legal services

Searles Law Firm assists their clients in the administration of a trust upon the death of a family member or friend, including preparation of estate or income tax returns for the trust, payments of income or principal to beneficiaries, and division and distribution of trust assets upon termination. For clients with assets that are not placed in a trust during lifetime or do not have proper beneficiary designations, Searles Law will open a probate with the County Probate Court, work with court officials to complete the process and assist the client in administration and distribution of the probate estate.

With offices in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Plymouth, Messerli Kramer provides legal and advisory services in the areas of Banking & Finance, Business Litigation, Corporate Law, Commercial Real Estate, Consumer Collections, Corporate Finance & Securities, Divorce & Family Law, Employment Counseling & Litigation, Estate Planning, Government Relations and Intellectual Property.

Ms. Kugler practices exclusively in the area of family law. Karen works toward equitable settlements, but is skilled in trial advocacy. Karen discusses the risks and expense of litigation with her clients. She is a knowledgeable, empathetic, and assertive legal advocate and handles all family law issues: spousal maintenance, child support, property division, and custody at the trial and appellate levels. Karen is past Chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) Family Law Section and is a past Co-Chair of the RCBA Family Law Section. She is a frequent writer and speaker regarding family law, co-authoring the Child Support chapter and authoring the Social Security chapter of the Minnesota Family Law Financial Deskbook. Karen graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School. Ms. Kugler is a qualified neutral on the Family Law roster under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice.