Practice Areas
For over 20 years, the law firm of Henderson, Howard, & Pawluk, P.A. has been representing clients in Brooklyn Center, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and throughout the seven county metropolitan area, including Hennepin and Ramsey Counties. To obtain personalized service from an experienced attorney in your legal matter, contact Henderson, Howard, & Pawluk, P.A. for a free half hour consultation. We are committed to utilizing our experience and expertise to assist clients in the following areas of law:
- Family Law
- Criminal Defense
- Juvenile Defense
- Corporate & Business Law
- Wills & Trusts
- Probate Administration
- Real Estate
Family Law
At the law firm of Henderson, Howard & Pawluk, we understand that family law disputes can be some of the most emotionally-burdensome issues you may ever have to face. In order to make these matters a little less stressful, we offer personalized service directly from attorneys who have 30 years of experience in everything from drafting prenuptial and postnuptial agreements to obtaining post-decree modifications. Our attorneys have guided clients through all kinds of divorce cases, from simple uncontested divorces where the spouses agree on each issue in negotiation, to complex, highly-contested cases involving the litigation of issues such as property division, spousal support, and child support. We also assist with all issues involving child custody, visitation, and parenting time, including paternity, relative or third-party custody, and grandparents' rights to visitation. In addition, we can assist with stepparent, relative, and third-party adoptions. In conjunction with our estate planning practice, we also assist in establishing conservatorships and guardianships for minor children, as well as for incapacitated adults.
Criminal Defense
Our experienced attorneys provide criminal defense representation to clients accused of traffic offenses, misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and felonies. Our areas of representation include:
- Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)
- Drug Charges, including Possession & Trafficking
- Racketeering under the federal RICO Act
- White Collar Crimes
If you have been accused of a crime, you may face serious penalties, including license suspension, probation, mandatory community service, substantial fines, or even years of imprisonment. The severity of your penalty depends on such issues as whether the crime you are accused of is a misdemeanor or felony, whether you are a repeat or first-time offender, and whether there are other mitigating or aggravating circumstances. Depending on what is in your best interest given the circumstances of your case, we can negotiate a plea bargain to reduce the charges against you, or aggressively advocate on your behalf in trial. In addition, in certain cases, we may be able to assist you in obtaining an expungement of your criminal record, meaning we may be able to have your record sealed, destroyed, or returned to you.
Juvenile Defense
In addition to defending adults against criminal accusations, we also provide criminal defense representation for juveniles. The defense of a juvenile is often quite different from the defense of an adult, and a seemingly minor offense can have serious repercussions, including detention or expulsion from school, detention in a juvenile facility, or placement in a foster care facility.
Business & Corporate Law
At the law firm of Henderson, Howard & Pawluk, our attorneys have substantial experience in business and corporate law, including transactions as well as commercial disputes. We can assist with the formation and organization of such business entities as limited liability companies (LLCs) and limited liability partnerships (LLPs). We also assist with the formation and organization of general partnerships, and represent partners in disputes. We assist in all types of transactions, including business acquisitions and the purchase and sale of business assets. In addition, our attorneys are familiar with both state and federal taxation laws, allowing us to help businesses remain in compliance with the various laws and to analyze the tax consequences of business transactions. Our attorneys represent businesses in intellectual property matters, including assisting with the registration of trademarks and copyrights, claims of unfair business competition, and trade secret violations arising under the federal Lanham Act and the Minnesota Unfair Competition statute and Uniform Trade Secrets Act, respectively. In addition, we can assist businesses in a wide range of employee and personnel matters, including counseling companies on how to remain in compliance with state and federal labor laws, advising on proper termination procedures, and assisting in wrongful termination claims.
Wills & Trusts
Our firm offers estate planning services tailored to your individual needs and long-term goals. Our comprehensive estate plans are aimed at minimizing your potential tax liability, planning for possible future incapacity and the need for medical assistance, and avoiding probate administration whenever possible. Our areas of practice include:
- Wills
- Revocable Living Trusts
- Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
- Durable Financial Powers of Attorney
- Health Care Directives
In addition to preparing estate planning documents that provide you with a plan in the event of future incapacity, we also have significant experience in the area of elder law and can help you create a plan focusing on planning for future medical assistance, including Medicare planning. In conjunction with our family law practice, we can also assist in establishing guardianships and/or conservatorships over incapacitated adults, as well as minor children.
Probate Administration
Our attorneys can assist clients with probating wills or in the administration of estates where the decedent died "intestate," or without a will. Probate is the court-supervised process whereby the court oversees the administration of an estate, ensuring that taxes and other debts are paid, and that the remaining estate is distributed in accordance with the terms of the decedent's will and any testamentary trusts, or by Minnesota's law of intestate succession if there is no will.
Real Estate
Our firm represents clients in all types of real estate transactions involving industrial and commercial properties. We also provide comprehensive representation for condominiums, including advising condominiums on how to stay in compliance with Minnesota's Common Interest Ownership Act. Our firm assists with real estate closings for the purchase and sale of industrial and commercial real estate, including advising you on your rights and disclosure responsibilities as either buyer or seller, drafting purchase and sale agreements and other necessary documents, and representing you at the closing. We also assist with zoning, land use, and environmental issues, including obtaining variances and remaining in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations. We represent clients in eminent domain disputes, including disputes over property values, the correct date of valuation, and whether or not the government's use of a property is in fact for the public good, or whether it is a taking for a private use. In addition, we provide representation for landlords in a wide range of matters, from drafting lease agreements to assisting in disputes involving such issues as a tenant's failure to pay rent or eviction for unlawful detainer.
