Top best C Lawyers in Wheaton | 238 available

Lafata Law LLC Founder, Attorney Megan Lafata. Megan earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa and began working as a law clerk with a prominent DuPage County law firm specializing in local prosecutions, criminal defense, and family law. She was then admitted to Northern Illinois University College of Law where she discovered her passion for litigation through participating in the American Lawyer's Association Moot Court Competition as well as an internship at the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.. After graduating from Northern Illinois University College of Law, Megan began her legal career as an Assistant State's Attorney in DuPage County. Megan's hard work and ambition facilitated her advancement through the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. She worked her way from traffic and misdemeanor prosecutions to felony trial and narcotics prosecutions, handling a litany of cases including but not limited to petty traffic offenses, DUI, battery, domestic battery, orders of protection, theft, retail theft, burglary, robbery, armed robbery, and attempted murder. During her seven years at the State's Attorney's Office Megan was responsible for thousands of criminal cases and tried well over one hundred cases to verdict. This invaluable experience provides Megan with the unique opportunity to evaluate each case from the perspective of a prosecutor in order to aggressively advocate for her clients in the courtroom.. Upon leaving the State's Attorney's Office, Megan moved on to practice civil litigation at a premier insurance defense law firm in Chicago. There, Megan's case load consisted of issues involving breach of contract, negligence, premises liability, construction litigation, car accidents, and medical malpractice.. Megan is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Federal Court in the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois. When she is not advocating for her clients, Megan enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, and White Sox baseball.

Kiley M. Whitty is a licensed attorney specializing in the areas of family law, child custody, estate planning and bankruptcy in  DuPage, Kane, Will, Cook and surrounding collar counties. Ms. Whitty's practice has included cases involving divorce, post-decree conflicts, child support, custody, visitation, grandparent visitation, guardianship, appeals, loan modifications, creditor negotiations and Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. Ms. Whitty is also certified as a Guardian ad Litem in DuPage County has has been appointed by the Court to represent the best interest of a minor child.. Kiley Whitty sits on the Executive Committee for the DuPage County Bar Association as its Second Vice Presidence and was also appointed to the Planning Committee and Budget Committee. Ms. Whitty is a Past President of the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers and she is also an active member of the Illinois State Bar Association.. While in law school at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Ms. Whitty earned a certificate in Child and Family Law as well as a certificate in Advocacy which aided in her success as a litigator. She also earned the CALI Award for Legal Writing and published various articles in the Children's Legal Rights Journal and the Chicago Law Bulletin.

Judith’s practice is focused in the areas of divorce, custody, paternity, and guardianship proceedings. She is an aggressive trial attorney and persuasive negotiator with extensive experience in negotiating and litigating divorce related issues including custody, visitation, maintenance, child support, the distribution of assets and liabilities, domestic violence and orders of protection.. Judith provides her clients with focused, compassionate and individualized representation. What you have to say is important. She listens carefully to her clients, in order to provide them with practical and effective solutions. She believes in empowering and educating her clients to enable them to make informed decisions.. Judith has special experience in meeting the needs of children and working with the dynamics of families. Judith is a court certified Guardian ad Litem, in the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, who is appointed by the court to investigate the best interest of children in contested custody cases. Additionally, Judith is trained and certified in mediation. Mediation can offer an effective alternative to expensive litigation and as a mediator. Judith guides parties in the process of creating their own solutions tailored to their needs and the needs of their family.. Judith also represents and advises clients in matters of estate planning, general litigation and residential real estate transactions.

John P. Stock III was born in Duluth, MN. He grew up in Downers Grove, Illinois, receiving his undergraduate degree from Monmouth College in 1969 and  his law degree in 1975 from DePaul University College of Law.. Mr. Stock concentrates his practice in civil litigation, divorce/ family law, real estate and business organizations.  He is a trained mediator and arbitrator in DuPage County.. He  is a member of the DuPage County Bar Association, where he is a member of the real estate, civil practice, and family law committees. He chaired the real estate law committee in 2005/2006 and was associate general counsel for the DuPage County Bar Association in 2006/2007. Mr. Stock is also a member of the American, Chicago and Illinois State Bar Associations.  Early in his practice, Mr. Stock was a member and director of the Young Lawyers Section of the Chicago Bar Association and a past chair of the Professional. Responsibility and Trial Techniques Committees.. He is a member and past President of the Wheaton Lions Club, where he also has served as a director.  He is a past member and director of the Glen Ellyn Jaycees and is currently on the Board of Directors of the B.R. Ryall YMCA. He is married and has two adult children.

