Get to Know Adam Blahnik

Adam Blahnik is the founding partner at Blahnik, Prchal & Stoll, PLLC.  He focuses his law practice on family law, including divorce, child custody, child support, spousal maintenance, and complex property division. Adam also practices extensively in Tribal Court, and regularly represents clients in the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) Tribal Court. Adam has worked in the legal profession since 1999 and is well respected within the family law community.  He initially worked as a paralegal at a twin cities law firm and has been a practicing attorney since 2005.    

In addition to having his law firm in Prior Lake, Adam resides just west of Prior Lake with his wife, Terrie.  Adam is very active within his community. He has been involved with the Prior Lake Rotary Club, Prior Lake Chamber of Commerce, and is a past member of the Prior Lake Economic Advisory Committee and Prior Lake Planning Commission.  Adam is also the current Vice President of the Scott County Historical Society.

Adam teaches Junior Achievement classes to first and second graders at the public schools in Prior Lake and has judged mock trials for Minnesota high school students.  He has also taught classes on “how to start your own business” as part of the Community Education Program through the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools.

Adam Blahnik | adam@bpslawoffice.com

Adam was born in the city of Rochester, Minnesota. He grew up on a small farm with his six siblings near the town of Caledonia, Minnesota located in the far southeastern corner of Minnesota. He graduated from Caledonia High School in 1995. Adam attended post-secondary education at Mankato State University, and graduated from Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota in 1999, and received a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Paralegal major and a Political Science minor. He received his Juris Doctor degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 2005 and has been a practicing attorney since then.  He was admitted to practice law in the State of Minnesota in 2005 and is also licensed to practice before the United States District Court, District of Minnesota. Adam is also admitted to practice before various Tribal Courts located in Minnesota.

Adam is also a “qualified neutral” for family law matters in the State of Minnesota, which allows him to be a family law mediator.  Adam is on the Scott County SENE (Social Early Neutral Evaluation) and FENE (Financial Early Neutral Evaluation) rosters. Adam devotes part of his practice as a mediator in divorce, child custody, child support and other family law matters.

Adam enjoys spending time with his wife, Terrie, and their three dogs and two cats. Adam also has a small hobby farm, where he raises chickens, goats and honeybees along with a large garden. He enjoys the Minnesota outdoors.  He espouses the concepts of permaculture, which is the development of agriculture, architecture, and social systems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient – working with, rather than against nature. 

 Presentations

  • “UCCJEA Basics in Minnesota” Family Law Seminar 2008 (presentation on the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act)

  • “Gender Fairness in Family Law” Family Law Seminar 2010 (presentation on the Minnesota Supreme Court Task Force for gender fairness in the Courts)

  • “The Intersection of Family Law and Tribal Law” Minnesota Family Law Institute 2015 (established a Quick Sheet for Tribal Court Family Law Practice in Minnesota)

  • “7 Things Every Family Lawyer Should Know About Tribal Law” Minnesota Family Law Institute 2015

  • “Minnesota Family Law Revisions 2015” New Orleans Legal Conference 2015 (presentation on the legislative changes in the area of family law in 2015)

Volunteer

  • Prior Lake Rotary Club - member 2007 to present (past Board Member and President in 2012-13)

  • Scott County Historical Society - Board Member (2018 to present, current Secretary and Vice President)

  • First District Bar Association - past Board Member (Secretary/Treasurer 2013-14, Vice President 2014-15 & President 2015-16)

  • Prior Lake Chamber of Commerce - past Board Member

  • Prior Lake Economic Development Committee - past member

  • Prior Lake Planning Commission - past commissioner

  • Junior Achievement teacher in Prior Lake – 2008 to present

  • Minnesota high school mock trial judge

  • Dakota County Family Court Partner Workgroup

Memberships

  • Minnesota State Bar Association (and a member of its family law section)

  • First and Eighth District Bar Associations (which cover the counties of Dakota, Goodhue, Scott, Carver, Le Sueur, Sibley and McLeod)

  • Prior Lake Rotary Club

  • Prior Lake Chamber of Commerce

  • Scott County Historical Society

Licenses/Admissions

  • State of Minnesota

  • U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota

  • Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Tribal Court

  • Prairie Island Mdewakanton Sioux Community Tribal Court