Megan Yates

Attorney & Mediator

Transition and re-organization are the hallmarks of my upbringing. Being on the cusp of a new beginning can be intimidating and anxiety-filled and exciting and exhilarating…all at the same time, felt in concert, or experienced on a continuum on which ones travels back and forth many times. Either way, I get it. And it’s my goal to help guide families through times of adjustment and transformation.

I am an Attorney and Partner here at Ousky Yates Law Office (“OYLO” for short). I was born in Orlando, Florida, and after meandering my way across the country with my family, landed in Minnesota. Despite living in Minnesota for over 20 years, I still adamantly maintain my status as a “Minnesotan, kinda sorta.” However, I married a cool guy I refer to as a “hardcore Minnesotan”, and as such have come to peace with the fact that a winter parka will forever be an essential piece of my winter wardrobe.

When I’m not at the office, I can be found managing the never-ending craziness created by my spunky, spirited, sassy 9-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son. Add in an aging, obstinate Labrador, a husband who owns his own small business, and a batch of wonderful in-laws who live down the street, my life is pretty full. And I like it that way.

I have a knack for sifting through overwhelming and confusing situations and for focusing in on what matters most. Indeed, it’s what I love to do. For myself, my friends and family, and for my clients. My practice focuses exclusively on family law matters, including divorce and adoption. I wholeheartedly believe that each client’s situation is unique, and therefore, process choices should be tailored to meet the specific needs of each family. As such, I help clients reach resolutions using Collaborative Law, mediation, and a variety of unbundled legal service options. I also have this freakish (or so it seems to some) common-sense approach to financial/budgeting matters and enjoy helping clients with these issues post-divorce as well.

I graduated from the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities with a degree in Family Social Science (think family psychology meets sociology) in 2007. After a brief stint in graduate school (to discover becoming a family therapist wasn’t the right fit for me), I obtained my post-baccalaureate certificate in Paralegal Studies.

After doing the paralegal thing at OLO for many years, I decided it was time for law school. However, with an 18-month old at home at the time, traditional law school wasn’t going to cut it. So, I joined the inaugural group of law students in Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s Hybrid J.D. Program, the only ABA-approved hybrid (partially online, partially on-campus) law program in the country. I graduated, magna cum laude, from Mitchell Hamline in 2018.

I am a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Collaborative Law Institute of Minnesota, and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP). I am also currently serving as the President of the Collaborative Law Institute of Minnesota. Finally, I enjoy presenting on a variety of topics related to Collaborative Law and am a frequent presenter at the Annual Networking and Educational Forum of the IACP and at Daisy Camp.

  • Chicago, IL (Oct. 26, 2020)—IACP Networking and Educational Forum—“From Core Principles to Creative Innovations: Building on the Experiences of the Past to Create and Sustain the Collaborative Practice of the Future”
  • Lansing, MI (Feb. 28, 2020)—“Purple Cows and Common Sense: Inspiration and Ideas for Sustaining a Remarkable Collaborative Practice”
  • Lake Las Vegas, NV (Oct. 26, 2017)—IACP Networking and Educational Forum—“Purple Cows and Common Sense: Inspiration and Ideas for Sustaining a Remarkable Collaborative Practice”
  • Daisy Camp—Quarterly Seminars for women facing divorce to get the support and reliable information they need on the law and process options.