Hennepin County Social Early Neutral Evaluation Attorney

Minneapolis ENE Lawyer: Board-Certified in Family Law

In addition to leading a successful downtown Minneapolis family law practice, Hennepin County attorney Kathleen Newman serves on the Hennepin County roster of Social Early Neutral Evaluation neutrals.

At the law office of Kathleen Newman + Associates, the concepts of alternative dispute resolution are woven through all aspects of our practice. Our commitment to alternative methods of resolving family disputes is grounded in long observation of the catastrophic effect a hotly disputed divorce can have on every member of the family. Alternative dispute resolution methods like mediation and early neutral evaluation (ENE) are less destructive — and often less expensive than a contested divorce trial, which is an added benefit.

Contact our Minneapolis family law office for more information. Kathleen also serves as on the Hennepin County Financial Early Neutral Evaluation panel.

What Is Social Early Neutral Evaluation?

Social Early Neutral Evaluation (SENE) is a family court program available in Hennepin County and Ramsay County. Ms. Newman serves as an ENE neutral in Hennepin County.

SENE is a one-month confidential process designed for use in divorce cases where child custody, parenting time and visitation are contested and cannot be resolved via negotiation or mediation. A judicial officer may refer parties to SENE, or divorcing spouses may choose to engage in SENE of their own accord.

The goal of the SENE team is to help parents reach a negotiated settlement by offering professional assessments and suggestions for creative compromises. To help facilitate settlement, the discussions that occur during the SENE assessment are completely confidential and cannot be used as evidence in any later proceeding.

During the Social Early Neutral Evaluation, a male-female ENE team of experienced family law practitioners are assigned to the case. During the first meeting with ENE team, each spouse presents his or her perspective on the important issues in the case. In most cases, the ENE team will immediately provide their feedback to each party, discuss settlement possibilities and create a plan of action if any areas of dispute need further examination. As part of developing its recommendations, the SENE team may gather additional information, including interviewing the parties and/or the parties' children.

Contact a Hennepin County Social Early Neutral Evaluation Lawyer

Early Neutral Evaluation can have tremendous benefits for a family going through a divorce. Especially for the children, it can significantly lessen the stress associated with parental separation.

For more information, contact us online, call 612-424-9477 or call toll free 888-862-4174.