Castleton Family Lawyers

Axel R. Cerny grew up in the DuPage County community, attending Wheaton Academy in West Chicago. Following graduation in 2006, Axel attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications/ Journalism studies in 2010. From there, Axel returned to the area to study at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree in 2013, and after passing the bar exam was promptly hired to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office as an Assistant State’s Attorney. There he worked for two years under DuPage County State’s Attorney, Bob Berlin, prosecuting...

Margaret M. O'Connell is a Senior Partner at A. Traub & Associates. Margaret practices in all areas of family, criminal, traffic, and expungement law, and is a court-approved Guardian ad litem in DuPage, Kane and Kendall County. Margaret is a graduate of Bradley University 1986 and the John Marshall Law School 1991.

Margaret worked as an Assistant State's Attorney in DuPage County from 1991 to 1996. During her tenure as an Assistant State's Attorney, Margaret prosecuted cases involving domestic violence, child abuse, felonies, and misdemeanors. From 1996 to 2003, Margaret was a Senior Assistant Attorney General. During her tenure as a...

Mr. Estes, partner at Stogsdill Law Firm, P.C. is a trial attorney who has successfully tried several custody cases in parentage and dissolution proceedings that ultimately resulted in the award of sole custody of minors to the parent which Mr. Estes represented. He has successfully vacated several Judgments for Dissolution of Marriage due to fraud, unconscionability, and coercion. Mr. Estes vigorously advocates the position of his clients in complicated custody and visitation cases. Mr. Estes also adeptly untangles complex financial facts to maximize the benefits for his clients both at trial and in settlement negotiations. Mr. Estes has tried successfully...

Christopher J. Zaruba joined The Stogsdill Law Firm, P.C. in June of 2014. Prior to that, Chris was an Assistant State's Attorney at the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office from 2009-2014. Chris began his career at the State's Attorney's office handling traffic and misdemeanor offenses, including DUI's, orders of protection, and domestic batteries. In 2012, Chris received the Outstanding Misdemeanor Prosecutor of the Year award. He was promoted to the Felony Juvenile Division where he worked closely with DCFS in handling cases involving abused or neglected children. After working in the Juvenile Division, Chris was again promoted to the Felony...

Since joining The Stogsdill Law Firm, P.C. in 2000, Mr. Smit has remained committed to providing his clients with the client first attention to detail along with the knowledge and experience required to accomplish the client's desired outcome. Mr. Smit approaches each individual client with the understanding that it is very important to actually listen to the client and reach a consensus as to what they can expect from the given situation.

Mr. Smit obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Western Illinois University in 1994. Mr. Smit then went on to graduate from the John Marshall...

Mr. Boyd graduated from John Marshall Law School in 1975 and immediately began working for the DuPage County Public Defender's Office where he remained as a felony trial attorney for 10 years. During that period of time, Mr. Boyd also established a successful family law practice. In 1995, Mr. Boyd joined The Stogsdill Law Firm, P.C. as a trial attorney specializing in complex financial matters and custody trials. He has tried more than 150 domestic relations cases involving issues of business valuations, complex financial structures and custody and modification of custody issues.

Thirty-five years of being an effective litigator and dogged...

A trusted and highly experienced attorney, Joseph M. Laraia is a representative in the courts of DuPage, Kane, and Will Counties in Illinois. Mr. Laraia has been a trial attorney for more than 48 years and takes pride in serving clients in both criminal and civil cases. When Mr. Laraia first started our law firm back in 1966, attorneys had to be versatile enough to represent clients in all types of legal cases. Because of this experience, he has been successful in cases ranging from traffic violations to capital murder, as well as in family law and business litigation.
Experience Makes...

Michael T. Sanderson joined Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella, LLC in August of 2021, where he practices in the areas of family law, civil litigation, employment law, personal injury law, including medical malpractice cases, and Veteran’s rights. Prior to joining MKFM, Michael worked as an Assistant Regional Counsel for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, where he defended the agency in claims of employment discrimination and medical malpractice as well as administrative actions involving nursing homes and medical providers/suppliers. Michael began working in family law while still attending law school through his work with several Chicago-based law firms. He...

Brian Nigohosian is known as a skilled litigator who is able to direct his clients towards a successful resolution of their cases. He works hard to establish trust based relationships with each client, and provides the guidance necessary to get them to their goal. He employs an approach that provides his clients with the maximum amount of information with which to make an informed decision. While the majority of cases result in a settlement, he has found that the best approach is to prepare each case thoroughly, thereby placing his clients in a strong position to settle, or if necessary,...

