Attorney Carl Christensen successfully closed our case in less than one month after meeting us…read more The case had dragged on for over a year before retaining his services. While my husband and I initially thought Mr. Christensen was expensive, he actually saved us a large amount of money with a speedy resolution. During our first meeting, Carl assured us we were on sound legal ground. He was confident our suit and counter-suit would be resolved in short order. That was hard to believe after such protracted litigation. He asked a number of questions, and, at times, pushed back against our position. Carl's approach illuminated the issues for us as litigants and for him as an attorney. This also prepared us for push back by the opposing party and provided perspective on what the opposition's motivations were in a clear, direct way. Carl then closed the case with binding mediation to the satisfaction of both parties. His ability to quickly understand the nature of the suit, the counter suit, as well as the personalities and natures of the litigants led to a solid outcome--no small feat--the result of a fine legal mind and years of experience as a litigator.

I was very happy to receive prompt attention upon contacting Christensen Law Office and was…read morepleased that I didn't have to drive all the way to their offices just to sign agreements for service; they had everything I needed to do online. Very convenient and time saving. Everything worked out from my perspective and even promptly received money back as the issue resolved quicker and simpler than it may have.

I hired Steve Messick to help me with a family dispute over a trust fund that belongs to my…read moreintellectually disabled sister. I should've known right off the bat that this was a bad idea. While Christine Boulay, his assistant was pleasant, when Steve called me back to discuss the case, he was flat, unenthusiastic, and uninterested. Against my better judgement I retained him anyway as I wanted to get started as soon as possible. At no time did Steve Messick call me to explain the process of the case or what to expect. In fact, as the case moved along over the summer, there were actually incidents of him asking ME what to do!! WTH!? I'm paying you thousands of dollars to help me navigate these shark infested waters, and you're asking me what to do!?! I had to tell him yet again what I needed/wanted, even though he feigned that he already knew... Then, as important dates approached, such as filing a motion in court, the firm would hit me with another huge bill. This happened three separate times, and I found it ironic that these bills would appear right when we were at a critical point in the case process. No coincidence! 100% planned! And poor form!! I also had to constantly stay on top of Christine with case progress. I had to e-mail and call multiple times any time I needed an update on the status of any event, such as if the motion was filed in court, whether or not the opposing party had been properly served, whether or not I needed to attend certain meetings etc. In short, communication was TERRIBLE!!! In the end Christine sent me three different invoices all for the same services, with three DIFFERENT amounts!! When I questioned her about this, she wrote me an extensive e-mail trying to explain away her lack of attention to detail and non-communication! After them trying to send me yet another bill for $1900, I was DONE!! I let them know how crappy this was. Then, without a phone call of ANY kind to resolve the miscommunication, this JERK of an attorney simply filed paperwork withdrawing his services as my attorney...2 WEEKS BEFORE THE HEARING DATE!!! This spells in no uncertain terms: ZERO CHARACTER, and the WORST that most people see in attorneys!! Unless you want to experience all of the above and worse, DONT CONTACT THIS FIRM!!! P.S. I hired a smart, competent, female attorney from a different firm the same day, and told them as well to NEVER refer anyone to Steve Messick!

Messick Law is an extraordinary law firm. Steve Messick honored my needs for a power-of-attorney…read more Instead of trying to force me into a standard-one-fits-all, Steve listened to me and my concerns. He was patient with my questions of the process and the meanings in the document. I learned so much from him. When I said what I wanted, he put it in language that is understandable (to lay people like me) and legal. I found Steve to be compassionate, kind, professional, friendly, and respectful. Steve is the BEST. Plus, interactions with the other staff, for example, scheduling and documents was excellent.

Working with Ryan Prochaska was an extreme disappointment. He was disengaged, dis-interested and…read morebarely returned emails, took him 3 weeks to send an agreement and even his assistant was alwys late to the game. We asked him to review documents and today on a pre-planned conference call, he was clueless, unprepared, sleepy , possibly drugged. My sister and I in different states on this call were horrified!! We fired him right after as this man is either bored, in the wrong business or has substance abuse issues. I had red-flags about him for the last two months, but with much preparedness on my end, this man showed up with no solutions or actions, after I asked him to be prepared.

The hubs and I just did our estate planning with Chestnut Cambronne, now that we've got a little…read moreone in the picture. The experience was as good as it gets. From start to finish they were professional, efficient, and accommodating. We worked with Ryan Prochaska, who was a delight. He was very easy to get along with, communicated thoroughly and clearly, and made us very comfortable dealing with what can be a challenging topic. Partway through the process our situation changed slightly and we needed to move things along, and Ryan expedited the remainder of the process and wrapped up our business with time to spare. Would happily recommend Chestnut Cambronne to anyone looking to do their estate planning.

I have worked with Sandahl & Associates for two different real estate issues and was very happy…read morewith my experience. I worked with them as a buyer for a Purchase Agreement when dealing with a seller who wasn't using a real estate agent, and then later for the withdrawal of my offer when encountering problems with the seller. I went back to them for a title issue on another property. Their legal work was excellent, they were very responsive and straightforward in their approach with me. I've recommended them to a couple of other friends. I won't hesitate to hire them again should the need arise.

We found ourselves in need of a lawyer and preferred to have someone local. Upon 1st meeting Brent…read moreSchafer we knew that he would be the perfect lawyer for us and he did not disappoint. Took time to explain things and kept us informed during our legal process. Great communication skills and happy with the outcome in the end.

I was the opposing party in a Dakota County family-court matter in which Clarence Patterson III…read morerepresented the other side. He never represented me. This review concerns my direct experience with his courtroom advocacy and written positions. I understand that attorneys must advocate firmly for their clients. But in family court, words can alter a person's life before disputed facts are fully examined. At an August 28, 2025 hearing, the transcript records Mr. Patterson saying that I "love to talk about guns," that my "relationship with guns is concerning," warning that people could be "caught in the crossfire," and later portraying me as someone who "needs a gun to solve his problems." I stated on the record that I hated guns, had never owned one, and would never have one. I found it profoundly disturbing to be portrayed through repeated gun-related language when I was expressly denying any interest in owning a firearm. The same transcript records Mr. Patterson referring to "his bipolar disorder" while denying my concern that mental-health labeling was being used against me. I experienced the combined gun and mental-health framing as stigmatizing and dehumanizing--an effort to turn disputed allegations into a frightening portrait of an armed and mentally unstable person. A separate and extremely serious discrepancy involved Dakota County Crisis. A sworn filing in the case stated that a crisis-team member had contacted counsel and that the entire office had been alerted about me. A Dakota County Crisis supervisor later wrote that she had searched the system and consulted with colleague supervisors, found no record or recollection of such an alert, found no documentation of a duty-to-warn event, and stated that the team does not communicate directly with attorneys. In my view, a discrepancy involving a claimed government warning was too consequential to be left unresolved. It deserved a prompt, transparent, and documented explanation. Mr. Patterson also asked the court not to consider approximately fifty exhibits because he said he had not received them. I am not claiming in this review that the service objection itself constituted misconduct. I am describing the consequence as I experienced it: severe allegations were presented while a substantial body of my responsive evidence was not considered at that hearing. The matter ultimately resolved by stipulation before the scheduled evidentiary hearing. The most severe characterizations were therefore not adjudicated through that scheduled hearing. The litigation nevertheless caused profound personal, financial, and reputational harm. I found Mr. Patterson's approach unnecessarily escalatory, stigmatizing, and damaging. I would not recommend him. Strong advocacy does not require turning another human being into a caricature of mental illness and violence. Family-law attorneys exercise enormous power, and that power should be matched by factual precision, restraint, professional judgment, and accountability.

Working with Clarence was an excellent experience. He is knowledgeable, straight forward, hard…read moreworking, and transparent. He was extremely helpful and honest with me. He was reasonably priced and respected my time. Thanks to him, I was able to win in court thanks to him. Even if it had it not ended in my favor, I would have felt appreciative of the way he was able to convert what was an immense level of stress on my shoulders into calm and clarity. I appreciate the work he does.

Early in the process of my divorce it became apparent that my lawyer of choice was not competent or…read morecaring. Through an acquaintance, Allison was then recommended as someone with superior skills, understanding, and one that would ensure the best outcome for me. Thankfully I took her advice and switched my representation to Allison. By far, the best decision I made through the painful process of divorce was making that switch! Allison was simply fabulous to work with! Her guidance, strategy, and management of the legal process was outstanding and it led to an outcome that I can feel good about for the rest of my life. She always exhibited an understanding of the anxiety, stress, and depression that can accompany dissolution. And furthermore, and most importantly, she truly represented MY best interests. Yes, she was a fantastic legal representative, but she also was a support mechanism. Kudos to anyone that decides to use Allison's services...you will not be disappointed. James M.

Simply the best divorce and family attorney in St Paul!read more

I needed to put my brother's estate into a living trust quickly. He got very sick and we had found…read moreout that his will would have to go through probate, which costs more and takes longer. I found Metropolitan Law Group on line and they were so helpful and compassionate from the get go. Barbara Connelly communicated constantly with me and guided me through the whole process. She always checked in on how I was doing and always asked how my brother was doing. His health was declining rapidly and I had to fly back to DC. I contacted them on a Thursday and they squeezed me in for a Zoom call Monday morning with the owner, Lisa Haster. Lisa was very easy to talk to and very kind to my brother. She was very expeditious and got the information she needed and we were done within 15 minutes. Jodi Dybsetter, the paralegal, got all of the forms sent to me quickly and I was able to print them out at UPS. I was able to get a notary Tuesday morning to my brother's hospital room and we made everything official. I scanned it back to Jodi and they were able to get everything recorded by Wednesday. Even though business is concluded, Barbara still checks in. Outstanding customer service and compassionate people. I highly recommend Metropolitan Law Group and Barbara Connelly.

Lisa is phenomenal. She was thorough, moved at our pace and stayed on top of the details even where…read morewe failed to follow through. She was very accommodating and while she is not a marriage counselor (nor should she be) she did give us space to make decisions as a couple and as individuals. She also provided some great examples of what other clients have done to help us formulate our own plan - that's what you get when you work with someone who has experience! I would and have recommended her to friends and family.