Collaborative Law Institute Minnesota | Leadership Circle

Helping to create healthy outcomes for individuals and families through a range of mental health services including

• Neutral Child Specialist services in Collaborative Practice and family law
• Creating and updating parenting plans during and after a separation, divorce or break up
• Child-inclusive mediation
• Psychotherapy for children, adolescents, adults and families
• Consultation and training

FOCUSED ON FAMILY LAW

Since 2005, Brittany’s legal practice focuses exclusively on family law matters. For nearly 18 years, she practiced at two of Minnesota’s largest law firms, working on complex marriage dissolutions and other family law matters involving private businesses, public companies, executive compensation, tax considerations, real estate holdings across the United States and other countries, trusts, premarital and family wealth transfers, among other high-stakes issues.

CUSTOMIZED APPROACH

Brittany provides the skills and resources needed to resolve even the most difficult and complex cases. A careful listener and highly adept problem-solver, Brittany does not believe in one-size-fits-all legal solutions, but rather customizes her approach to each client’s distinct goals and circumstances.

Transition and re-organization are the hallmarks of my upbringing. Being on the cusp of a new beginning can be intimidating and anxiety-filled and exciting and exhilarating…all at the same time, felt in concert, or experienced on a continuum on which ones travels back and forth many times. Either way, I get it. And it’s my goal to help guide families through times of adjustment and transformation.

I am an Attorney and Partner here at Ousky Yates Law Office (“OYLO” for short). I was born in Orlando, Florida, and after meandering my way across the country with my family, landed in Minnesota. Despite living in Minnesota for over 25 years, I still adamantly maintain my status as a “Minnesotan, kinda sorta.” However, I married a cool guy I refer to as a “hardcore Minnesotan”, and as such have come to peace with the fact that a winter parka will forever be an essential piece of my winter wardrobe.

When I’m not at the office, I can be found managing the never-ending craziness created by my spunky, spirited, sassy 11-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son. My mother lives across the street (she has a pool…she’s clearly a fan favorite 😊), my sister-in-law + family down the street (nothing better than cousins growing up so close), and our cul de sac is filled with kids so a game of baseball on the Curve may be happening at any moment. My life is pretty full; and I like it that way.

I have a knack for sifting through overwhelming and confusing situations and for focusing in on what matters most. Indeed, it’s what I love to do. For myself, my friends and family, and for my clients. My practice focuses exclusively on family law matters, including divorce and adoption. I wholeheartedly believe that each client’s situation is unique, and therefore, process choices should be tailored to meet the specific needs of each family. As such, I help clients reach resolutions using Collaborative Law, mediation, and a variety of unbundled legal service options. I also have this freakish (or so it seems to some) common-sense approach to financial/budgeting matters and enjoy helping clients with these issues post-divorce as well.

I graduated from the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities with a degree in Family Social Science (think family psychology meets sociology) in 2007. After a brief stint in graduate school (to discover becoming a family therapist wasn’t the right fit for me), I obtained my post-baccalaureate certificate in Paralegal Studies.

After doing the paralegal thing at OLO for many years, I decided it was time for law school. However, with an 18-month old at home at the time, traditional law school wasn’t going to cut it. So, I joined the inaugural group of law students in Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s Hybrid J.D. Program, the only ABA-approved hybrid (partially online, partially on-campus) law program in the country. I graduated, magna cum laude, from Mitchell Hamline in 2018.

MA, LP – Licensed Psychologist

Gay Rosenthal, MA, LP, works in eclectic and inspired ways to support children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families through the typical and extreme challenges they may face in their lives. She understands the causes and solutions to anxiety, depression, and life change emotions.  She has consulted to and worked within preschool and school settings to facilitate the social and emotional development of the students and the lifelong development of the staff.

She is committed to preventing high conflict divorce and the related impact on children and parents. She also provides Mediation, Social Early Neutral Evaluation and Parent Consultation, Parenting Time Expediting, and Relationship Therapy. Find Gay’s Curriculum Vitae here

Gay says that she does this work because, “I love the opportunity to work as part of a team in leading families to and supporting them in wellness, in life-giving transactions and interactions; the opportunity to work toward their emotional health and well-being now and in the future of the children of our community”.

