Partner
Valerie D. Arnold, Esq.
Valerie Arnold is a shareholder and partner with Arnold & Cain, PA. Ms. Arnold practices in all areas of family law including divorce, interstate and international divorce and child custody, Hague Convention and non-Hague parental child abduction, parental child abduction prevention, third-party custody and visitation, and appellate law. Ms. Arnold is rated a Super Lawyer® by SuperLawyers.com based upon her work and peer recognition in the area of family law. Ms. Arnold is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), which is an international organization of family law attorneys recognized by their peers as among the most experienced and skilled in international family law matters in their respective countries. Ms. Arnold serves on the Hague Convention Committee for the USA Chapter of the IAFL.
With over twenty years experience advocating for clients in and out of the courtroom, Ms. Arnold is frequently invited to speak locally and nationally on a wide range of family law topics including advanced seminars on complex property division, discovery tactics, trial techniques, third party custody as well as interstate and international family law and mediation. Ms. Arnold has also published numerous articles on interstate and international family law including authoring the “Interstate and International Jurisdiction and Custody Issues” chapter for the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Minnesota Custody and Child Support Deskbook.
Ms. Arnold volunteers for the Tubman Law Clinic and the Ramsey County Pro Se Clinic. Ms. Arnold is a member of the U.S. State Department’s Hague Attorney Network and also serves as a mentor attorney for the Hague Attorney Network.
Admissions
1997 Minnesota Supreme Court
2004 U.S. District Court District of Minnesota
Rule 114 Qualified Neutral for Facilitative Family Law Mediation in Minnesota
Education
University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, MN
J.D. (1997)
Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court
Winter/Spring 1996, Université Jean Moulin, Lyon, France
University of Minnesota, Department of French and Italian, Minneapolis, MN
M.A. French (1992) Related Field: Art History
Université de Savoie, Chambéry, France
Maîtrise de Lettres Modernes: certificat en linguistique (French Master’s degree in linguistics) (1990)
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
B.A. French, Minor: Linguistics (1988)
Classes / Seminars Taught
Family Law Series: Child Custody Deskbook, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 2022
“Interstate and International Jurisdiction”
Family Law Series: Divorce Deskbook, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 2021
“Interstate and International Custody”
Hennepin County Bar Association
Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 2021
“Topics in International Family Law”
Olmsted County Bar - Family Law Section
Speaker • May 2021
“Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act”
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2020
“Top Tips for Interstate and International Cases: COVID Edition”
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 2020
“The Complete Family Lawyer: Interstate and International Issues”
ABA Section of Family Law
Speaker • National Webcast, October 2019
“Family Dispute Mediation in State and Federal Courts”
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 2019
“Appointing, Maintaining, and Removing a Parenting Consultant”
ABA Section of Family Law Conference
Speaker • Dominican Republic, May 2019
“This Case Will Never Settle!: A Paradigm for Successful Mediation of Family Disputes in State and Federal Courts”
ABA Section of Family Law Conference
Moderator • American Bar Association, Dominican Republic, May 2019
“Bringing Orders Across Borders: Planning for International Recognition and Enforcement”
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, Family Law Institute
Co-Speaker • St. Paul, Minnesota, March 2018
“Interstate and International Parental Child Abduction”
Interstate and Family Law Series: Minnesota Continuing Legal Education International Custody
Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2017
“Interstate and International Custody”
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) 54th Annual Conference
Co-Speaker • Boston, Massachusetts, June 2017
"Parenting Plans in International Cases"
Family Law Series: Child Custody Deskbook, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2016
"Interstate and International Issues"
Ramsey County Bar Association, Family Law Section CLE
Speaker • St. Paul, Minnesota, November 2016
"International Divorce and Child Custody"
Family Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
Speaker • St. Paul, Minnesota, March 2016
"Interstate and International Issues"
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2015
"The Complete Family Lawyer: Interstate and International Issues"
ABA Section of International Law
Co-Speaker • Washington, D.C., November 2015
"International Family Mediator Training: Language Barrier"
ABA Section of International Law
Co-Speaker • Washington, D.C., November 2015
"International Family Mediator Training: Agreement Drafting and Enforcement"
NBI, Inc.
Speaker • National Teleconference, June 2015
"Interstate Custody and Visitation Issues: UCCJEA and PKPA"
NBI, Inc.
Speaker • National Webcast, March 2015
"Advanced Issues In Divorce: Trouble Shooting Marriage Dissolution Issues"
Olmsted County Bar – Family Law Section
Speaker • March 2015
"Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act"
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
Co-Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2014
"Advanced Family Law 2014: Hot Topics in Interstate and International Family Law: Relocation, Abduction, and the Enforcement of Support Orders and Property Division"
Legal Publications
Chapter 11: The Complete Family Lawyer: Interstate and International Issues
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, Minneapolis, Minnesota • November 2015
Interstate and International Jurisdiction and Custody Issues
Minnesota Custody and Child Support Deskbook, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education • October 2011, updated through 2022
Advanced Family Law 2014: Hot Topics in Interstate and International Family Law: Relocation, Abduction, and the Enforcement of Support Orders and Property Division
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, Minneapolis, Minnesota • November 2014
Child Custody Procedures: Form by Form – Discovery
Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • 2013
Child Custody Procedures: Form by Form – PreTrial and Trial
Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • 2013
Family Law 50: Interstate and International
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education • November 2012
Complex Child Custody and Support Issues In Divorce: UCCJEA and UIFSA
Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • August 2012
Legal Guide to Interstate Divorce Proceedings
Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • April 2012
Evidence Tactics in Divorce: Witness Testimony
Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • 2011
Child Custody and Support in Interstate Divorce: UCCJEA and UIFSA
Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • 2011
Innovations in Resolving International Family Law Cases in Tough Economic Times
Minnesota State Bar Association, Family Law Forum • Winter 2010/11, Volume 19, No. 1.
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction
Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • 2010
Interstate & International Civil and Criminal Remedies to Parents of Children Who Have Been Kidnapped
Minnesota State Bar Association, Family Law Forum, Volume 17, No. 1, co-author Scott Rodman • Fall 2008
Interstate and International Jurisdiction and Custody Issues
Minnesota Custody and Child Support Deskbook, Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • September 2006
International Parental Child Abduction
Bench & Bar, Volume LXI Number XI, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • December 2004
Interpreting and the Law
Ramsey County Bar Association Barrister, co-author Bruce T. Downing, Ph.D. • February 2003
International Custody Jurisdiction: The Hague Convention
Minnesota State Bar Association Family Law Forum, Volume 12, No. 3, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • Spring 2002
Preventing Parental Kidnapping: Jurisdictional and Enforcement Issues
Minnesota State Bar Association Family Law Forum, Volume 12, No. 3, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • Spring 2002
Determining Child Custody Across Jurisdictions
Bench & Bar, Volume LVI Number XI, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • December 1999
Parental Kidnapping and Child Safety: Current Case Law Trends
MILE Seminar, Bloomington, MN, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • April 1999
Professional Associations & Memberships
International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)
Member, The Committee on Hague Conventions (USA Chapter of IAML)
Board of Directors, AFCC
Minnesota Chapter (May 2009 to April 2013)
Warren E. Burger Inn of Court
Co-Chair, Ramsey County Bar Association CLE Oversight Committee
St. Paul, MN (August 2002 – May 2006)
