St. Paul, MN family law attorney John Jerabek talks about a memorable third-party custody matter he handled. He recalls that one case that stands out to him is one where he was not the attorney of record at the trial court level but became the attorney on appeal and later represented the clients after the appeal. In that matter, the father had passed away, and the mother faced significant issues that prevented her from providing what his clients believed to be appropriate care for the child.

He represented the grandparents, who had been denied their request for third-party custody at the trial court. He took the case to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which, after reviewing the standards and his arguments, overturned the trial court’s decision and sent the matter back for a full custody trial.

In the end, his clients were granted custody of the child, ensuring the child’s placement in a safe and stable environment—an outcome that brought great relief to the grandparents.