Kirkland Family Lawyers

Thomas has over 22 years of experience serving clients with respect and compassion in family law and real estate purchases and sales. Thomas has the experience and skill to handle both complex and more routine matters. He comes from a divorced family, which inspired him to become a family law attorney, Guardian ad Litem and mediator so he can help other families who are facing these similar difficult experiences. Thomas is also divorced with two children from his previous marriage and is remarried with a step-daughter, and these experiences help him understand and advocate for his clients in matters including...

Mr. Benison earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago. While attending Law School, Mr. Benison achieved the JMLS best oralist award for his participation in the 2L Herzog Moot Court Competition. He was selected for a student externship with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office during his final year of law school. Prior to entering Law School, Mr. Benison was in private practice as an accountant, working with local business in Northern Illinois. In his free time, Mr. Benison enjoys spending time with his wife, Erika, and their three children.

Carin Brio started her practice at one of the largest real estate law firms in the State of Massachusetts as one of a handful of associates who represented clients in over 200 real estate cases every month. Since then, she has added estate planning, probate, family law, and other areas of law to her practice and helped hundreds of clients with the legal matters that are important to them. Now based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, Carin and her staff work diligently on their cases - whether it is a contested divorce case, setting up a trust for your family, or...

Brandy Wisher primarily practices family law, representing clients in all aspects of domestic relations proceedings, including dissolution of marriage, legal separation, property distribution, maintenance and spousal support, the allocation of parental responsibilities, child support and college expenses, post-dissolution enforcement and modification proceedings, and parentage actions. Brandy counsels her clients with knowledge and compassion throughout all stages of their cases, including during settlement negotiations and at court appearances and in other adversarial settings throughout litigation.


Brandy has been an Associate Attorney with the Law Office of Miriam Cooper & Associates, LLC since April 2016. Brandy received her Juris Doctor degree from...

As a dedicated attorney in Chicago, I provide strategic legal solutions across a broad range of practice areas. With a keen eye for detail, efficiency, and results, I approach each case with a practical mindset—cutting through complexity to deliver real, actionable solutions for my clients. I pride myself on being approachable yet relentless, ensuring my clients feel informed and empowered while I aggressively advocate on their behalf. Whether handling intricate financial matters, navigating litigation, or tackling complex negotiations, I bring a blend of sharp legal acumen and creative problem-solving to the table. Beyond the courtroom, I’m committed to staying ahead of the...

Since 1986 practices exclusively family law matters including divorce, alimony, custody, support, paternity, and adoption cases. He has handled cases in Cook and Lake counties in the trial courts and the appellate court. Mr. Schlesinger is a 25+year member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He has served on its Admissions Committee, its Board of Directors, and as Vice President.

Michael Strauss practices only family law since being admitted to the Illinois Bar. Michael also serves as a mediator and as a Child Representative or Guardian Ad Litem. Michael is a Rising Star in the area of Family Law by Super Lawyers Magazine in 2014 and 2015, a designation reserved for the top 2.5% of all Illinois attorneys under 40. The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin/Chicago Lawyer Magazine recognized Michael as one of the most talented up and coming young lawyers in Illinois, with his selection to the 40 Under Forty 2014 list. Michael is one of only two attorneys...

Mr. Montemayor has experience in both criminal and family law. Mr. Montemayor has experience representing a wide-range of clients, from working class families to professional athletes. Mr. Montemayor brings the same level of tenacity and compassion to each one of his cases. Mr. Montemayor finds pride in being able to assist his clients through what feels like the most difficult time of their life.

Gregory Jumbeck was admitted in 2003 to practice law in the State of Illinois. He focuses his practice in the area of domestic relations. Gregory centralizes his practice to Will and Grundy Counties as well as the Illinos appellate courts. Mr. Jumbeck has tried numerous pre and post-decree cases including child custody (aka allocation of parental responsibilities), removal from Illinois, business valuation, child support, and maintenance. Gregory focuses on reaching a favorable and equitable result for all parties involved. Gregory's courtroom presence makes him an effective litigator both in and out of the courtroom. Originally from the southwest suburbs...

Oren Graupe has a deep and diverse legal background, which includes experience in plaintiff’s personal injury, commercial litigation, residential real estate, estate planning, bankruptcy, criminal defense, and family law.

Oren regularly handles all aspects of family law and domestic relations, including: pre and post nuptial agreements, non-contested low-cost divorces, complex child related issues, business valuation, support, post-decree, paternity, and alternative dispute resolution. He strives to be available for his clients. Oren combines an aggressive, straightforward approach with an ability to make difficult topics easier to access.

In addition to litigation, Oren recognizes that many clients want and need swift resolution to...

