Carol Grant | Minneapolis Divorce & Family Lawyer | MN

• President, Minnesota Women Lawyers ()
  1983
• American Bar Association (current)

• Selected by peers as Superlawyerrepeatedly
• Highest AV rating for ethics and competence as selected by peers and published in Martindale Hubbellover 15 years
• Martindale Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers
• Competitive debater ; National Debate Tournament Octafinalist; many other competitive awards
  1967-1973

I tried a divorce case this spring where the husband, a preschool teacher making $27,000, was asking for $2,000 per month in spousal maintenance from the wife, who worked for a large corporation and made over $100,000 per year. At trial, the husband demanded spousal maintenance to equalize his income with his wife's. I represented the wife, and no spousal maintenance whatsoever was awarded. The wife's reaction to the decision: ""This is awesome!"" She was released from many years of a heavy financial burden. In another divorce case this year, I represented the husband, whose wife was a retired divorce attorney. The wife made many nonmarital property claims, which were carefully analyzed. We settled the case and the husband said, """"You have been wonderful counsel. You're an extremely ethical attorney. I made the right decision a year and a half ago. You did a magnificent job. You scare her to death on the depositions. If you need a referral, give them my name.""

Clients like the knowledge that comes with 38 years of experience. That experience allows me to answer even complex questions right away, and allows me to work quickly and effectively. I am detail-oriented. I am tenacious. I have some unusual credentials such as being a Certified Financial Planner; these credentials give me insights that other lawyers don't have. Many cases are not just "family law" or "criminal law" or "estate law" but some combination of these legal areas, and my experience allows me to cross-analyze the issues.

A good lawyer responds quickly when called. The lawyer listens carefully, and then gives the client an idea what can be done to solve the legal problem. There is a natural sequence of events in a case and there should be no delay. The lawyer should communicate the "game plan" and the big picture. Phone calls should be answered promptly. Experience is critical. A lawyer with 35 years of experience is much more skilled than a lawyer with 25 years of experience, not to mention a lawyer with less than that, and it shows in the pace, accuracy and results of the work. A good lawyer really cares about her client.

In Minnesota we have "one free strike" if we don't like the judge initially assigned. Judges are human beings and have biases just like everyone else. Perhaps the judge's bias is right, but not right for the case! I believe in liberally removing a judge if I feel that the judge, however good, is not right for the case in question. I also have done extensive work in Greater Minnesota, where there often are fewer judges on the bench than in the metro area. I have had a very positive, welcoming experience in the dozens of outstate counties where I've practiced, and excellent results as well.

During the free phone consultation, I learn about the legal issue and answer questions with a high degree of confidence. This includes strengths and challenges of the case, and where I'll take the case. I take notes so that when the client calls back, I have all of that information before me and can use it right away.

During the free phone consultation, sometimes the client refers to a legal document. It's not essential, but I can look at the document during the consultation if it's e-mailed to me ahead of time.

38 years of experience in three primary areas of law differentiates me from most lawyers in the community, as well as my financial background and Certified Financial Planner credential

Client compliments naturally are a very rewarding aspect of the job, as well as winning my cases, and also simply feeling confident that at any given time I've made the best recommendation for the client based on the information available.

I have a strong interest in people from other countries, and when I have the opportunity to work with them, I usually have visited their country of origin. I am not fluent, but have some conversational ability in French and Spanish and really enjoy those languages and cultures. I used to run a business in the former U.S.S.R. and have a love of the people there.

I am a member of the American Bar Association. My focus is on my work and my clients.