Louise E. Livesay-Al

The Law Shop Minnesota (TLSMN) is committed to helping people reach resolution to issues in family law in a way that helps them move on to the next chapter of their lives. That might mean helping an engaged person with a prenuptial agreement, giving unmarried parents clarity about their rights and responsibilities for effective and healthy co-parenting, or helping a married person divorce with respect and dignity.

Most clients with whom TLSMN works want to minimize the stress and trauma on their children and themselves, and preserve the good parts of their relationships. We believe that listening and being curious are two skills critical to doing our jobs well. Just because two people divorce or separate, especially if they have children, doesn’t mean they aren’t still a family. They are just a family in a new configuration, living in two different homes.

TLSMN was founded by Louise Livesay-Al, who has been practicing law for over 20 years. She worked as a staff attorney for the Minnesota Justice Foundation setting up the Law School Public Service Program, worked four years at the Minnesota Court of Appeals on a wide array of cases in civil and criminal law, and found herself particularly interested in family law matters. Her professional life was transformed when she learned about Collaborative family law. She realized that rather than being part of a legal system which often further damages family relationships, she could be part of a restorative system.

Louise started in private practice in 2005 with her entire focus on out-of-court settlements. No longer was family law just about “fighting for” or “protecting” a client; it was about transforming relationships. “Custody” and “visitation,” terms used in the prison system, became “parenting time,” and “ex-spouse” became “former spouse.” Not only did these subtle differences in language feel gentler, they also felt more respectful, caring, and accurate. These changes make a positive difference in how a client and his or her family move through the legal process. Other people working at TLSMN approach their work with this same vision. We work with clients and their families from a place of care.

Louise established The Law Shop Minnesota with the assistance of The Law Shop by Skogerson McGinn, LLC in Iowa. She was inspired by the smart way they broke down legal work into smaller pieces to help more people get the legal services they need and can afford. Louise recognizes that people have become increasingly savvy about self-representation, but they often lack the confidence and subject matter expertise to represent themselves as effectively as they want. The legal process can be scary to navigate, but for many people, a little help is all they need. Other people want a broader scope of assistance or help from beginning to end. TLSMN can assist with any part of the divorce, from a single task to the whole process, offering clients services customized to their needs.

Louise Livesay-Al is a leader in her professional community, and trains professionals in Minnesota and across the country in Collaborative practice, attorney discernment counseling for clients with divorce ambivalence, and other aspects of family law. She is a member of numerous professional organizations, and is always looking to hone her skills and become a better practitioner. She has done pro bono work in family law and housing court through Southern Minnesota Legal Services as well as in her own practice. She gives endless time to mentoring, committees, education, and organizational leadership. Louise is an innovator who is always looking for ways to reach more people with more respectful and creative client/family focused outcomes. She has been trained in Insight Mediation with Dr. Cheryl Picard and Jacinta Gallant from Canada, and uses the Our Family in Two (or a Few) Homes workbooks.

When Louise is not serving her clients, she likes to spend time with her family, including her spouse, two young adult children, step-daughter and partner, three cats, and extended family of choice, as she calls them. She likes to garden, travel, cook, spend time in and on the water, read, do ZenTangles, hike, practice spirituality, and be with friends. She speaks German and French with varying degrees of fluency depending on the day and topic of conversation.