Lynn M. Mirabella is a partner at MKFM Law, where her practice is concentrated almost exclusively in the area of family law, including high-profile cases and complex litigation files. Prior to joining MKFM Law, she worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. She is certified to represent children as a Guardian ad Litem, Child’s Representative, and Attorney for Child. In addition, she is certified in collaborative law, arbitration, and as a mediator. She has taught several classes and seminars in both DuPage and Kane Counties. She is a member of the DuPage County, Kane County, and Illinois State Bar Associations. She was President of the Justinian Society of Lawyers, DuPage County, and a member of the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers. In addition, she previously served on Senator Mark Kirk’s Federal Judicial Review Commission from 2011 through 2016.

Thomas was born and raised in Cherry Valley, Illinois. He attended Western Illinois University where he received his Bachelor’s in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration. Thomas went on to attend law school at Southern Illinois University School of Law where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. During law school, Thomas was on the Board of Editors for the Journal of Legal Medicine and the President of the Healthcare Transactions Team. After graduating law school, Thomas began his legal career as an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office. Thomas joined the firm in 2017. He is currently a member of the Winnebago County Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association.

Erin Webster O'Brien is a skilled divorce and family law attorney who is dedicated to providing reliable and effective legal representation to individuals and families throughout Will County. Recognized as a knowledgeable mediator and litigator, Attorney O'Brien has over 15 years of legal experience. In 2008, Attorney O'Brien established her private practice, Erin Webster O'Brien, P.C., in Joliet, Illinois. To schedule an iniital consultation with Attorney O'Brien, visit her website or call 815-727-2100.

Andrew concentrates his family law practice in divorce, alimony and spousal support, child support, collaborative law, custody, prenuptial agreements, litigation and appeals, complex litigation, federal trial practice, state appellate practice, state trial practice, business law and mediation. Andrew has been recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer since 2012. He is a member of the DuPage County Bar Association, Will County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. He is currently a Fellow for the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois and also served as a past member of their TEC Committee. At Andrew Cores Family Law Group, we assist clients in all aspects of the law relating to the needs of today's families,

Kendall County divorce lawyer Matthew Williams is an experienced family law attorney trained on the ins-and-outs of divorce litigation. In addition, Mr. Williams has also been trained in the collaborative law approach to divorce resolution. My law firm represents clients in Kane County, DeKalb County, DuPage County, and Kendall County. For nearly a decade, I have focused entirely on divorce, paternity (parentage), establishment and modification of support, parental rights, enforcement of divorce decrees, and other family law-related matters. I have litigated numerous divorce and parentage matters and know how to litigate yours. More importantly than that, I focus on keeping your case out of the courthouse as much as possible. That helps keep costs down and can actually expedite many cases. To schedule an appointment with an experienced Aurora divorce attorney, visit our website or call 630-409-8184.

Michael Shinsky’s serious approach coupled with his extensive trial experience has provided him with the necessary tools to represent his clients with excellent results. After obtaining his law degree with honors in 2001, Michael served as a prosecutor with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office where he rapidly ascended the ranks, prosecuting cases on behalf of children who were abused and neglected. In 2004, Michael joined the law firm of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz where he utilizes those trial skills in pursuit of justice for injured individuals and their families in the civil arena. Currently, Michael focuses his practice on representing and protecting the legal right so those who have suffered serious, life-altering persona injuries caused by the negligence of others, and seeking justice for the families of those victims who have lost their lives due to negligence. Michael’s practice focuses on automobile accidents, premise liability, sexual assaults, medical malpractice, wrongful death and nursing home litigation. To schedule a free consultation with Attorney Shinsky, visit his website, or call 708-888-2160.

Paul D. Richter is an experienced trial attorney who has spent over 20 years in the practice of personal injury and wrongful death litigation. His career has been dedicated to representing individuals who have suffered serious, life-altering personal injuries caused by the negligence of others, and seeking justice for the families of those victims who have lost their lives due to negligence. Paul has successfully resolved multiple personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits in a host of complex cases, including cases of nursing home abuse and neglect; medical malpractice; commercial and private aviation crashes; accidents involving semi tractor-trailer trucks, watercraft, and other motor vehicles; construction accidents, and negligently manufactured and/or designed products. Throughout his career, Paul's commitment to fighting for and protecting the rights of his clients has resulted in numerous multi-million dollar results. To schedule a free consultation with Attorney Richter, visit his website, or call 708-888-2160.

Jay B. Howd was born and raised in LaHarpe, Illinois, a small farm community in west-central Illinois. Jay graduated valedictorian of his LaHarpe high school class while attaining all-conference status in both football and basketball. Jay’s upbringing in LaHarpe was instrumental in teaching him the value of honesty, dedication and hard work. Jay graduated with honors from Southern Illinois University in 1989, majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Energy Processes. While in college, he served as president of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society of which he remains a lifelong member. Jay attended law school at Southern Illinois University. While there, he served as the Research Editor on the Board of Editors for the Southern Illinois Law Journal. Jay graduated from law school in December 1991 and started his own practice shortly thereafter. Although he is one of the few registered patent attorneys in southern Illinois, Jay has chosen instead to focus his attention exclusively on bankruptcy work out of a desire to help people in need of assistance. In 1998, Jay became a 50% owner of the Bankruptcy Clinic. In 2008, he became 100% owner. Today, he serves as the President and managing attorney for the firm which has offices in Carbondale, Marion and Mt. Vernon, Illinois. During his tenure at the Bankruptcy Clinic, Jay has counseled or co-counseled over 12,000 bankruptcy filings. He is passionate in his desire to make a difference in people’s lives. Jay finds great fulfillment in knowing his work has had a profound positive effect on the lives of the clients he has served through the years. Over the years, Jay’s bankruptcy experience has drawn positive media attention. He has been featured on numerous occasions by local television and newspaper affiliates throughout Southern Illinois. Jay has made Southern Illinois his home for over 30 years. He has been happily married to his wife, Donna, for 20 years. To contact Jay at Bankruptcy Clinic, PC, call 618-993-1300.