John P. Houlihan, co-founder of Beck & Houlihan, P.C., has been practicing law since 1986, offering clients exceptional representation in family law, criminal defense, and civil litigation. Prior to establishing the firm, John gained valuable experience at Mirabella & Kincaid, P.C., where he developed his formidable legal prowess in handling complex legal issues with professionalism and care.John’s contributions to the legal community are extensive. He has been a member of the Illinois State Bar Association since 1986 and has held numerous leadership positions within the DuPage County Bar Association (DCBA). These include serving as Chairman of the Membership Committee, Chairman of the DCBA, and Co-Chairman of the Criminal Law, Younger Members, and Civil Law Committees. John has also served as an Arbitration Judge for the DuPage County Arbitration Center and as an Arbitrator for the Domestic Relations Fee Arbitration Program. His dedication to his clients and his active involvement in the legal community reflect his commitment to excellence and integrity in the practice of law.

Jim Knippen is a principal in the firm who specializes in complex litigation, including personal injury, professional negligence, chancery and business litigation. He also represents units of local government. His work in the personal injury area has included representing both plaintiffs and defendants. He has co-counseled multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts and is a specialist in the creation and use of demonstrative exhibits.. Jim served as an Assistant States Attorney prosecuting criminal cases from 1979-1983. Since leaving the States Attorney's Office he has practiced with Ed Walsh.. Representative corporate clients include, or have included, the Village of Roselle, City of Wheaton, Village of Woodridge, City of West Chicago, Amoco Oil Corporation, Bluff City Materials Corporation, Waste Management Corporation, E/M Corporation, Concord Homes, Pasquinelli Development Corporation, various fire and police chiefs in employment discipline matters and numerous injured persons. He has done local counsel work at the request of many national and Chicago firms including, Jenner and Block, and Katten, Muchen, and Zavis. He also has extensive experience in injunctions, declaratory actions and zoning litigation. His zoning litigation experience has included the representation of both municipalities and private developers. He has lectured at the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education.. Jim and his wife Tallya have 3 grown children. He is a lifelong resident of the Wheaton area. Outside interests include: American History, mountaineering, cross country skiing, and fly fishing.

Jesse V. Barrientes is the proprietor of the Law Offices of Jesse V. Barrientes with locations in Wheaton, Villa Park, Aurora, and Joliet, Illinois.  He graduated Cum Laude from Loyola University of Chicago in 1987 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Philosophy.  He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the JohnMarshallLawSchool in 1991.  He was admitted to the General Bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1991, and admitted to the Trial Bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 2001.  He is a member of the DuPage County Bar Association and the Will County Bar Association.  He was Vice-Chairman of the Law Practice Management Committee in 2010 – 2011, and was Chairman of the Law Practice Management Committee in 2011 – 2012.. Jesse V. Barrientes’ practice areas include Civil Litigation, Criminal Law, Personal Injury, Employment Discrimination, Bankruptcy, and a MAJOR concentration in Family Law.  His firm provides aggressive, experienced and quality legal services. He focuses on the equitable and financially feasible resolution of his clients’ legal situations. He does not believe in sugar-coating his advice, or telling clients what they want to hear. He believes that each client must be aware of the realities of their unique legal situation, and the ramifications of their various legal options in order to render an intelligent, informed, and reasoned decision. He also believes in keeping his clients informed of the status and progress of their case at each and every stage of litigation.

Jane E. Nagle is a founding partner of Nagle & Giese, P.C., and she concentrates her practice primarily in the areas of divorce and family law in DuPage, Cook, Will, Kane, Kendall, Lake and surrounding collar counties. Over the years, Jane has handled numerous pre-decree and post-decree divorce cases as well as paternity, child support enforcement, and contested cases involving the allocation of parental decision-making and parenting time. Jane is also experienced in handling chapter 7 bankruptcy cases as well as negotiating various types of unsecured debts, obtaining excellent settlements for her clients facing financial hardship.. Through her years of experience, Jane has developed the ability to determine the most effective strategy to help her individual clients reach their goals and desired outcomes in their cases. She understands that some cases require an aggressive litigation strategy, while others benefit from and are quickly resolved with skillful negotiation and settlement discussions. Jane is compassionate toward her clients as she helps them navigate through the litigation process.. Jane has been named an Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star for six consecutive years, a designation reserved for the top 2.5% of attorneys under forty years old in Illinois and was named an Illinois Super Lawyer in 2024 and 2025. Jane currently serves as the Chair on the Standing Committee on the Illinois Bar Journal Editorial Board, is on the board of the DuPage County Bar Association, is a member of the DCBA Bar Journal editorial board and the former Chair of the DuPage County Bar Association Family Law Section.  Jane is an active member of the DuPage County and Illinois State Bar Associations.. Jane received her law degree from DePaul University College of Law and graduated from Indiana University – Bloomington with her Bachelor of Arts in both International Studies and Spanish with a minor in Italian. During law school, Jane worked as an extern for the Honorable Judge Michael Panter in both the Domestic Relations and Law Divisions. Jane was a member of and associate editor for the DePaul Law Review in which she had an article published in 2012.

