Tools for St. Paul Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the St. Paul families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

If you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator for families in St. Paul, you already know the pattern: two parents, one child, and a record of what happened that lives in two different phones. FamilyCourtHelp.com gives the parents you work with one organized place for co-parent messages, schedules, parenting plans, expenses, and records, so the time they spend with you, and in front of the Ramsey County District Court, Juvenile and Family Court, goes to the children instead of the screenshots.

Minnesota uses its own words, "parenting time" where many states say visitation, and the tools follow Minnesota's terms so the papers parents bring you read the way the court reads them.

Area covered: Ramsey County.

Court for custody cases: Ramsey County District Court, Juvenile and Family Court (Second Judicial District).

Appointed for the child: Guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Often ordered by the judge.

Parenting class: Required statewide.

State family law: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 518 - Marriage Dissolution.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For guardians ad litem in St. Paul

In Minnesota, the court can appoint a guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

Nothing here opens a family's account to you on its own. When a parent wants you in, they send a single-use invitation into the co-parent conversation; you join with your own free account, see the full thread and the shared calendar's change requests, and can post. They can also share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on.

For therapists and counselors in St. Paul

Court-involved therapists, reunification therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in St. Paul get no seat in the conversation and no access to accounts. Parents keep their own time-stamped record and decide what to show you, which keeps your role clear. For co-parenting work, the Tone Meter in the free messenger shows a parent how a message will land and offers a calmer version before it is sent.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in St. Paul

In Minnesota, custody mediation is often ordered by the judge. The details are in the FAQ below.

Parents can bring you in before the first meeting in St. Paul: a single-use link adds you to the co-parent conversation, and a shared parenting plan lets you read the draft and comment on it. After the session, what was agreed stays in writing in the thread, and schedule changes run through the shared calendar's request and approval record.

Family court programs in St. Paul

Custody cases in St. Paul are heard in the Ramsey County District Court, Juvenile and Family Court. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

Ramsey County Early Neutral Evaluation: In Ramsey County, Early Neutral Evaluation is a confidential and voluntary way to settle custody, parenting time and money issues. Parents pick a provider from the state roster of qualified neutrals and contact that provider directly.

If you searched for a guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in St. Paul, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in St. Paul: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Ramsey: Minnesota Judicial Branch Self-Help Center, (651) 435-6535. Free help by phone or online for Minnesota residents handling a court case without a lawyer.

Ramsey legal aid: Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, (877) 696-6529.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in St. Paul?

Divorce, custody, parenting time, child support and paternity cases in Ramsey County are heard by the Family Court of the Ramsey County District Court, which is the Second Judicial District.

Where can parents in St. Paul get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Minnesota Judicial Branch Self-Help Center. Free legal aid: Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in St. Paul?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session.

What does a guardian ad litem do in a St. Paul custody case?

In Minnesota custody, divorce and legal separation cases where custody or parenting time is in issue, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the child's interests, and must appoint one if it has reason to believe the child is a victim of domestic child abuse or neglect. The guardian ad litem investigates independently, advocates for the child's best interests and gives the court written reports with recommendations. You may also see "GAL". The rule is in Minn. Stat. 518.165. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Minnesota?

In Minnesota, when custody or parenting time is contested, the court may set the matter for mediation before, during or after setting it for a hearing. The mediator cannot force an agreement, and the court may not send parents to mediation when there is probable cause of physical or sexual abuse by one party.

Do parents in Minnesota have to take a parenting class?

Each Minnesota judicial district runs parent education programs about how divorce and court cases affect children, how to prevent parenting time conflicts, and options for settling disputes. When parents have not agreed on custody or a parenting time schedule, the court orders them to complete at least eight hours of the program, in person or online, with separate sessions when domestic abuse is alleged.