Legal Services & Lawyers

Founded in 1994, the law firm of Sullivan Taylor & Gumina is dedicated to providing compassionate family law services to people throughout Chicago's western suburbs. Our attorneys bring an uncommon diversity of personal and legal experience to our clients' family law matters. As former public defenders, teachers, child advocates, state's attorneys, and therapists, we are able to help people work through the legal, emotional, and financial issues associated with complex family law matters.

Anthony Andreano is a divorce lawyer in Will County, Joliet, Illinois. Attorneys at the law firm handle uncontested and contested divorces, agreed divorces, family law, child support, separation, custody, and other divorce and family law cases. We also handle criminal felony, drunk driving, DUI, expungement, sealing, real estate, and professional malpractice including legal malpractice matters.

Richard Schmack was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Berwyn, Illinois. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois in 1977 with double majors in Political Science and History. In 1980 he received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

Upon graduation from law school in 1980, Richard was admitted to the Illinois Bar and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. He is a member of the Federal Trial Bar. Richard has made DeKalb County his home since1985. He, his wife, Jackie, who is his office manager, and their sons reside in Sycamore.

Prior to opening his private practice in 1989, Richard served as an Assistant DeKalb County State's Attorney, handling misdemeanor and traffic prosecution, as well as child support enforcement. In his capacity as the civil assistant, Richard represented DeKalb County in lawsuits in Federal and State courts, served as legal advisor to all departments of County government, and represented the County's Zoning Board of Appeals, gaining valuable knowledge of the County's zoning ordinances and regulations.

In private practice Richard is a general practitioner well versed in the areas of Adoptions, Bankruptcy, Criminal Misdemeanors and Felonies, Traffic, DUI, Guardianships, Juvenile Law, Real Estate, Wills & Estates, and Zoning.

We Are A Debt Relief Agency. We Help People File Bankruptcy Under The United States Bankruptcy Code.

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.

Born: Chicago, Illinois, April 15, 1964

Education: Northern Illinois University, B.S., 1986, Northern Illinois University, J.D., cum laude, 1989

Practice Areas: Family Law; Personal Injury; Automobile Accidents and Injuries; Dog Bites; Motorcycle Accidents; Workers Compensation; Slip and Fall; Products Liability; Truck Accidents; Aviation Accidents; Pharmacy Law

Membership: Illinois State Bar Association; Kane County Bar Association.

Admissions: 1989, Illinois and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Miscellaneous Information: Delta Theta Phi. Member, Moot Court Society. Member, Northern Illinois University Law Review, 1988-1989.

Biography:

Mr. Jacobs graduated from Northern Illinois University where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1986. Mr. Jacobs continued his education at Northern Illinois University where he graduated cum laude in 1989 and received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence degree. Mr. Jacobs became licensed to practice law on November 9, 1989. While in law school, Mr. Jacobs was honored by being appointed to the Law Review and was involved in moot court where he successfully won competitions.

Upon graduation from Law School, Mr. Jacobs began his career as an insurance defense litigation attorney where he represented companies including State Farm, Kemper, Hanover, Andover, McDonalds, Seven-Eleven and Southland Corporation.

In 1991, Mr. Jacobs opened his own law firm in St. Charles, Illinois where he concentrated in general litigation until 2000 when he co-founded the Law Firm of Shaw Jacobs and Associates, P.C. which concentrates in domestic relations law.

In addition, Mr. Jacobs maintains an active practice representing plaintiffs who have been seriously injured as the result of the negligence of another. Mr. Jacobs personal injury practice includes automobile accidents, dog bites, wrongful death and work related injuries.

Mr. Jacobs is a skilled litigator with a proven track record of success and over 18 years of trial experience in both bench and jury trials.

Mr. Jacobs has been a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association and is currently a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Kane County Bar Association.

Jigar K. Patel is an Illinois licensed Attorney with an office in Westchester, Illinois, and practicing in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Mr. Patel's firm, The JKP Law Group, Ltd. is a full service firm. Practice areas include Real Estate Transactions, Bankruptcy, Business Counseling, Construction Law, Family Law, Immigration, Estate Planning, Personal Injury, and Litigation.

Licensed in the Illinois courts and the Federal General Bar since 1991, Ms. Harry's practice focuses primarily on the areas of family law and criminal/traffic defense. Ms. Harry is proud of her ability to assist her clients with the resolution of their problems while making representation affordable.

Ms. Harry graduated Cum Laude from Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois in 1988 and from DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, Illinois in 1991. She became licensed in Illinois in 1991 and joined a local DuPage County firm practicing in the areas of criminal defense, family law, estate planning and bankruptcy. Ms. Harry formed her own law firm in 1995 and continues to practice successfully today in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Ms. Harry is an active member of the DuPage County Bar Association. Her previous appointments with the county bar include serving as the former Chair of the Professional Responsibility Committee, the former Chair of the Bankruptcy Committee, on the subcommittee for the Family Law Trial Advocacy Workshop for Practicing Attorneys and as a member of the Legal Referral Service Committee. Ms. Harry also supports the DuPage Legal Aid Foundation by volunteering her services as an attorney and raising funds by participating in the Annual Judge's Nite Show.

