Gary A. Debele

Gary Debele is a 1987 graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and since 1991 has focused his practice on a uniquely broad and all encompassing conception of family law. Through his membership in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the International Academy of Family Law Attorneys, and the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, he has built relationships with professionals in his areas of family law expertise across the United States and across the globe. In addition to managing his practice, Gary also serves as the Chair of the Family Law group.

His family law practice includes not only the usual areas of divorce, custody, and parentage, but also several specialized areas that many family law practitioners avoid. He has represented clients with large and complex closely held family businesses, often with accompanying sophisticated estate planning vehicles. He has been involved with divorces and custody disputes with interstate and international aspects. With particular expertise in the interplay of juvenile and family court, he is also experienced in juvenile court practice and can address child protection issues that might spill into anyone’s family court proceeding.

In addition to assisting with family and relationship breakdowns, he has a sophisticated family formation practice which has him working in all aspects of adoption—from the simplest stepparent adoption to complex interstate and international adoptions, and even contested adoptions and adoptions that are dissolving. Gary works with all aspects of assisted reproduction and surrogacy, drafting donor contracts for all varieties of genetic material, gestational carrier and traditional surrogate contracts; and works to establish parentage in all of those situations, whether within the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, across the country or internationally.

Gary assists clients with appeals at all levels of state and federal courts. He is also a certified mediator and member of the Collaborative Law Institute, assisting clients who wish to avoid litigation.

Gary is experienced with estate planning for small to moderate sized estate, guardianship provisions for children, and prenuptial, postnuptial, or cohabitation agreements. He also handles matters in tribal court including those associated with the Indian Child Welfare Act.