Since joining The Stogsdill Law Firm, P.C. in 2006, Mr. Williamson has worked exclusively in the field of matrimonial law. Mr. Williamson is dedicated to providing his clients, no matter the issue, with the experience and knowledge necessary to bring their case to a positive resolution. Mr. Williamson has successfully negotiated settlements and/or litigated issues involving complex financial matters, custody, support, and division of property. Mr. Williamson has also successfully negotiated custody/financial settlements as they relate to paternity actions.

Mr. Williamson is also the general counsel and associate board president of Griffith Tutoring. Griffith Tutoring is a non-profit organization preparing at-risk...

Bradley R. Kaye (“Brad”) is a licensed attorney concentrating in the areas of divorce, post-decree issues, estate planning, and criminal law. Brad is based in the Schaumburg office of Anderson & Associates, P.C., and handles cases primarily in Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will counties.

Mr. Reeder fights for his clients bringing over 15 years of defending persons charged with violating the law to serve his clients. Mr. Reeder is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and has a Bachelor of Arts in History and Philosophy. Mr. Reeder coached youth football for five years, participated in the American Pool Association, and founded a charity softball games between attorneys and the police department in Joliet which helped raise almost $3000.00 to help feed children in Will County.

Mr. Reeder served five years as an Assistant Public Defender in Will County at the felony,...

We help people throughout the greater Quad Cities area, including Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Davenport, Bettendorf, and surrounding areas. For a free personal injury, criminal defense, or family law case evaluation, please call (563) 265-1714.

I have been a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois since 2003. I began my legal career as a an Assistant State's Attorney in the County of Kendall, State of Illinois. In 2007 I opened my private practice and have successfully represented hundreds of clients in matters ranging from criminal defense to various family law issues, including divorce. I have a unique perspective in criminal defense from my experience in criminal prosecution. I believe that in order to successfully represent client's in criminal and family law matters one must know what the available options are, have a very thorough...

Robert F. Kramer received his law decree from Northern Illinois University and has been licensed to practice law in Illinois since 1993. He opened The Law Offices of Robert F. Kramer, Ltd. in 1997, in Plainfield, Illinois and now has offices in Will and DuPage Counties. Mr. Kramer has over 20 years of experience representing clients in divorce and family law matters. He is an experienced trial attorney who has litigated numerous child custody cases, complex marital estate and support cases and has helped over one thousand people with their legal matters. He attributes his firm's...

Since entering private practice, Attorney Smith has maintained a general practice with a concentration in family law. He has been a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and Winnebago County Bar Association for over forty years each. Attorney Smith is currently a member of the family law section of each of these associations. He is currently on an advisory panel for the American Bar Association. He has been a presenter to other attorneys locally on family law and child related topics.

For over forty years Attorney Michael J. Smith has provided experienced family law representation. Family law...

Monica P. Patankar is a partner with the law firm of Patankar Law P.C. Monica takes a compassionate approach to helping clients solve their legal issues. She listens to each story carefully and understands that no two issues are alike. Monica's legal training and experience have prepared her to handle your legal needs. Monica gained her legal knowledge at University of Notre Dame Law School in Notre Dame, Indiana. Upon graduation, Monica worked for a large law firm, Chapman and Cutler LLP in Chicago, Illinois. At Chapman, Monica worked with large municipalities and other governmental entities to raise capital for large...

Rachel graduated magna cum laude from the North Carolina Central University School of Law. She was the Editor-in-Chief of the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Law Review, for which she was awarded the Judge Herbert L. Richardson Award for her outstanding service. Throughout law school, Rachel worked with the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Legal Aid of North Carolina, and the Law Offices of Ann Marie Vosburg. While with the Federal Public Defender’s Office, Rachel assisted in gaining the voluntary dismissal of a case against an individual who had been wrongfully civilly committed for...

Julia A. Pucci, managing partner with Pucci Pirtle, focuses her practice in the areas of divorce and custody litigation. Ms. Pucci attended Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois where she received a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Sociology and Political Science. Ms. Pucci subsequently earned her Juris Doctor from St. Louis University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri. During her law school career, Julia taught legal research and writing as a teaching assistant and was also active in the mediation clinic where she obtained her mediation certification. As a certified mediator, she mediated court-ordered child custody matters and...