Steven H. Mevorah is the founder of the Law Offices of Steven H. Mevorah & Associates with locations in Lombard, Bloomingdale and Chicago. 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. Together, the firm's attorneys and professional staff provide the ''Mevorah Difference.''

With a legal career that began in 1979, Mr. Mevorah brings significant experience to bear in achieving positive results for his clients. He practices in the areas of Divorce, Family Law, Criminal Law, and Personal Injury.

Taking an aggressive yet down to earth approach, Mr. Mevorah will do everything possible to protect his clients' legal rights. His directness and honesty ensure that his clients can always expect to hear the truth about their case and understand that, as their attorney, Mr. Mevorah works for them.

I am a native Chicagoan, and moved to DuPage County in 1972.

I attended DePaul Law School full-time in the evening, while working for one of the major trust companies in the Chicago Loop. I therefore received extensive training and experience in Estate Planning, Probate and Tax matters, and have practiced in those areas for over 30 years.

My first employment after law school was with a Chicago law firm that specialized in Real Estate and Real Estate Development matters. I worked for them for several years, adding extensive experience in both residential and commercial real estate transactions and commercial real estate development to my legal expertise.

As a private practitioner in DuPage County, I continued practicing in these fields, and added representation of clients in divorce and other domestic and family related matters. I have now represented hundreds of clients relative to dissolution of their marriages. Several judges have also appointed me as Guardian ad-litem or attorney for children in troubled situations or in complex divorce cases.

I feel that my expertise in each of these areas compliment the other. For example, complex divorces often involve real estate or business holdings, with the accompanying valuation and ownership issues. Sometimes, a trust for the benefit of children is appropriate. In doing estate planning, there is often the need to plan appropriately for the second marriage situation. Real estate clients also often need to appropriately plan their estates, and to take title to their home in a manner that is consistent with their ultimate estate desires.

I was admitted to practice in the courts of Illinois in 1971 and the U.S. Federal Court in 1971, and admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court in 1992. I am a member of both the Illinois and DuPage County Bar Associations.

I have been a member of the Kiwanis Club of Glen Ellyn for some years, and am presently the President of the club. As such, I recently accepted, on behalf of our club, the Family Shelter Services Civic Partner of the year award. We work closely with Family Shelter Services and other organizations to provide benefits to children in need.

My primary hobby is the study of history, particularly of the American Civil War period. I am the past president of two Civil War Round Tables (Chicago and Salt Creek, which meets in Glen Ellyn, Illinois), and a member of three Round Tables (Chicago, Salt Creek and Milwaukee). I have also given presentations, on a number of topics, to round tables throughout the midwest.

Mr. Shaw attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and graduated from Illinois College, Magna Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1983. He continued his education at the Northern Illinois University College of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctorate Degree in 1986, and became a Licensed Attorney in Illinois on November 6, 1986.

Having previously practiced in general and family law practices, and having served as the Child Support Attorney for Kane County Circuit Court Clerk from 1987-1995,
Mr. Shaw opened his own law practice concentrating in family law in 1991. In 2000 he co-founded the law firm of Shaw, Jacobs & Associates, P.C., St. Charles, Illinois, which concentrates its practice in family law, including dissolution of marriage, financial issues and custody litigation.

Mr. Shaw has been a legal Author and Lecturer for many years, and has served on family law committees including, the ISBA Family Law Section Council (having first served in 1991). He has authored and published articles in the ISBA Family Law newsletter and authored the first chapter of the Illinois Family Law Handbook. He has presented at family law seminars throughout the country.

On behalf of the ISBA Family Law Section Council Custody subcommittee, he
testified in Springfield before Illinois Supreme Court Custody Committee regarding proposed custody legislation on March 28, 2003.

Having a proven track record of success representing men, women and children in Illinois courts, Mr. Shaw has extensive court and trial experience. He has also served as a Mediator and Guardian ad Litem in Family Law cases, and has resolved numerous cases outside of court.

He has been interviewed on family law topics on both television and radio, and has volunteered his time at divorce support groups. Mr. Shaw is continues to serve as an attorney presenter at KIDS (Kids in a Divorcing Society) family court program for parents (1993- present), and is currently the Chair of the Kane County Family Law Committee. He and his firm also support various legal service groups that serve those in need.

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.

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.

Timothy P. Martin is one of the best trial attorneys in the State of Illinois. As a former State's Attorney he prosecuted thousands of cases ranging from DUI to Murder. As a Defense attorney for the past twelve years he has successfully tried all types of criminal trials. His reputation for tough and agressive work is unmatched in this area. Perhaps that is why many politicians, off-duty police officers and courthouse personnel seem to always have Tim Martin on their side.