Board Chairperson and Lead Family Law Attorney
Former Family Court Commissioner Ginger Murray offers over 25 years of family law experience to clients. As a Commissioner, Ginger presided over divorce and paternity cases in which she decided custody, placement, child support as well as abuse and harassment restraining order/injunction hearings. As legal advocate, Ginger provides competent and compassionate representation for clients with family law matters, including: adoptions for stepparents, child support, custody, divorce, grandparent's rights/guardianship, marital property/prenuptial agreements, mediation, paternity, and placement. Ginger helps many clients with diverse needs, including cordial couples seeking amicable divorces, abused clients needing their rights protected, parents wanting more time with or needing to protect children, parents being falsely accused of abuse and spouses needing to protect business interests, real estate, pension/retirement plans and other assets.
“It's a great pleasure to help clients obtain a divorce without a battle, when appropriate. In those cases, clients are generally more satisfied with the process as they have more control over the results. However, formal court proceedings are required in some cases, such as those involving alcohol/drug abuse, unequal income, or special concerns for a child. Because I have either presided over or litigated thousands of cases, I am very prepared to be as aggressive as your case demands.”
Areas of Practice
Whether through collaborative efforts (settlement conferences or mediation) or arbitration or litigation, Ginger Murray has over 25 years of experience in the following family law matters: child support, custody, divorce, grandparent’s rights/guardianship, guardian ad litem, legal separation, maintenance, mediation, modification of family orders, paternity, placement, post-judgment disputes, prenuptials, post nuptials (Marital Property Agreements), and other related family law issues.
Personal and Professional Volunteer Work
· Anti-Bullying Collaborative of Sun Prairie, Inc. (ABCofSP), Chair
· Sun Prairie High School Gymnastics Booster Club, President
· State Bar of Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation Investigator: 3rd term/Committee Chairperson
· Sun Prairie “Storm” Swim Team Board Member/Secretary
· Crandon Lion’s Club: Past President
Representative Cases
· Borrenson V. Yunto, 713 N.W.2d 656 (Wis.App. 2006): Published decision which makes it clear that when one parent is found to have intentionally and unreasonably interfered with the other parent’s court ordered placement, the court SHALL require the offending parent to pay the other parents attorney fees/costs and the guardian ad litem’s fees/costs.
Bar Admissions
· Supreme Court of the State of Wisconsin (11/20/1996)
· United States District Courts:
· Eastern District of WI (2/6/1998)
· Western District of WI (5/5/2011)
· Northern District of IL (7/1/2011)
Professional Associations, Awards and Memberships
· Martindale Hubbell Rating: AV “Preeminent” Peer Review Rated for Highest Level of Professional Excellence
· AVVO.com Rating 10.0
· Super Lawyer of Wisconsin Honoree
· Wisconsin Inter-Professional Committee on Divorce (Board Member)
· Association of Family and Conciliatory Courts, Founding Member, Board Member
· Delegate: World Congress on Family Law and Children’s Rights (2017 Dublin, Ireland)
· State Bar of Wisconsin
· Dane County Bar Association
· State Bar of Wisconsin, Family Law Section
· State Bar of Wisconsin, Children in the Law Committee (Past Chair)
· State Bar of Wisconsin, Section Leaders Counsel
· James F. Doyle Inns of Court
· Legal Association for Women
· Fellow of Wisconsin Law Foundation
Education
· Mississippi College School of Law, Jackson, Mississippi, 1995, J.D.
· University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 1992, B.A. Behavioral Science and Law, Honors: Certificate in Criminal Justice
Published Works
· Return 17-Year-Olds to Juvenile Court, Wisconsin Lawyer, June 2007
· Restraining Orders, Wisconsin Woman, August 2008
Classes/Seminars Taught
· Moderator for “As Family Court Judges See It: Top Mistakes Attorneys Make in Litigating Divorce”, National Business Institute (2015, 2016 and 2017)
· Family Law Fundamentals, Wisconsin Solo and Small Firm Conference (2012)
· Child Custody and Visitation, National Business Institute, December 2007
· Basic Divorce 101, 26th Annual Family Law Workshop, State Bar of Wisconsin, Family Law Section, August 2007
Past Employment Positions
· Forest County, Circuit Court Commissioner, 1999-2004
· Forest County, Family Court Commissioner, 1999-2004
· Oneida County, Family Court Commissioner, 2001-2004
· City of Crandon, City Attorney, 1999-2004
· Murray Law Office, General Practitioner, 1996-2004
· Lawton & Cates, SC 2004-2014 (Past President, Chairperson of the Board, and shareholder)
