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
Case Law Update
Farmers Were Not “Farmers” for Purposes of Conservation Easement Charitable Deduction Rutkoski v. Comissioner, 149 T.C. 6 (August 7, 2017). THE PARTIES: Mark Rutkoske and Felix Rutkoske are brothers who engaged in a farming operation through various business entities...
Minneapolis Sick and Safe Time Ordinance
SEPTEMBER 2017 UPDATE: Looking Good, Richfield! Minnesota Court of Appeals Affirms Lower Court’s Temporary Ban on Enforcement for Employers Located Outside the City of Minneapolis As we wrote about a few months ago, Minneapolis’s controversial Sick and Safe Time...
Minnesota’s Limited Liability Company Statute Changes January 1, 2018
Minnesota law regarding limited liability companies changes on January 1, 2018. On that date almost every limited liability company (LLC) formed in Minnesota under its "old" 1992 law will now fall under a new - much different - 2014 LLC law. The new law differs from...
Guardianship
There is often confusion regarding what a guardianship is and whether it may be necessary for a friend or loved one. This article is meant to provide a general overview of guardianships in Minnesota. A guardianship is a relationship between a guardian, who is...
News You Can Use First Quarter 2018
Do I still need an estate plan with the changes in the tax law? Receipt/payment of alimony will have different implications in 2019. Deduction for payment on confidential sexual harassment settlements ended. Our Hudson office is one of the top three finalists in the...
Downloading Technology in Legal Practice: ABA Formal Opinion 477 & Cybersecurity Best Practices
Bryan Feldhaus presented a Hennepin County Bar Association seminar on Downloading Technology in Legal Practice: ABA Formal Opinion 477 & Cybersecurity Best Practices on October 13, 2017. Legal professionals are under increasing attack by cybercriminals and must...