Steven H. Mevorah is the founder of Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices and began his practice in 1979. Mr. Mevorah brings significant experience to bear in achieving positive results for his clients. With offices in Lombard, Bloomingdale, and Naperville (by appointment only), Mr. Mevorah makes his practice accessible to all of those in need throughout the Chicagoland area and surrounding counties. Since the firm's inception, Mr. Mevorah has been committed to building a practice made up of attorneys who share his vision and dedication to offering clients the best legal advice and advocacy combined with unparalleled service. Taking an...

Nancy Kasko earned her Bachelor Degree from Northern Illinois in Finance. Early in her career Ms. Kasko worked in the finance industry for Fortune 500 companies such as Hewlett Packard and Westinghouse Electric. Yearning for a career in law, like her mother before her, Ms. Kasko returned to school to fulfill her ambition and earn her law degree.

Ms. Kasko attended The John Marshall Law School in Chicago where she attained her Juris Doctorate. During law school, Ms. Kasko was a teaching assistant at the John Marshall Law School and was a paralegal with Davi Law Group, LLC in Wheaton. Upon...

Ben Schneider is a client focused which means that it is important to him to cultivate a personal relationship with each of his clients. By doing this, he is able to give each new client’s case individual attention and analyze every legal issue thoroughly and completely.

Ben Schneider acts as the one of the principal bankruptcy attorneys for Schneider & Stone where he focuses on individual Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filings as well as business Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 filings. Ben also practices in the areas of family law and litigation and is the point attorney for divorce and...

I have dedicated my practice to family law matters since 2007. I am a certified mediator and a fellow of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois. I help people who want to work through their uncontested divorce with the guidance of legal counsel so they get it right the first time. I work diligently and efficiently to help my clients obtain the best possible outcome in their cases.

I am an experienced, client-focused, compassionate family law attorney. Please contact me today to discuss your legal needs at 630.665.7676. I practice family law in Cook, DuPage and surrounding counties.

I grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and my J.D. from DePaul College of Law. I began my legal career as a defense litigation paralegal at Swanson, Martin, and Bell, LLP prior to law school. I received a Child and Family Law Fellows award from the Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family...

Ms. Pirtle uses her extensive knowledge in helping each and every client find a solution that is tailored to his or her circumstances while also exhibiting strong advocacy in the courtroom. She understands that not every case is a trial case nor can every case be kept out of the courtroom. Whether your needs are getting through a tough situation now or planning to avoid tough situations in the future, Ms. Pirtle can help you achieve your goals. Practice Areas • Divorce • High Asset Divorce • Maintenance & Alimony • Child Custody & Child Support • Prenuptial Agreements • Family Law • Residential Real Estate Bar Admissions Education...

A graduate of University of Illinois and DePaul University College of Law, Attorney Anthony Abear has been practicing law for almost two decades. He began his legal career in the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. A former felony prosecutor, Mr. Abear gained valuable experience in investigative interviewing and litigation.

In 2003, Mr. Abear established his own firm, Abear Law Offices, which is dedicated to family law matters. Mr. Abear brings the skill set of a prosecutor into his family law practice. He offers clients aggressive representation and is not afraid to go to court to argue on his clients’ behalf. ...

Raleigh is the Past President of the DuPage County Association of Women Lawyers, the Past President and a current Board Member of the DuPage County Bar Foundation, a Past-Editor-In-Chief and current Editor for the DCBA Brief Magazine and a member of the following organizations: DuPage County Bar Association including the Family Law Committee, and Illinois State Bar Association. Raleigh received her Bachelor of Science from Purdue University in 1993 and graduated from Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2001. Raleigh is a solo practitioner in Wheaton, IL. The firm handles matters in Wheaton, Kendall, Kane, Will, DeKalb, and...

Jeffrey S. Keller founded his law firm in 1994. Mr. Keller concentrates his practice in the following main areas: Litigation, Divorce/Family Law, Real Estate, and Business Law.

Chuck’s law practice includes both family law and civil litigation. Equally at home in divorce court as he is in front of a jury protecting his clients' rights, Chuck enjoys the challenges which arise from doing both kinds of work.

Chuck is proud of his appointment as a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Academy Fellows are widely recognized by judges and attorneys as preeminent family law practitioners with the highest level of knowledge, skill, and integrity.

