Legal Services & Lawyers

Attorney Yolanda Thomas was born in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Political Science, she earned a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law. She was admitted to the Illinois Bar and the General Bar, Northern District of Illinois in 1996.

After her admittance to the Illinois Bar, Atty. Thomas entered private practice in 1996. In December 1996, she became an Attorney with the City of Chicago, Department of Consumer Services specializing in consumer law and City of Chicago municipal code violations serving as lead counsel in prosecutions of regulated businesses. From 1997 to 2007, she presided over hearings between consumers and regulated businesses involving consumer fraud, deceptive business practices and landlord/tenant issues for the City of Chicago, Department of Consumer Services.

In 2007, Atty. Thomas became the EEO/Diversity Manager for the Chicago Transit Authority where she managed the company's EEO discrimination process and investigated discrimination complaints filed by employees. She developed EEO law training curriculum and served as the Reconsideration Hearing Officer for CTA's DBE and Contract Compliance Programs. Attorney Thomas concentrates in the areas of bankruptcy, family law, estate planning, and real estate law.

Attorney Thomas is a licensed real estate broker and has received extensive training in bankruptcy and family law. She is currently a member of the Chicago Bar Association and National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. She also facilitates seminars regarding employment discrimination in the workplace and provides legal counsel to non-profit organizations.

Ms. Cornelison is a certified mediator; collaborative and cooperative divorce lawyer; and divorce trial lawyer with over 13 years of courtroom experience.

Providing bankruptcy and family law services throughout the Chicago area since 1998. Have argued before the Illinois Supreme Court.

Actively involved in rescuing and "fostering" abandon dogs through the non-profit organization, Illinois Birddog Rescue. I also provide pro bono legal services to the organization.

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 her clients as to the proper course of action and regularly handles trials, pretrial conferences, evidentiary hearings, and contested motions in her cases. Debra is also a skilled negotiator – as comfortable developing and presenting a complex settlement proposal as she is evaluating and responding to a settlement proposal presented by her opponent. Whether she's handling litigated cases or negotiating settlements, Debra's skills help achieve the best possible results for her clients.
An advocate of alternative dispute resolution in family law matters, Debra was among the first attorneys in Illinois to receive training in collaborative law. Approximately half of Debra’s divorce practice is comprised of collaborative cases, and she is actively involved in the Illinois and international collaborative law professional organizations.
Debra achieves an out-of-court settlement in 95% of her divorce cases, a success rate she attributes to meticulous case preparation, excellent client communication, and a willingness to aggressively try the case when settlement options have been exhausted.
Debra demonstrates her commitment to professional responsibility through her active involvement in local bar associations, not-for-profit divorce educational organizations, and as a hearing officer for the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

Sharon R. Knobbe is a partner with Knobbe, Laho, Gradishar & Mack, L, where her practice is concentrated in family law and collections. Sharon is an active member of the DuPage County Bar Association, where she currently serves as the 3rd Vice President and has also served, by appointment, as the DCBA Associate Counsel, Chairman of the Family Law Committee Chairman for the Membership Committee, Judiciary Committee, Planning Committee, CLE Committee and has volunteered her time to act as a Judicial Intervention Leader. Sharon is also the 1st Vice President of the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers and Past President of the DuPage Chapter of the Justinian Society of Lawyers. In her free time, Sharon serves as an Adjunct Professor at the College of DuPage.