Paw Paw Family Lawyers

My law firm represents people in DuPage, Kendall and Kane Counties. 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.

I have an undergraduate degree in psychology with 5 years' experience working with abused children and adolescents with...

Brian J. Banahan has been practicing law in DuPage, Kane and Cook County Illinois for over 20 years. He began his legal career and learned his way around the courtroom in 1997 as a full time 711 prosecutor with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. From there, Mr. Banahan moved to serve as chief legal counsel and Deputy Public Administrator for DuPage County for 17 years. In that job, Mr. Banahan managed, administered, litigated, settled, and closed hundreds of decedent’s estates and an extensive number of related legal matters in nearly every area of the law. In the process, he...

William ("Bill") F. Bochte is a graduate of Fenwick High School, obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Mary's University (formerly Saint Mary's College) in Winona, Minnesota in 1965. Bill went on to receive his Juris Doctor degree from The John Marshall Law School in 1969 and has been in the private practice of law serving his client's needs ever since. Mr. Bochte practiced in the city of Chicago for approximately 10 years before relocating to Kane County and the Fox Valley area. Mr. Bochte has received a United States of America Presidential Commendation in "recognition of exceptional...

Zachary Townsend is licensed in Illinois and Wisconsin and focuses his practice in divorce and family law. His firm, Pro Legal Care LLC, has offices in Rockford, IL and Freeport, IL.

Mikal Stole a prominent family law attorney in the Cook, Will, and Grundy Counties. He has successfully represented clients with complex cases involving high net worth estates, child custody disputes (allocation of parental responsibilities), and divorces involving business interests, while also efficiently handling routine matters. Mikal's also writes appellate court briefs on family law matters and is frequently appointed as Guardian ad Litem. Mikal serves as the Co-Chairperson of the Will County Bar Association's Family Law Committee and has been responsible for organizing the annual Family Law Seminar for several years. Mikal presents topics to the Bar Association including...

Attorney Michelle Bugajsky focuses her practice on probate, estate planning, and family law. Whether assisting clients in planning for their futures or helping clients through problems in the here and now, Michelle provides caring and thoughtful legal services. Michelle takes great pride in combining her keen legal expertise of probate and estate planning law with a plan uniquely crafted for each specific client or family.

Michelle attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in Political Science and Criminal Justice. Thereafter, Michelle accepted an academic scholarship to attend the Illinois Institute of...

Attorney Charles Canning has represented clients throughout Kane County and across Northern Illinois for over 30 years. He assists clients with cases in the following practice areas:

I, Tyler Neher, am proud to be part of the VF Law, Ltd. team as an associate attorney. My journey in law began at a family law firm in Lake and DuPage County, where I dedicated my practice to handling family law matters, including divorce, allocation of parental responsibilities, child support, and drafting prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Before rejoining the family courts, I served as an Assistant State’s Attorney at the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office within their domestic violence unit. This role provided me with a unique opportunity to acquire substantial trial experience early in my career. I am...

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...

Megan Lafata (Elsner) is the Founder of Lafata Law LLC. Megan received her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and went on to work as a law clerk with a DuPage County Law Firm specializing in local prosecutions, criminal defense and family law. She then was admitted to Northern Illinois University College of Law. After graduating from Northern Illinois University College of Law, Megan embarked on her legal career as an Assistant State's Attorney for DuPage County. Her hard work and ambition catapulted her from prosecutions of traffic offenses to misdemeanors including DUI, battery, domestic battery, orders of protection, theft,...

Attorney Tom Elsner, Partner at Lafata Law LLC. Tom received his undergraduate degree in business management at Arizona State University. Tom had found his calling for helping others attain what was just and right while working as a business manager. He then was admitted into law school at Northern Illinois University. While enrolled, Tom worked as a Clerk for the US District Court in Northern Illinois and as an intern with the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. Since graduating from law school, Tom went on to become an Assistant State's Attorney for DuPage County where Tom worked in the traffic, misdemeanor and...

Eric J. Vogel was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2008 after graduating from John Marshall Law School. He served as Assistant Public Defender in the McHenry County Public Defender’s Office for over 10 years. In his time at the Public Defender’s Officer, he handled cases in several areas of the law, including, misdemeanor and felony criminal, juvenile abuse and neglect, juvenile delinquency and specialty courts. Mr. Vogel has extensive experience in all aspects of litigation. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and History from Arizona State University in 2002.

Attorney Vogel understands that every client’s...

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...

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...

Liz has presented seminars to divorce recovery groups, counselors, lawyers, hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies and was an instructor for several years for a personal injury trial practice course presented by the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel and classes for medical practitioners to area hospitals and staff regarding how to respond to legal inquiries and how to avoid malpractice. She has also presented seminars for the Illinois State Bar Association including a recent basic family law seminar.

Liz tried several cases to juries including a case that was decisiv with respect to the use accident reconstruction experts, evidence of...

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...

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. 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...

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,...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

Rina Infelise is currently a partner at Rohde and Infelise, PC where she practices in all areas of Criminal law, traffic offenses, domestic violence and orders of protection. Additionally, Rina defends parties that are the subject of Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) investigations. and abuse and neglect proceedings.

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)

Wayne Johnson is a partner at Johnson & Johnson, Ltd. He has been practicing law for over 35 years, and his practice focuses primarily on family law, criminal law, bankruptcy law, estate law, and real estate matters. He has conducted numerous trials and court hearings involving large marital estates and complex child custody issues.

Angela Henderson received her undergraduate and Juris Doctorate from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. She was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1997. During law school, she participated in the mediation clinic at DePaul after taking two semesters of mediation training. She also practiced as a family lawyer during law school through Chicago Volunteer Legal Services under a 711 license. Angela began her career as a family attorney with offices in Hinsdale and Lemont. Nine years ago she decided to limit her practice to one county and now has a single office in Joliet.

Her practice continues to focus on...