my mediation training and practice are focused on family law issues. I can help you find creative solutions for custody, parenting time, spousal maintenance and property disputes through mediation.

Mediation Fees

Often, clients will split the costs for mediation. I do not require a retainer fee for mediation services. The fees are paid at the end of the session and my hourly rate for mediation is $200 per hour. In addition to payment by check or cash, I take Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

Wills and Probate

Wills and Estate Planning

A divorce or the birth of a child can change your life. Whatever your situation, you should have a plan for taking care of loved ones or distributing your assets after your death. I can help you with this process. I can prepare these documents for you:

  • Wills
  • Trusts
  • Financial Powers of Attorney
  • Health Care Directives

Probate

When a loved one passes away, you may need help to wrap up his or her affairs correctly. Please let me assist you with determining whether Probate (Formal or Informal) is necessary. I can guide you through the process with compassion and expertise.

Early Neutral Evaluation in Divorce

Early Neutral Evaluations are a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution where the parties meet early in their divorce or custody proceeding with a neutral evaluator. Each side provides information to the evaluator and gets feedback about likely outcomes if the case does not settle and moves to litigation through the court system.

There are two types of Early Neutral Evaluations. Social Early Neutral Evaluations focus on custody, and parenting time issues. Financial Early neutral Evaluations are geared to resolve financial issues, from spousal maintenance and child support to dividing property and debts.

Attorney

I’ve been successfully guiding clients through Early Neutral Evaluations for decades. I use my extensive background both as a lawyer and evaluator to prepare my clients for the Early Neutral process.

Early Neutral Evaluator

As a trained Early Neutral Evaluator, I can help you resolve your case without going to Court. I have over 25 years of experience as a family law attorney, so I can evaluate your case and issues based on the outcomes that I’ve seen from a variety of judges and referees.

Early Neutral Fees

Early Neutral Fees are set by Court Order and are based on the schedule determined by the Family Court for each county. Sometimes the fees are based on the hourly rate that your attorney charges for representing you. If you are self-represented, the fees are typically based on your income. Other counties charge a set fee for Early Neutral Evaluations.

Collaborative Law Divorce Services

One alternative to traditional litigation is the collaborative law process. This alternative gives you and your spouse, partner, or co-parent a way to resolve your disputes without going to court. You have the expertise and support of legal representation, without the expense and unknown of going to court. The parties use a series of four-way meetings with their attorneys to resolve the issues.

How Is Collaborative Practice Different From Litigation?

  • The parties agree to exchange documents and information informally, without using formal requests for document production, and other discovery methods.
  • The parties sign an agreement that they will not go to court, and that both attorneys will withdraw from the case if either party elects to litigate. The parties agree to respect each party’s goals during the process.
  • Each party must be represented by a Collaborative attorney. In addition to attorneys, other professionals can be added to the team when their expertise is needed. These experts can be: mental health professionals, child specialists, parenting experts, and financial experts. If needed, the team members help both clients reach agreement using solutions tailored to their case.

Would Collaborative Divorce Work For My Case?

Client must be willing to negotiate with one another face-to-face, with the aid of their attorneys. Collaborative divorce may not be appropriate for cases involving domestic abuse.

Collaborative process can work for a variety of family law cases, including divorce, parenting time, child support, and custody issues.

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Lianne M. Guenther, Attorney

14501 Granada Dr, Suite #200
Apple Valley, MN 55124

ph: 952-432-2123
fax: 952-432-7899
lmguenther@msn.com

Contact Me

Testimonials

You will find Lianne an attorney who combines a quick intelligence with empathy. The documents she prepared for me were without flaw and clearly written. I’d highly recommend Lianne for legal needs.

D.A. - Wills

Lianne was a pleasure to work with. She was very professional, and explained what needed to be done very well. When we had questions, I felt that her answers were timely and quite sound. We had been procrastinating a bit about the will preparation,but once we talked to Lianne, she quickly got the ball rolling, and it was a rather easy process. We would recommend her highly!

G. and M.Y. - Estate planning clients

I have so appreciated all that you have done. In what I have learned about attorneys in the last couple of years, you excel. I will highly recommend you to anyone I come across in need of an attorney.

Your organizational skills and attention to detail are top notch, your prompt and thorough replies are helpful and informative. Your knowledge of all things financial is overwhelming.
Though it was recommended to me early on to seek a CDFA, it seemed that was never necessary; you always had that perspective well in hand.

I am very pleased with how you have handled my case. Despite my emotional issues, you did not become a therapist for me. My pocketbook appreciates that LOL. You stuck to the task at hand and focused well on that.