If you find yourself facing a difficult divorce or separation, you want to have someone on your side. At Esp Kreuzer Cores,  our family law attorneys understand your need for straight answers and supportive guidance. Your needs and rights are our number one priority. We are compassionate and knowledgeable attorneys who are committed to helping you through the divorce process and ensuring that if children are involved, the best interests of your children are put first.. We have experience negotiating on behalf of parents in all aspects of a divorce, from custody and visitation, to child support, property division, spousal maintenance, fathers' rights and post-decree modification. We also handle paternity matters, adoptions and juvenile matters.. Our lawyers will listen carefully to your concerns and can answer your questions and explain your rights. We can help explain the divorce process to you, help you understand the possible outcomes, and counsel you about what course of action to take. Knowledge is the first step in making the right decision. We understand that this is a difficult time in your life and truly care what happens to you.. Our family law attorneys are dedicated to providing the highest level of service and professional representation. Please feel free to contact us to discuss your family-related legal issue.. Our experience and training in family law is supported by our aggressive and proactive style. We also believe in reasonableness and cooperation, however, and we adjust our representation to suit the needs of each client. At Esp, Kreuzer, Cores & McLaughlin, we assist clients in all aspects of the law relating to the needs of today's families, including, but not limited to:

I joined The Stogsdill Law Firm, P.C. in September of 2013. Prior to joining the firm, I was an Assistant State’s Attorney in Winnebago County. While serving as an Assistant State’s Attorney, I prosecuted cases in Domestic Violence and Misdemeanor courtrooms. Those experiences included aiding victims of domestic violence in securing Orders of Protection, as well as assisting in the felony jury trials of domestic violence cases.. I earned my Juris Doctorate degree from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana in 2011. While there, I was a member of the Inmate Legal Assistance Clinic and participated in the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition. I also clerked during law for the Cook County State’s Attorney, primarily in Juvenile Delinquency courtrooms.. Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, I aid the Benedictine University Mock Trial Program as an Assistant Attorney Coach.

I have spent 30+ years representing injured workers in the State of Illinois.  It saddens me when I hear politicians talk about the need for Workers Compensation "reform" when the benefits provided are already miniscule in relation to some injuries and the impacts they have on people's lives.  You need an experienced attorney to help you get the maximum that the law gives you.  I hope you will consider me.

I have practiced law for over 25 years.  My former experience as a police officer gives me the insight needed to represent my clients in the most effective way.   I teach at the College of DuPage and North Central College and have writen articles on criminal law issues.    I live in Wheaton with my wife and five children, and I am committed to the community.    I take pride in the personal services I offer to my clients at every level of their legal needs.

I have had a trial practice since 1993, handling commercial disputes, estate contests, emergency litigation, appeals, and criminal defense in federal and state courts in and around Chicago, and throughout the nation. I have won many valuable settlements, judgments, and jury verdicts in civil cases, as well as numerous verdicts in favort of the defense where the plaintiff got nothing and aquittals for clients accused of criminal offenses from judges and juries. I have obtained numerous favorable results in appeals to reviewing courts, including the Appellate Court of Illinois. I have been admitted to practice in Illinois and Maryland since the early 1990s. I am admitted to numerous federal trial and appellate courts, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States. I have taught as a law professor at Northern Illinois University. I teach from time to time as an adjuct professor at Aurora University as well.