Additional Specialties: 
Co-Parenting, Parent Coaching, Parenting Consulting, Mediation, and Parenting Time Expediting

Education: Externship in Marriage and Family Therapy, Family Therapy Institute, St. Paul, MN M.A. Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, B.A. Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

License & Certifications: Licensed Psychologist; Minnesota License Number LP 1844; Nationally Certified School Psychologist Certification Number 10529 retired; Qualified Neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice

Professional Activities & Memberships (current and past):National Association of Marriage & Family Therapists, Minnesota Association of Marriage & Family Therapists, Washington and Ramsey counties SENE Pilot Projects, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington counties SENE, Minnesota Psychological Association, AFCC (Assoc. of Family & Conciliation Courts) (Board of Directors, ’11-16, Continuing Education Committee, ’09-‘19, Committee Co-Chair, ’09-’11), Family Enhancement Center (Board of Directors, ‘19-‘21)

Carl Arnold is proud to provide exceptional Family Mediation, Custody Evaluations, SENE/FENE services, and Collaborative Separation/Divorce legal representation through Arnold Law and Mediation LLC all across Minnesota on Zoom.  ​Carl teaches courses certified by the State of Minnesota for Family Mediation.  He co-teaches, with Katie Arnold, an annual college course on negotiation and mediation at Metropolitan State University.  Carl has previously represented many clients in Divorce and Custody cases and many parents and grandparents in child protection cases in Minnesota.
Carl Arnold – Professional experience (Downloadable PDF)

Schedule an appointment or free consultation.
Email: carl@arnoldlawmediation.com
​Phone: 507-786-9999

Special Strength:  Intuitive nature, connecting and building trust. 

Goal: Fulfilling the interests of each client and guiding them through a well-advised financial plan..

Focus: Comprehensive financial planning and divorce financial guidance

Interests: Spending time with his wife, Courtney, daughters Anya and Maely and Great Dane Stanley; staying active, traveling, learning, and always thinking of new ways to innovate and solve problems.

His Colleagues Say: “Chad is a fascinating example of the hunter/gatherer ‘Paleo Lifestyle’ (whatever that means), and never misses his morning workout.”

Chad Olson went to college on a football scholarship and studied marketing and business administration. His sports background and education combined with growing up around his family’s automotive business in Lindstrom, Minn., have resulted in strong interpersonal and communications skills. 

Starting his career in 2005 as a financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial, joined the AJW Financial team in 2008 and has since earned the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst^® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.

Chad’s passion is to empower individuals and couples to chart their course towards success. He guides them in uncovering their goals, crafting personalized plans, and comprehending the long-term implications of their choices. Along the way, he supports them in making the necessary adjustments to ensure they reach their desired destination.

“It’s gratifying to help my clients create a realistic plan so they can move forward with clarity and confidence,” he says.

Education and Designations:

• College for Financial Planning, 2014, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional 
• The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, 2008, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst^®
• Series 7 and Series 66 registrations
• Minnesota State University, Moorhead, 2004, Marketing and Business Administration

Rebecca is happy in her work as a family and Collaborative Divorce attorney. She has always been keenly aware of other peoples’ emotional states and needs, and has always strived to help them solve their problems. This desire to understand people and their needs make her uniquely suited to help clients navigate through the overwhelming process of a family law matter, such as a divorce, a custody order, or a modification of a parenting time order. She loves breaking down the process of family law issues and educating her clients about their options, which gives them agency and empowers them to make informed decisions about their cases.

Rebecca is trained in Collaborative Divorce and she loves sharing her excitement about this area of family law practice that gives clients even more agency and options for resolution of their unique issues than are presented in traditional family law practice.

Fun Facts:

Rebecca’s day is fueled by music (preferably the Beatles, old country music, and classic rock) and good food. Outside of work she loves spending time with her family, cooking dinner, or trying her hand at different hobbies. She loves the art scene in the Twin Cities and you may spot her at one of the art crawls that occur in the spring and fall.