L.F. - Divorce client

Lianne handled my divorce, and all the proceedings went smoothly which was a huge relief. Things went so well that I also had Lianne work on a post-decree issue and she helped me very quickly and resolved the concern without any hassles. In the future if I have need of an attorney, Lianne will be the attorney who will represent me.

J.L. - Divorce and post-decree client

Ms. Lianne Guenther is an excellent attorney! She spent the initial consultation actively listening to my situation and outlining the steps to take during the divorce proceedings with options and various scenarios and the usual outcomes to those options based upon her experiences.

Lianne has the advantage of experience in the courtroom and understanding of the local court system with a proven record. Lianne is very responsive to client contacts, whether by phone or email. I always received a prompt response to my emails, sometimes after regular business hours. Lianne responded quickly, clearly and succinctly to my concerns in plain language and always in a calming professional manner. Always with respect and dignity.

After listening to some of my friends, who had less than stellar experiences in their divorce or legal proceedings, it made me appreciate that I had Lianne as my attorney representing me and providing solid legal advice that secured a best outcome for me. I would be happy to provide more details on Lianne’s legal expertise and legal attributes if any potential client would wish to contact me.

R.E. - Divorce client

There are few times in one’s life as difficult as dissolving a marriage, particularly one with three young children. Lianne Guenther helped me navigate the way through my divorce seven years ago. The initial divorce was fairly simple; my ex-husband and I were parting ways amicably and worked together to create a positive post-divorce climate for our children. Through every step, Lianne provided astute and kind guidance.

I recommend her from this experience alone. But there’s more. Within a year of my divorce, the positive relationship my former husband and I had dissolved and became extraordinarily acrimonious. Lianne was again available to advise and guide me through another court appearance, maintaining the spousal maintenance agreement in place, and secured partial reimbursement toward court fees. She provided sound and caring advice through an unexpected and emotionally traumatizing time. I knew Lianne was on my side from the beginning, but she truly proved how wonderful an advocate she was when things became difficult and toxic.

No one wants to believe their marriage will end, but if you find yourself facing that difficult life transition, Lianne Guenther is a wonderful choice for an attorney who is timely, efficient, and most importantly, an advocate for her clients.

T.A. - Divorce and post-decree client

I went to Lianne Guenther for my divorce three years ago because of her work ethic, trustworthiness and good character. My husband and I wanted a lawyer to assist us in a fairly amicable divorce. She helped us to get to consensus in a timely and sensitive manner. There were times when my husband voiced his concerns, and Lianne responded to both of our questions with empathy and respect. Her work ethic is impeccable and she has an eye for detail. She helped us as we went through all of the issues such as finances, retirements, house, property, dog, and cars. Her calming demeanor allowed us get to a satisfying agreement efficiently. Both of us felt well-served. Our divorce came through much faster than we expected. Today both my ex-husband and I are very satisfied with the result. Lianne Guenther has a strong sense of service. She even suggested that we include the legal paperwork to change my married name back to my maiden name at the same court hearing. I highly recommend Lianne Guenther to be your attorney and advocate.

D.S. - Divorce client

Lianne did a fantastic job of assisting me with modifying my child support and parenting time. I used her services once, and when another issue came up a few years later, I quickly called Lianne again. Both times I got a great result! Lianne is very kind and knowledgeable at what she does. She is honest and has a warm demeanor that made me feel comfortable during a bad situation. I would definitely use Lianne’s services again in the future and would highly recommend her to anyone that needs her assistance. Thanks again, Lianne for all that you did for me and my daughter!

S.A. - Post-decree client

Lianne handled my divorce case 15 years ago and I couldn’t have been happier with her. She was strong, clear headed and wise at a time when I wasn’t. She was the one person I counted on during that time to truly have my and my children’s best interests at heart. I felt very cared for as she led me through all the decisions that needed to be made. She walked that delicate line of being fair to all parties involved with expertise and wisdom that comes from living her own life with integrity. I would certainly recommend her to anyone who needs legal help regarding family law.

S.M. - Divorce client

Ms. Guenther was my rock going through a very difficult divorce. First of all, she was very supportive of my needs and concerns. Ms. Guenther brought all of her technical skill into play while working on my case. The plaintiff went through several attorneys,she matched them all with great integrity and expertise. She was always there for me and held my hand through the defaming and degrading experience. Ms. Guenther cares about the client while still respecting the family law system.

I used Ms. Guenther’s services again when my former spouse wanted to modify child support. She protected me as she did during the divorce.

L.B.M. - Divorce and post-decree client

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