Miriam E. Cooper is the founder of the Law Office of Miriam Cooper & Associates, LLC, a law firm based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Ms. Cooper provides legal services throughout the Greater Chicagoland area. Her primary focus is family law, including divorce, child support and allocation of decision-making and parenting time, spousal support, and post-decree modifications. She also provides real estate services complementary to her practice. Ms. Cooper graduated from The John Marshall Law School and has been practicing family law in Illinois for nearly 30 years. She is an advocate for children’s best interests and serves as a certified...

James Kelly has practiced in the areas of divorce and bankruptcy for 21 years. The Law offices of James M. Kelly handles and enjoys complex cases and trial work. Divorce work, especially trial work, requires a certain competency that not all attorney's have. Regardless of your particular fact pattern you can be sure that that the Law Offices of James M. Kelly will handle your matter in an expeditious and professional manner. In matters involving bankruptcy and debt restructuring, the Law Offices of James M. Kelly takes all matters seriously and has an...

Chantelle A. Porter is a graduate of The Ohio State University (2003) and graduated from DePaul University College of Law (2006). Chantelle was admitted to practice in 2006. While at DePaul University College of Law, Chantelle received her Family Law Certificate and was the recipient of the Public Interest Law Association Grant - Judge Jeffrey Coman Designation, the Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center Grant, and the Dean's Scholarship.

Chantelle is a Partner at A. Traub and Associates, practicing all areas of Family Law, Juvenile Criminal Defense, DCFS Abuse and Neglect, Domestic Violence, Orders of Protection, and Civil Litigation Defense....

Since 2012, Anthony Vechiola has chosen to concentrate his practice in matters related to family law. Mr. Vechiola’s unique financial background combined with many years in the family law industry provide him a competitive advantage to resolve a divorce or family law matter, either in or out of court. In 2016, Mr. Vechiola earned a certification as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst from the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. In 2019, Mr. Vechiola was designated a Certified Financial Litigator by the American Academy of Certified Financial Litigators. Mr. Vechiola has also received several awards throughout his legal career. Personal Statement My...

Andrew believes in the simple premise of providing clients with high-quality legal services and individualized attention. For many years, that philosophy has driven the Andrew’s approach to helping clients with not only their professional legal needs, but their personal ones as well. Andrew concentrates his practice in Family Law, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Probate, Business Development, Business Litigation, and Civil Litigation. His experience has taught him to zealously represent on behalf of his clients and recognize their needs for the present and future. Andrew works with individuals and families in the Greater Chicago Area including Barrington, Arlington Heights, Lake Zurich, Hoffman Estates, Bartlett,...

An experienced trial attorney, Michelle G. Wiejaczka excels in helping individuals and families who need assistance with legal issues and representation. Recognized for her work in dispute resolution, collaborative law and cooperative problem solving, she is often appointed by the Court to serve as a mediator. Michelle is trained in Collaborative Law and periodically presides over cases that are assigned to mandatory arbitration. A former Assistant State’s Attorney (McHenry County) for almost nine years, she entered private practice in 1994, and founded Wiejaczka Law in 2005. Michelle graduated with High Honors from Southern Illinois University and...

Mark D. Brent is a native of Aurora. He graduated with honors (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Illinois in 1988, and the University of Illinois College Of Law in 1991. Mark spent several years doing major tort and insurance litigation with Williams and Montgomery in Chicago. He began his focus on Domestic Relations and Family Law in 1997 in Aurora. Mark is well-versed in all areas of family law, and family law is Mark's primary focus. Mark is an aggressive advocate for family law clients, handling all types of cases, with a focus on high-conflict issues, custody...

have been a licensed attorney and practicing attorney since 1995. Although I have practiced in Kane, DuPage and Cook counties, I currently limit my practice to McHenry County. I focus on issues affecting families and represent spouses, parents, children and disabled adults in divorce, post decree, paternity, adoption, juvenile, probate and guardianship matters. I am a trained Guardian ad Litem and Child’s Representative and appointed by the court in divorce or probate matters. I am also a trained Collaborative Attorney and mediator. Although I no longer accept court appointments for mediation, I use these skills in my roles as negotiator,...

When he was in high school, Jeff sensed that he was destined to be an attorney. For example, after receiving his results from an exam in his Spanish class, and then further confronting his teacher about the test, Jeff’s instructor told him, “you should be a lawyer…you want to argue about everything.” Jeff’s parents, when told of the advice that he had received that morning, tended to agree and offered the same advice, in that they had the same type of experiences as Jeff’s Spanish teacher; from “arguing” about what time to go to bed, to what time curfew was,...

Attorneys Paulette M. Gray and Robert L. Gray are the principal attorneys at Gray & Gray LLC located in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Attorney Paulette M. Gray is a Past President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Paulette continues to be active in the Illinois Chapter of the AAML having served as an Officer within the Chapter as well as being on its Board of Managers for several years. She previously served as Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Council (2008-09) during which time she testified in Springfield in...

