J. Scott Braden
Shareholder
Scott represents clients throughout southern Minnesota in a wide range of family law, probate, guardianship, and conservatorship matters. Specifically, Scott’s family law practice involves advocating for clients in dissolution of marriage, adoptions, antenuptial agreements, and post-decree divorce matters. Scott’s probate practice includes representing clients in will contests, special needs trusts, supplemental needs trusts, last will and testaments, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, and powers of attorney and healthcare directives.
Scott’s clients range from farmers to business owners, professionals, trades people, and factory workers. He has represented parties in complex divorces throughout southern Minnesota. Scott has worked with clients whose assets range from zero to high net worth divorces over $5,000,000.00. He has succeeded in protecting client’s non-marital assets including farms, closely held corporations, real estate, and retirement investments.
In addition to his extensive litigation experience, Scott has substantial experience working with clients to resolve cases using mediators, parenting time expeditors, parenting time evaluators, and custody evaluators. Scott is a qualified neutral under Rule 114 of the General Rules of Practice for District Court.
Involvement in the Faribault community and the local bar is a cornerstone of Scott’s practice. Scott has been involved in numerous professional organizations including the Minnesota State Bar Association, Fifth District Bar Association, and Rice County Bar Association. Scott is a past president, board member, and volunteer attorney, for Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (legal aid). For more than a decade, Scott was a member and past chair of the Faribault City Planning Commission.
Ethical representation has always been at the center of Scott’s practice. Scott is well-versed in the Rules of Professional Responsibility, having served on the Minnesota Supreme Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Ethics Board, and the Fifth District Bar Association Ethics Committee for six (6) years, reviewing ethics complaints involving area attorneys.
Court Admissions:
State of Minnesota, 1981
U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 1981
8th Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals, 1985
Education:
Juris Doctor, 1981, Hamline University School of Law
Bachelor of Arts and Government, 1978 St. John’s University
Professional Memberships:
Minnesota State Bar Association
5th District Bar Association, Past President
Rice County Bar Association, Past President
Community Activities:
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Volunteer Attorney, Past President and Board of Director Member
Supreme Court ADR Ethics Board, Past Vice Chair
Divine Mercy Catholic Church, Faribault. Finance Committee
City of Faribault Planning Commission (Past Chair)
5th District Bar Association Ethics Committee, Past Chair
Honors:
Scott was named a Super Lawyer by Minnesota Family Law and Politics in family law from 2001 to 2022
Scott has been named a Top 40 Family Law Super Lawyer by Minnesota Family Law and Politics
He received the Minnesota Legal Services Coalition 2001 Pro Bono Public Award. He received the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services President’s Pro Bono Service Award 2016.