Apple Valley Divorce & Family Law Attorney

Advocating for Individuals & Families in Apple Valley, Minnesota

At Meinerts Law Office, our Apple Valley family law attorney knows that each family and each divorce is unique. Attorney Merlyn Meinerts brings goal-oriented problem-solving skills to each client and each divorce action. Serving Apple Valley Minnesota for over 20+ years, Attorney Meinerts understands the stress of dealing with a family law issue and is dedicated to working as a true advocate on your side every step along the way.

Why Choose Meinerts Law Office, P. A?

• Award winning representation
• Extensive trial experience
• We offer friendly, no-obligation consultations
• We put the interests, and well-being of our clients first

Family Law Cases We Handle

Our experienced firm can help you with a wide range of family law issues, including:

• Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
  These agreements allows couples to avoid a property division dispute in the event of a future divorce or passing of a spouse.
• Legal Separation
  For some, legal separation is a better alternative than divorce. Our firm can help you understand whether this option is right for your situation walk you through this process.
• Divorce
  Our firm can help you with whatever method of divorce is best for your situation, whether it be litigation, mediation, or a collaborative law approach.
• Post-Decree Modifications
  If your life circumstances have changed since your divorce, you may need a modification in child support, child custody, child visitation arrangements, or spousal maintenance. Our firm can help you secure the post-decree modifications you need.
• Orders for Protection
  In the event of domestic violence, an order for protection may be available. This order can also address many of the issues handled in a divorce case, including custody, child support, and temporary housing arrangements.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  Our firm can help you with all matters related to child custody and visitation matters — including relocation — and help secure grandparents’ rights to custody and visitation.
• Child Support and Alimony
  Child support includes provisions for a child, medical and dental care, and day care expenses. Additionally, spousal maintenance (also known as alimony or spousal support) is available in Minnesota if one of the parties doesn’t have enough income or property to support him or herself.
• Property Division
  Minnesota courts will seek a just and equitable distribution of marital property in a divorce. However, this does not mean that assets will simply be divided fifty-fifty. Our experienced attorney can assist couples with simple to complex asset division and business division.

Trusted Apple Valley Divorce Lawyer

Even so-called easy divorces are never easy. Between the emotions and all the details, there is so much to process and decide. When you and your spouse have decided to divorce, our experienced attorney can advise you on how to best proceed and work toward the fresh start you seek.

At Meinerts Law Office, P.A., we will treat you compassionately and do everything we can to mitigate the stress that accompanies divorce. Whether your divorce is highly contentious with many points of conflict or is more collaborative, Attorney Merlyn Meinerts will bring his client-centric approach to the unique challenges of your case.

We have a motto at Meinerts Law Office, P.A. that governs what we do: Represent. Resolve. Restore.

• Represent. Attorney Meinerts advocates for clients and understands the emotional and practical complexities of a changing family situation. He will competently act on behalf of you and your loved ones.
• Resolve. Our Apple Valley divorce attorney is experienced in resolving the countless details divorce cases involve. He is a problem-solver who can provide creative solutions.
• Restore. He will fight to give you a fresh start and every opportunity for success on the other side of the divorce.

Collaborative Divorce

In a collaborative divorce, both spouses wish to amicably end their marriage and agree to not take the case to court. For this approach to work, both parties must also honestly disclose financial and personal information.

This less-adversarial approach can still help settle matters such as:

• Child Custody
• Child Support
• Spousal Support/Alimony
• Property Division

Not only are collaborative divorces generally less stressful, but they are also less costly, and disputes are settled more quickly than a traditional divorce.

Other advantages of collaborative divorce include:

• Promotes effective communication between spouses
• Spouses are more likely to follow agreements when they participated in creating them
• Helps spouses see the process as meeting everyone’s needs, not just their own
• Protects the privacy of the spouses when the divorce is not litigated in court

Our Apple Valley divorce lawyer is certified by Minnesota’s Supreme Court under the Alternative Dispute Resolution Rule 114.

Contested Divorce

Not all divorces are appropriate for the collaborative process; some need to be litigated in family court. When you believe your divorce might be acrimonious, you will want to hire our thoughtful and skilled lawyer long before you file. He’ll scrutinize tax returns, bank statements, pay stubs, retirement accounts, and other data to have a firm understanding of you and your spouse’s financial condition.

When it is time to initiate the divorce, there are two beginning steps:

• Summons. This formally notifies the other spouse of legal action and prevents both parties from draining assets or making any other changes. It also sets a time for the other party to respond.
• Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. The petition notifies the other party of issues such as marital property division, child custody, child support and spousal maintenance.

Negotiating Divorce Terms

A contested divorce generally begins with a motion for temporary relief where we will seek temporary orders while your divorce is in process. These temporary orders can include child custody, visitation, child support, spousal maintenance, and occupancy of the marital home. After the temporary hearing, a judge will conduct a pretrial hearing with you, your spouse, and both attorneys. If a negotiated divorce agreement is unlikely, the judge will schedule a divorce trial.

Attorney Meinerts has the experience and education that makes him a respected negotiator. If a negotiated settlement is not possible, he is able to logically present your side of each issue during the trial. Other experts, friends, co-workers, and others may be used to fully illustrate your position.