There is no substitute for preparation, and a great deal of Chuck’s daily schedule includes meetings with clients and staff. Availability to clients...

At Forkan Law, we provide affordable, effective and personalized legal counsel and representation in the areas of bankruptcy law, criminal defense, divorce and real estate law. With offices in Burr Ridge and Chicago, we serve clients throughout the greater Chicago area of Illinois.

Attorney Timothy Weiler is a Partner with Weiler & Associates, Inc. concentrating his practice in family law. He is a graduate of the American Bar Association Section of Family Law National Institute for Trial Advocacy as well as the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Institute for Family Law Associates. Tim has been a featured speaker at several Kane County Bar events. He also argued, and won, In re Marriage of Tiballi before the Illinois Supreme Court. Tim received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Iowa in 2002. He received his Juris Doctor in 2012 from the...

Nrupa Patel joined the BRE Law team as a partner in June of 2017. Nrupa is an experienced litigator, having served as a Macon County prosecutor for four years. During her time there, she handled a variety of matters, including: felonies, traffic cases, domestic batteries, and juvenile delinquencies.

Utilizing and leveraging her previous experience and knowledge of the criminal justice system, Nrupa primarily practices criminal defense and family law at BRE Law. Nrupa is multilingual, giving her the unique ability to assist clients in Spanish, Hindi, and Gujarati.

Nrupa is a native of the Chicago suburbs. After graduating from high school, she...

Josette Allen obtained her bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) in 1989 and her Juris Doctorate from Indiana University (Bloomington, IN) in 1992.

Ms. Allen concentrates her law practice in the area of family law. She has extensive experience in the area of family law which includes pretrial discovery, motion practice, contested hearings, and trials. She can handle complex family law litigation involving children and/or finances, whether it is pre or post-Judgment. Prior to joining Momkus LLC, Ms. Allen owned and operated her own law practice.

Ms. Allen’s legal experience is diverse and widespread as it relates to representing...

Jon Erickson, known formally as Jonathan Parker Erickson, is a Decatur native and attended Decatur public schools through 12th grade. He graduated from Eisenhower High School in 1991 and completed his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice Sciences at Illinois State University in 1995. He received his Juris Doctorate from Southern Illinois University in 1999. He was admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois in 2000.

Jon worked as an Assistant State's Attorney for Macon County from Spring 2000 until December 2000 at which time...

Otto S. Hurtado is an experienced family law attorney. He is certified as a Family Law Mediator and Guardian ad Litem. Mr. Hurtado is a Graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and earned his Juris Doctorate from Northern Illinois, College of Law. Mr. Hurtado is actively involved in the Kane County Bar Association, participating in various activities such as, Ask A Lawyer Day, Lawyer in the Library, volunteer Judge for Mock Trial Competitions, and as a participate the Guardian Ad Litem training. Mr. Hurtado understands that no two cases are alike, and believes in tailoring services specifically for...

Attorney Robert (Bob) Canfield was born and raised in Rockford, IL. He graduated from Guilford High School in 1965. After joining the Army in February of 1968, he went on to Army flight school and graduated 2nd in his flight class. He spent a year in Vietnam flying CH-47 Chinook helicopters for the 101st Airborne Division and then returned to Fort Rucker, Alabama, as an Instrument Flight Instructor.

Following active Duty, he attended the University of Minnesota where he received his BA in psychology in 1976 and his Law degree in 1978. After taking and passing both the...

I'm a trial attorney with extensive courtroom experience. I also teach college classes as an adjunct professor in areas such as criminal law, criminal procedure, business law, business ethics and corrections.

My primary practice focus is family law and domestic relations litigation. My secondary areas of concentration include estate planning and probate.

* 2018 SuperLawyers Top 2.5% Rising Star
* 2018 National Advocates Top 40 Under 40 Attorneys in Illinois in Matrimonial and Family Law
* 2018 Recognized as one of the "Ten Best" Family Law Attorneys in Illinois by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys (AIOFLA)

Michael R. Nichols was born and raised in Galesburg, IL. Michael Received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing from Southern Illinois University. He then received his Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University College of Law. At NIU Law Michael graduated with honors and was a leader within the Professionalism and Ethics Society, while also working as a graduate assistant.

Michael approaches everyday in a positive manner with the sense of urgency that is required to produce an optimal result for his clients. Michael understands the importance of each individual case and enjoys walking his clients through every step in the...