Laura K. Fretland/Retired
Former Areas of Practice: Family Law, Divorce, Child Support, Spousal Maintenance, Custody, Antenuptial Agreements
Laura K. Fretland / Biography
Laura Fretland concentrated her practice on family law and represented clients in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and throughout Minnesota. She has provided careful guidance and quality legal representation customized to the unique needs of her clients, whether that meant litigation, negotiated settlement, collaborative law, or mediation. Her goal has been fair and efficient resolutions, but she has been an effective litigator when necessary, working hard to safeguard the rights of her clients. During her 35 years as a family law attorney, she has handled complex family law matters involving child custody, divorce and property division.
Ms. Fretland’s background has enabled her to develop the most beneficial solutions to resolve family law issues based on each family’s specific situation. Her goal has been to provide the legal advice and expertise clients need to make good decisions about their divorce and their future.
Laura is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© for her work in Family Law and Collaborative Law in the Family Law category and was first recognized in 2014. She has been listed as a Minnesota Super Lawyer each year since 2005 and is rated Distinguished™ for high professional achievement by Martindale-Hubbell.
Ms. Fretland has written and lectured for attorneys on topics, including antenuptial agreements, divorce and elder law. She has been an active member and former co-chair of the Hennepin County Bar Association Family Law Section.
Leadership + Activities
- Minnesota State Bar Association (including Hennepin County Bar Association)
Feedback
Amazing Support – I can’t say enough about how helpful Laura was to me during a time of personal trauma and divorce. Her guidance was objective and valuable with a human touch of caring and kindness that is so appreciated. My case was closed in an extremely timely manner, and Laura’s team was responsive and available throughout the process. I highly recommend Laura Fretland without hesitation.
Professional, empathic, effective – Laura helped me navigate one of the more difficult situations with pragmatic guidance and expertise that I needed. And she was extremely helpful in understanding options and paths that fit my goals for resolution. All good things. And frankly found her style and compassion the best part of working with her. I’d highly recommend to anyone but particularly those that want fast, fair, and frank legal counsel.
Laura is a very knowledgeable and caring attorney, who obtains excellent results for her clients.
Published Articles
- “Special Circumstances in Family Law,” Chapter 25, Minnesota Divorce Practice Deskbook with eFormbook, Second Edition, Minnesota CLE, October 2021
- “Marital Issues,” Chapter 7, Elder Law Handbook, Fourth Edition, Minnesota CLE, December 2018
Education
- Concordia College, B.A., summa cum laude, 1980
- University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 1983
Bar Admissions
- Minnesota, 1983
News + Articles
Primed for Sale: How to Know When It’s Time to Sell the Family Business
In many cases, it makes more sense to sell a family business instead of passing it to the next generation to operate. During nearly five decades of practicing law, Bob Abdo has advised numerous family businesses. One thing he’s learned: “No two families are the same.”...
Minnesota Bad Faith Decision Highlights Importance of Designating Decision-Maker
As we know, the Minnesota Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Peterson vs. Western National Mutual Insurance Company on January 6, 2020. That Minnesota Supreme Court decision concerned Minnesota's new bad faith statute: Minn. Stat. § 604.18. In essence, in that...
New $10,000 Minnesota Grant Now Accepting Applications
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) began accepting applications on Tuesday, June 23 for a new grant program from the State of Minnesota. To be eligible, businesses must be in good standing as of March 1, 2020, be able to demonstrate...
Biological father recognized as a legal parent of child placed for adoption without his consent
After two and a half years of litigation, a biological father has been recognized as a legal parent of his child who was placed for adoption without his consent, according to the Minnesota Supreme Court’s recent decision in T.G.G. v. H.E.S. Although the father did not...
Adjunct Professor at University of St. Thomas School of Law
Michelle Kuhl is an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in 2020 teaching Lawyering Skills III.
When CAN You Speak to a Represented Party?
Barry O'Neil and Michelle Kuhl presented a webinar on June 12, 2020 through the Hennepin County Bar Association's Professionalism and Ethics Section on "When CAN You Speak to a Represented Party?" Overview: Rule 4.2 of the Minnesota Professional Rules of...