For more than 20 years, I have provided strong representation to people in DuPage County, Cook County and the surrounding parts of Illinois. My practice is focused solely on family law, and my experience and depth of knowledge allows me to handle the most challenging cases involving divorce, child custody, child support, property division and other issues. Mary is among a very elite group of attorneys who have received the Martindale-Hubbell "Client Distinction Award", both in 2015 and 2016. Less than 1% of the nation's 900,000 plus attorneys earn this honor. While I understand that you do not necessarily...

Simply put, experience matters. When you are facing a serious legal matter, you want to know that the attorney representing your interests knows what to expect and how to build an effective legal strategy. I am a seasoned lawyer in family law, and have a proven track record in court. Clients come to me because of my ability, knowledge of the law and the level of individualized services I provide for my clients. I am very proud of the fact that most of my business comes from client referrals which is the best compliment and "review" a lawyer can...

Kane County lawyer, Susan D. Shivers, has been practicing law for over 27 years. Susan received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University (with a double major in Psychology and English) and her Law degree, with Honors, from The John Marshall Law School. Susan is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Van A. Larson is the President of and principal/sole attorney at the Law Office of Van A. Larson, P.C. in downtown Batavia, Illinois. Van received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and later received his Juris Doctorate from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. Van A. Larson was admitted to the Illinois Bar and the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois in 1978. Since then, he has gained more than 35 years of litigation experience in nearly all courts throughout Kane, Kendall, DuPage and DeKalb counties. Van’s career began...

Since his first days of law school, Jordan R. Byhring has been dedicated to making a difference in his community by counseling individuals and corporations in need of an experienced litigator in their corner. As an attorney who has practiced in state courts, federal courts, and administrative agencies on matters related to civil litigation, he exhibits honesty, thoughtfulness, and tenacity at every stage of a family law matter. Previously, Jordan has provided legal assistance to not only large corporations to defend their interests in complex tort cases, but also to individuals, including on cases related to food poisoning, automobile accident,...

Ms. Niedermeyer was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2005. She has over nine and half years of experience working as a family law attorney. Ms. Niedermeyer is also a certified family law mediator. Ms. Niedermeyer is very empathetic to her clients and understands the need to communicate regularly and effectively with them during a difficult time in their lives. She often receives referrals from local domestic violence shelters as she is well respected for her legal knowledge and ability to effectively handle all aspects of family law matters, including domestic violence cases.

Ms. Niedermeyer grew up in Cary, Illinois and...

Upon graduating from law school, Mr. Tabor was first employed as a criminal prosecutor and subsequently as an assistant public defender where he conducted numerous hearings and trials, both bench and jury. Practicing on both sides of criminal law gave Mr. Tabor a unique perspective on analyzing factual scenarios in an objective manner. In 2000, he began practicing Family Law on a full time basis and has remained doing so ever since. In 2003 he founded Tabor Law Offices, and since that time he has become an experienced family law practitioner and mediator. Mr. Tabor...

Robert Medansky is an experienced Divorce and Family Law Attorney providing clients and their families throughout Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, and McHenry Counties in Illinois with quality guidance and legal representation. He is a skilled negotiator and accomplished trial attorney who is widely recognized and respected for his integrity and vigorous advocacy to protect his client’s rights and interests. Since 1986, Mr. Medansky has successfully represented numerous clients in complex financial and high-conflict divorce matters. He approaches every family law matter with compassion, integrity, and a focus on personal service. As a skilled negotiator, he takes a strategic...

I received by Undergraduate Degree from the University of Michigan in 1989, and my Law Degree from DePaul University College of Law in 1993. I have practiced law in Illinois since 1993. I opened my own practice in 2012, with a focus on family law/divorce, personal bankruptcy, and foreclosure defense. I have a common sense and non-adversarial approach to my cases. I attempt to resolve cases quickly and efficiently, keeping the cost as low as possible, while still working to ensure that my client’s rights are fully protected. I also believe in being honest with each client...

Debra J. Braselton is an experienced family law attorney with a unique background and a career built around families. Debra's first career was as a certified nurse midwife at a large teaching hospital in Chicago. During her career as a nurse midwife, Debra gained a wealth of knowledge and experience with families, particularly with families in crisis. Debra's clients benefit from her experience and enjoy her unique sensitivity to the personal nature of their family law matters. Debra handles cases involving divorce, custody, visitation, domestic violence, guardianship, and adoption in Cook, Dupage, Kane, and surrounding counties. She is adept at counseling...

Providing Bankruptcy and Family law services throughout the Chicago area since 1998.

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcies.

Divorce, custody, visitation, child support, etc.