At Dahl Family Law, we know that behind every case is a person whose future is on the line — a parent, a spouse, an heir, a family. The results below reflect the dedication, strategy, and courtroom skill our attorneys bring to every case we take on.
Every case is unique, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your matter. These summaries have been adapted to protect client confidentiality.
DFL represented a wife in a long-term high-earning marriage where the husband claimed he earned less than he did, and he did not initially want to provide any support. Our team was able to successfully establish his accurate income, and we secured not only child support for our client, but also funds for the children to stay in their private school, as well as significant alimony. Years later, when the ex-husband tried to take our client back to court to stop the alimony, we succeeded in keeping it in place.
We represented a divorce client in a long-term marriage whose self-employed spouse claimed he earned less money than he did, tried to say he didn’t cash a joint insurance check, and insisted he had no separate bank account. Our team was ultimately able to prove that the spouse’s testimony was not reliable or credible, with the Court Order citing 10 separate reasons we had established. Our client received an attorney fee award, substantially more personal property, and her full retirement accounts.
Your house is often the largest asset in your divorce, so it’s important to make sure you receive your share. DFL represented a wife in a marriage where the house had been purchased in the husband’s name a few months before the marriage. The husband refused to provide the wife with any portion of the significant equity in the home. We took this case to trial, where our team secured half of the equity for our client.
In this post-divorce partition, the parties had done their own uncontested divorce without attorneys. Due to vagueness in the original MDA, they both had to hire attorneys years later to determine their interests in the marital residence. The other side wanted our client to get nothing. We insisted our client was entitled to her fair share. The trial court mis-applied the statute, so our team took the case to the Court of Appeals, where we succeeded in overturning the trial court, to correctly have our client awarded her half of the significant equity.
DFL firmly believes in negotiating favorable resolutions when possible. In this divorce, the parties had two children, as well as significant real property, personal property, vehicles, financial accounts, and retirements. Our attorneys were able to collaboratively negotiate an amicable resolution with opposing counsel that allowed our client to relocate with the children and receive more than half of the total assets.
These parties were contemplating divorce and wanted a postnup instead. A few years later, when they did file for divorce, the other side hired an attorney to argue about everything because he thought the postnup wouldn’t matter. It did. The divorce was resolved according to the terms of the postnup, in our client’s favor.
Prenuptial agreements can be an extremely appropriate and useful protection for people entering a marriage. In this case, though, the other side presented our client with a one-sided prenup just days before their planned wedding. The other side expected our client to simply sign it. Our attorneys did not allow that to happen. Instead, we negotiated back and forth on a tight timeline. Ultimately, the wedding went forward with no prenup signed at all.
When our client found out he was a dad-to-be, he was excited. At the last minute, the mom-to-be decided to place the baby for adoption. She refused to tell the dad when or where she was having the baby. She had already secured an adoption attorney and adoptive family. He called us frantic that he would never see his child. Our team immediately obtained an emergency order, did everything in our power to find the mother, and made sure the Order was delivered to the hospital to get DNA to prove he was the father. In the end, he was established as the legal father and was able to raise his child.
Being near a military base, DFL frequently handles parental relocations, on both sides. In this highly litigated case, the parents had a 50/50 schedule. Our client wanted to relocate to a new state to pursue her education as she exited the military. We knew it would be a difficult case. Following a trial, our client was permitted to relocate with the child, due to our attorney’s preparation and presentation of key best interest factors the Court applied.
When a parent absconds with children before anyone has filed a Complaint for Divorce, it can be hard to force their return. In this case, DFL represented the parent who was terrified for her children’s safety when her husband with mental health problems took them from school one day and went to another state. We organized emergency conferences with the judge in Tennessee, obtained emergency Orders, and secured the return of the children. Even with court orders, when our client tried to get the children, the father called the police on her; and our dedicated attorney was on the phone with authorities to ensure the children were safely removed and returned.
It can be difficult to change the primary residential parent after a Parenting Plan has been entered. In this case, DFL represented an active and involved father who was worried about the child’s living arrangements with the mother, as well as the child’s educational needs and extracurricular activities. After hearing the proof we presented, the Judge agreed and made our client the primary residential parent.
When DCS doesn’t get it right, people sometimes have to hire private attorneys. DFL was able to remove a child from abusive parents on behalf of a family friend who was seeking custody.
The attorneys at DFL love handling all types of adoptions. In this contested termination and adoption, our attorneys were successful in terminating the biological father’s rights, so that the child could be adopted by his step-dad who had been a more stable father figure in his life.
DFL firmly believes in negotiating favorable resolutions when possible. In this case, our clients wanted to terminate the parental rights of a biological father and complete a step-parent adoption. Our skilled attorneys were able to negotiate a voluntary relinquishment by the biological father, saving our clients from the time, expense, and uncertainty of trial.
In this contested termination and adoption, the grandparents wanted to adopt their two grandchildren. They had been caring for them for years. The parents still fought it. DFL was able to establish the grounds for termination, the best interests of the children, and ultimately have the adoption finalized after a trial, securing a safe and stable home for the children.
In this contested probate case, where the Will named multiple Co-Executors, one of them began doing things without the others. Our team successfully presented proof that led the Judge to determine the one Executor had converted Estate property to her own use and committed a serious breach of trust and breach of her duties. That Executor was removed and ordered to provide a full inventory and accounting.
In this probate case, the Decedent’s daughter presented a promissory note she claimed her father had signed to her for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Our attorneys were able to show that she had exercised undue influence over an elderly person in a weakened state, that there were suspicious circumstances surrounding the alleged note, and that she had attempted something similar with another family member. The Court decided the daughter was not credible and denied her claim against the Estate. Our client received the full inheritance.
In this contested probate, a young father had passed away. At the time, he owned a home and had re-married. His wife attempted to prevent his minor child from receiving anything. Our attorneys successfully initiated a partition and resolved the probate case, getting the minor child her half of the equity in her father’s house.
When people who are not married purchase a house together, but then they have a falling out, this typically results in a partition. Our DFL attorneys are well-versed in partitions. In this case, the other side claimed our client didn’t even own part of the property. Based on the proof we presented, the Court found that not only was our client entitled to half of the equity, but she was also entitled to be reimbursed for the improvements and repairs she had made. In the end, she was awarded approximately $75,000, despite the other side insisting she should receive $0.
DFL represented a client in a post-divorce action where the ex-husband accused our client of various wrongdoings. It was his attempt to force her to spend money defending herself. Our skilled attorneys filed a Motion to Dismiss. These are not often granted, but this one was. The ex-husband was forced to pay our client’s attorney fees.
In this case, our client had been injured in a motorcycle accident but was luckily going to be okay. We were able to successfully negotiate a pre-suit settlement with all insurance companies involved, getting our client the maximums from all policies. This meant our client was able to have a six-figure settlement in a matter of months, instead of litigating for years.
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