Education:

Admitted to practice law in Minnesota

J.D., William Mitchell College of Law, 2014

B.A., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Spanish Language and Literature

Professional Experience:

Partner/Shareholder Randen, Chakirov & Grotkin LLC October 2019 – Present

Owner Randen Family Law, LLC May 2019 – October 2019

Family Law attorney at Highly Regarded Family Law and Estate Planning Law Firm located in Edina, MN 2015 – 2019

Law Clerk at Olmsted County District Court
Recognition:

Northstar Lawyer 2021

Rising Star 2021-2022

Affiliations:

Minnesota State Bar Association

Dakota County Bar Association

Collaborative Law Institute Board

Community Involvement:

Co-Founder of La Nueva Esperanza support group 2008 – present

Volunteer Lawyers Network Volunteer Attorney 2014 – present
CMRS Community Mediator 2014 – present

Volunteer Attorney with Twin Cities Men’s Center 2020 – present

Languages Spoken:

Spanish – fluent

Norwegian – conversational

My graduate degree is in family social science, where I specialized in marriage and family therapy. I have advanced training in conflict resolution, child and family development, collaborative mediation, and multiple models of couples counseling, including Emotion-Focused, the Gottman Approach, and Relational Life Therapy. I regularly participate in continuing education and peer consultation to stay sharp.

Additionally, I am an Approved Supervisor for the MN Board of Marriage and Family Therapy, and have trained many graduate level students and new therapists in couple’s therapy. I have been featured in more than a dozen podcast interviews and teach regularly to groups of therapists, lawyers and other professionals about communication skills, relational awareness, infidelity and conflict resolution.

Goal: To successfully guide clients through financial planning for divorce or post-divorce needs

Focus: First contact for client files and consulting research on collaborative divorce and divorce planning; internally he supports AJW’s operations and technology needs

Interests: Motorcycling, setting up systems and troubleshooting questions, and family time.

His Colleagues Say: “His work ethic is so strong, he just doesn’t stop going.  He can fix or build anything, he’s a real Renaissance man.  We usually have to trick him into a happy hour by telling him we are having a mandatory company meeting!”

Brett knows that financial freedom happens by taking action to make the dream possible. In fact, he’s a tireless worker on anything he pursues, whether it’s troubleshooting a computer glitch, repairing a car or building a balance sheet. Brett earned his Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® designation in 2012, to continue serving clients in divorce financial planning.

With his background as a construction business owner and ministry facilitator for divorce and other family needs, Brett has experience with the practical side of finance (payroll, operations and human resources) as well as its emotional side. “We see people at all stages in life going through divorce and the result of their money habits. I enjoy watching a case go through and helping with the resolution, knowing I played a role in getting things organized for them and seeing their positive progress.”

Brett started with AJW Financial to help with internal accounting and technology support…and never left. His role has expanded to divorce planning services as well as providing internal support for the firm’s human resources, operations, technology upgrades and maintenance. This has led Brett to also support clients with questions about technology purchases and troubleshooting, car purchases or home maintenance advice. He’s happy to answer random questions, go along to test drive a vehicle or research a non-financial request when it helps staff and clients become more efficient and knowledgeable.

Education and Designations:

• Series 7 registration
• The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, 2012, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst^® (Administrative Assistant)
• Family Mediation Training

Barbara has a comprehensive understanding of family law. She has experience as a financial advisor, which gives her unique perspective when it comes to division of assets, spousal maintenance, and tax implications of property division.  She is equally knowledgeable when it comes to custody and parenting time. With a keen insight into the complexities of the legal system and the intricacies of family dynamics in transition, she advocates for her clients with compassion. 

Barbara fosters collaboration among a network of professionals, including attorneys, accountants, mental health professionals, realtors, and mortgage brokers, to ensure holistic support for her clients.

She is deeply involved in the legal community, holding memberships in organizations such as the Minnesota State Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association, and the Family Law League.