I have focused on the practice of family law for my entire legal career.  I have opened up my own firm Opal O'Brien LLC where we do things differently than most other law firms.  Our level of service is paramount, and our clients will be able to tell, above all else, that we genuinely care about our clients and getting them the best possible results.. I practice all areas of family law, including, but not limited to, divorce, paternity, child custody, visitation, removal litigation, grandparent visitation, adoption, child support, maintenance and spousal support formerly known as alimony, orders of protection, enforcing court orders and judgments, guardinaship, and  post-judgment litigation, in DuPage, Kane, Will, Kendall, and Cook County.   I do not generally charge my clients for any travel time or parking related expenses.. I also handle appeals. I have argued in front of the Second District Court of Appeals and I have drafted numerous briefs at the Appellate Court level.. I pride myself on keeping my clients informed and in the loop during the divorce process.  Communication is paramount in having a successful attorney-client relationship.  I have substantial experience trying cases and putting on hearings.  I also have the skills to succesfully negotiate cases so as to avoid the expense of a full-blown trial.. My firm also handles criminal defense cases.  We handle just about every criminal case, including but not limited to domestic battery, DUI, traffic tickets and other felonies.. I am proud of my recent award of emerging lawyer, a distinction earned by fewer than two percent of all lawyers licensed to practice law in Illinois who are 40 years old or less or practicing 10 years or less.. Contact me by phone or by email.  My email is and my phone number is.  Consultations are free (on the phone or in person).  I will make myself available to meet with you after normal business hours or on weekends.

I have a distinct background from working at the Cook County Public Guardian's Office representing abused and neglected children for 7 years, which gives me an edge over many other fellow family law attorneys. I honed my litigation skills fighting state's attorney's and public defenders every single day in court.   That experience also lead to my nomination as the Chair of the Children's Advocacy Section in DuPage and to many GAL appointments around the area.  I pride myself on being the go-to attorney in the area for DCFS cases, child custody, guardianship and adoption cases.  Notwithstanding my zealous advocacy in the courtroom, I value your money and your time and I do everything in my power to avoid unnecessary drama and keep your legal fees down. Call today to set up a consult.

I handle a broad range of civil litigation and general corporate matters for business entities of all sizes as well as individuals. My practice focuses on commercial litigation, construction and real estate disputes, business torts and shareholder actions, equitable claims (including proceedings for temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and permanent injunctions), general corporate matters (both for-profit and not-for-profit), employment issues, creditors’ rights and bankruptcy, appellate advocacy, commercial and residential real estate transactions, and estate planning and wealth management. I practice regularly before all federal courts in the Northern District of Illinois as well as the Circuit Court of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit (DuPage County, Illinois), the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, and all other collar counties immediately surrounding Cook County.

I believe that representing clients is a great responsibility and privilege.  I take a personal approach to each client and to each case.  You will have direct contact with the attorney handling your case, never having your legal matters handled by a paralegal, secretary or associate attorney.. As an experienced litigator with over 17 years of experience, I have experience handling the following types of cases, child custody, visitation, child support, spousal support/alimony, marital property division, allocating debt, QDRO's, dividing retirement accounts, enforcement, modificaition, orders of protection, domestic violence and juvenile matters.  If you are contemplating filing for divorce, or your spouse has filed for divorce, please contact me.  I will counsel you on the divorce process and help you prepare for the future.

I am a person who was encouraged to be independent by my parents. I am an only child who matured quickly, because my parents took me everywhere. Today I love to spend lots of time with family, friends, my husband and pets.. Travel is something that provides me with a lot of enjoyment and gives me another opportunity to practice independence. I had lots of experience learning to cope while spending the summer of 2005 traveling in France and other European countries. That summer had a very positive impact on my life and helped me grow by developing the ability to thrive in a country where I could not speak the language.  I have since traveled out of the country to Costa Rica and Spain.. I love to cook and it is important to me to have a family meal every night, if possible.  I usually don't cook from recipes but rather enjoy trying to figure out how things are made on my own.. As an attorney who is serving seniors and their families, one of the most important relationships in my life was with my grandfather, Norm, who I called Papa. He loved family holidays and lavished energy and ingenuity in making those holidays into festivals. I hope to follow in his footsteps when I have my own children and grandchildren.. Today, I am happy to serve as an elder law attorney and give everyone a warm welcome and a cheery smile, the way Papa would have.

Honors and Awards:. Past Employment Positions:

Henry D. Kass is a partner at MKFM Law focusing primarily in the areas of domestic relations and criminal law.  Henry formerly prosecuted domestic violence and felony cases as an Assistant State’s Attorney with the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office where he was awarded a Special Commendation.  He has litigated dozens of jury trials and tried hundreds of cases before the bench.  In addition, Henry taught family law for five years as an adjunct instructor at the College of DuPage.  He has published articles in the DuPage County Bar Association Brief and the Illinois State Bar Association Newsletter, served both as the Vice Chair and Chair to the Child Advocacy Committee, and has been awarded the Pro Bono Service Award by the DuPage Legal Assistance Foundation.  Currently, Henry is licensed both in the State of Illinois and Iowa.  He is a member of the Justinian Society of Lawyers, a Fellow of the Illinois Bar Foundation, and served on the DuPage County Judicial Committee where he and a panel of select other attorneys interviewed applicants who sought to be appointed a judgeship.  He is also serving his second term as an elected Assembly Member to the Illinois State Bar Association where he and other elected attorneys debate and vote on administrative policy as well as on revisions to existing law to be proposed to the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield.