David Kadzai is the founder and managing partner of Kadzai Law Group, LLC. Located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Attorney Kadzai represents victims of personal injury, nursing home abuse & neglect, police brutality, and premises liability. Understanding that every situation is different, Attorney Kadzai works with his clients in order to help meet their specific needs. To schedule a free consultation, visit us online or contact our office today at 312-229-0050.

I began my practice over 11 years ago with the determination to make things better for my clients and my community. That continues to be the focus of my practice, and I look forward to many years of future service to my neighbors and friends. I grew up in Libertyville, graduating from Copeland Manor, Highland Jr. High, and eventually Libertyville High School in 1997. I attended college at Miami University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business, Majoring in Marketing. During college, I was president and judicial board chairman of my college fraternity, and was involved with Associated Student Government, various volunteer, and civic groups, and volunteered as a tutor. I attended law school at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where I was active in Student Court, Moot Court Honor Board, the Tenant Information Project, the Human Rights Quarterly, and was a member of the Dean’s list. During this time I also volunteered as a youth mentor for the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, taught a High School class curriculum in civics called StreetLaw, and worked part-time for Kaplan tutoring and preparing students for the Law School Admissions Test. I continue to be actively involved in the community. Currently, I sit on the Board of Directors of the Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County, a non-profit tasked with improving housing options throughout Lake County. I am also currently exploring the formation of a non-profit to rehabilitate abandoned, nuisance homes to stabilize housing values and rid neighborhoods of dangerous and often unsanitary hazards. I am regularly appointed by judges to serve as guardian ad litem in guardianship matters. I currently live in Mundelein with my wife, Dr. Amanda R. Johnston, DVM (veterinarian), our son Merritt, and our dog and cat. In my free time, I enjoy gardening, keeping aquariums, bicycling, hiking, canoeing, golf, coaching youth lacrosse, and rooting for the Chicago Cubs. Effective, knowledgeable, and ethical criminal defense. Call for a free consultation. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. A homeowners association recently tried to enforce long-dormant deed restrictions (ignored for 30 years against) my client, in a discriminatory manner. The association followed none of its own rules, and was ostensibly re-formed solely to discriminate against my client by forcing the costly removal of valuable improvements on his land. A neighbor filed suit, arguing the dormant deed restrictions against my client, who is a person of color and substantially younger than others in the neighborhood, while ignoring blatant violations on their own property and at nearly every other property in the neighborhood. At the close of discovery, we successfully moved the court for summary judgment on the grounds that there was no way the suing neighbor could possibly prevail. My client’s property rights were maintained and the discriminatory action was thwarted. How did you build a successful practice? Mutual respect. I am proud of the fact that my firm offers free initial case consultations. This stems from a recognition that, while my time is valuable, so it the time of my clients. I strongly believe that initial case consultations, even if valuable to clients, should be free, because I do not believe it is fair to charge for time spent evaluating whether my firm can help a certain client, and in developing the plan of action. Once we come up with a plan of action, we communicate that proposed scope of work to the client so they can accept or reject our proposal for representation. Only after a client has agreed to hire us, based on the agreed plan, are legal fees assessed. This approach, based on mutual respect, has been crucial to our firm’s success. What should clients look for in a lawyer? It’s a personal relationship as well as a professional one. Clients must be comfortable with their attorney on both these levels. Clients should be sure that they can communicate well with their attorney. A knowledgeable professional in any field should be able to explain even the most difficult contexts in terms a layperson can readily understand. If you cannot understand your attorney, its probably not a good fit. How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? The saying goes “A good attorney knows the law, a great attorney knows the judge.” This is true because the practice of the law is not only theoretical, but also practical and pragmatic. An experienced local attorney will typically know the courts, judges, clerks and local procedures better than an attorney who does not practice in the county on a regular basis. Thus, clients represented by local attorneys will reap numerous advantages in the course of a case. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? Typically, after learning enough about the case for a proper evaluation, I explain how the law works in the area, how I expect the law will be applied to their situation, and how my firm can potentially be of service to the person (and how we would charge for our services). Often, in order to properly conduct an initial consultation, I will need to review relevant paperwork, but with smart phones, scanners and teleconference software, it is increasingly easy to share documents electronically. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? Every case is different, but in general, I will need to know the parties involved in a case (so that I can make sure there is no conflict of interest), I will need to know the location of the case, and often it is very helpful to review relevant documents. Every case is different, and many of the documents I would need to review may be available online (like court records), so a potential client should not be dissuaded from calling to schedule a free consultation. If we need more information, we will let you know. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? I do my best to build a strong professional network both within and outside of the legal community. If a potential client comes to my firm and, for whatever reason(s), the case is not a good fit for my firm, we do our best to match the client with the right attorney. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Helping people. This is how attorneys help ensure equal justice under law. That’s why good attorneys enter the practice. What are your other interests in addition to law? My hobbies include: canoeing, hiking, bicycling, golf, fishing, disc golf, and keeping aquariums. Causes that I support include Affordable and Just Housing, Medical Research, and community efforts to foster local, small businesses. Are you involved in your community? Yes, I am active in my local and state bar associations, the GLMV, and business networking groups. I am regularly appointed by judges in Lake County to serve as a Guardian ad Litem. I serve on the Lake County Chamber of Commerce as a Board Member. Additionally, I serve as President of the Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County (AHC), which works closely with Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) to serve the joint mission of fostering safe, affordable housing in our area.