Hannah concentrates her practice in the areas of divorce, post-decree, child custody and probate matters. While attending law school, Hannah spent two years working for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. During this time, Hannah drafted numerous appellate briefs that were filed with the First District Appellate Court of Illinois, and tried over twenty bench trials within the Felony Trial Division under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711. Understanding the emotional strain and the uncertainty of many of her client's situations, Hannah values her clients' well-being and works efficiently to settle conflicts outside of court, as well as resolving these conflicts through litigation. Every day, Hannah's main priority is to achieve successful outcomes for her clients.. Hannah is a graduate of The John Marshall Law School. As a student, Hannah was a member of the John Marshall Moot Court Competition team, finishing as an Octofinalist in the National Child Welfare and Adoption Moot Court Competition, and served as a Teaching Assistant for Legal Skills II.. Hannah is a member of the DuPage County Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Association, and the Chicago Bar Association.

From a young age, Jessica knew that she had a passion for family law. Jessica finds family law extremely rewarding because she has the ability to counsel and advise clients during the hardest time in their lives. She particularly enjoys being a certified Guardian ad Litem for minor children in DuPage County while helping parents resolve issues of parenting time and allocation of decision-making responsibilities.. Jessica is a graduate of The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois and is authorized to practice law in the State of Illinois. Throughout law school, Jessica worked as a law clerk at a DuPage County family law firm, concentrating on family law and plaintiff employment law matters. In her last year of law school, Jessica worked as a judicial extern with presiding Judge Pamela Loza in the Cook County Domestic Relations Parentage Division, where she gained extensive knowledge in parentage cases and assisted Judge Loza with preparing her written decisions and assisting pro se parties. During her time in law school, Jessica maintained herself on the Dean’s List. She graduated from the University of Iowa with honors, earning a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Communication Studies (with a focus on debate) and a double minor in Spanish and Human Rights. During her time at the University of Iowa, Jessica was a co-founder of the Students for Human Rights Group. Jessica was also inducted into the Lambda Pi Eta Honors Society, which was given to students that obtained a 3.6 or higher GPA in their Communication Studies classes. Jessica also worked closely with one of her professors on a gender studies research and writing project that was ultimately published.. Before joining Kollias & Giese, P.C., Jessica worked at a mid-size family law firm in DuPage County where she gained extensive knowledge and experience in the domestic relations area of law. Since graduation from law school, Jessica has concentrated her practice solely in family law matters. Jessica has handled numerous pre-decree, post-decree, parentage, child support, adoption, appeals, relocation, orders of protection, and Guardian ad litem cases, including contested cases involving the modification of parenting time and allocation of decision-making responsibilities.. Jessica is the Treasurer for the DuPage Justinian Society of Lawyers and Vice Chair of the DuPage County Bar Association New Lawyers Division. Jessica is an active member of the DuPage Justinian Society of Lawyers, DuPage County Bar Association, DuPage Association of Women Lawyers, Kane County Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association.

For over 40 years I have helped solve personal, divorce, family, and business problems for all types of clients. My law firm frequently represents small business owners, doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, other professionals and their spouses, partners and significant others. The office is conveniently located across the street from the DuPage County courthouse in Wheaton, Illinois.. The initial meeting is without cost or obligation, and is a great way to get your questions answered without any further committment from you. We work closely with several teams of business valuators, forensic accountants and certified fraud examiners to identify, correct and compensate fraud and selfish behavior by spouses, significant others and business partners. In court or out of court, we are prepared to address your concerns with a realistic and effective plan. Ready to talk?

For over 27 years, other attorneys have referred their friends, family and clients to our office to handle their legal matters.  I have lectured on divorce, GAL and eavesdropping.  I have written articles and made new law in Illinois and federal court.  I was the first attorney in Illinois to have a parent's driving privileges taken away for failure to pay child support.  Experience, leadership and professionalism. You know when it’s time…we know the law.

Corporate attorney who concentrates practice in corporate, commercial real estate, banking and securities transactional work. Practice involves the representation of corporations, limited liability companies and their owners.