Chicago Divorce Attorney for Lawyers

Are You an Attorney Who Is in Need of a Chicago Divorce Lawyer?

As an attorney, you understand how important it is to have strong legal representation, especially during a divorce. When your personal life intersects with the legal world, you need to have experienced counsel to advocate your case.

At Nottage and Ward, LLP, we understand that lawyers facing divorce have a lot at stake, your reputation, complex assets, business interests, and a demanding career. We’ve represented attorneys in high-asset and high-conflict divorces throughout the Chicago area, and we know how to handle the unique pressures that come with managing a marital dissolution while practicing law.

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Why Choose Us Over Other Chicago Divorce Lawyers?

Whether you're a sole practitioner, a partner in a firm, or an associate on track to become one, your financial and professional life must be protected. Our firm brings a focused, strategic approach to divorce representation for legal professionals, ensuring that your rights, assets, and relationships are carefully preserved.

Reasons to Choose Nottage and Ward, LLP

• Over 35 years of exclusive focus on divorce and family law – We’re not generalists. Our practice is centered on helping professionals, including lawyers, consider every legal and emotional facet of divorce.
• Discreet, strategic representation for professionals – We know how to maintain privacy, manage public perception, and minimize disruption to your practice.
• Recognized for excellence – Listed in Martindale-Hubbell’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and known in the Chicago legal community for our skill and integrity.
• Deep experience with business and law firm valuations – Our attorneys understand how law practices are structured and how they may be treated in the division of assets.
• Tailored strategies – We build legal strategies around your goals, career demands, and future outlook—not one-size-fits-all solutions.
• Client-focused and responsive – We understand that, as an attorney, your schedule is demanding, and your time is valuable. We work efficiently and communicate clearly.

Protect Your Practice and Your Future

Contact Nottage and Ward, LLP today for discreet representation tailored for legal professionals. Call (312) 332-2915 to learn more.

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How an Experienced Chicago Divorce Attorney Can Help

Even if you practice law, representing yourself in a divorce is risky, especially when the case involves significant assets, professional licenses, children, or a history of conflict.

A seasoned Chicago divorce attorney brings perspective you may not have in your own case. We provide:

• Objective analysis of your financial and legal position
• Experienced negotiation to reach favorable settlements or advocate in court if needed
• Strategic planning for long-term goals, such as parenting time, financial stability, and reputation
• Protection of your interests during asset division, maintenance determinations, and business valuations

With Nottage and Ward, LLP, you’re not just hiring another attorney; you’re gaining a dedicated advocate who will safeguard your future.

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The Division of Assets and Debts in Illinois

Illinois is an equitable distribution state, meaning marital property is divided fairly, though not necessarily equally. For lawyers, this process can be especially nuanced. Marital property may include:

• Real estate
• Retirement accounts and pensions
• Deferred compensation
• Investments and savings
• Law firm ownership interests or revenue shares
• Professional goodwill

We work with financial experts, accountants, and appraisers to evaluate the marital estate thoroughly. If you're a partner, shareholder, or sole practitioner, we ensure your practice and future earning potential are considered and protected appropriately.

We also assist in identifying and defending non-marital assets, such as inheritances, gifts, or pre-marital property that should remain yours alone.

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Valuation of a Law Practice

If you are a law firm partner or sole practitioner, your business may be subject to valuation during divorce. The value of a legal practice includes more than just income. It can also involve:

• Tangible assets (equipment, furniture, accounts receivable)
• Intangible assets (reputation, referral networks, client base)
• Goodwill (especially personal goodwill, which may be argued as non-marital)
• Buy-in or buy-out agreements
• Shareholder agreements and profit-sharing models

Valuing a law practice requires a nuanced understanding of how legal businesses operate, bill, and grow. Each firm has a unique structure, and not all interests are liquid or easily divisible. We carefully examine financial statements, compensation models, and partnership agreements to understand the full picture.

We work with qualified valuation professionals familiar with legal practices to assess the fair market value, determine what is marital versus non-marital, and develop a strategy to equitably divide or offset its value while preserving your professional stability.

When You Are a Partner in a Law Firm

As a law firm partner, your interests may include partnership income, bonuses, capital accounts, and buyout provisions. We understand how to interpret and analyze firm agreements, whether you’re in a small boutique or a large national firm.

Our legal team can help you:

• Distinguish between vested and unvested interests
• Confidently handle partnership issues
• Protect future earnings and contributions
• Address tax implications of partnership distributions

You’ve worked hard to reach your position. We help ensure your future isn’t compromised by misvalued or unfair asset division.

When You Are a Sole Practitioner

Sole practitioners face unique challenges in divorce. Your practice may represent not just your income, but your entire livelihood and professional identity. Unlike partners in larger firms, you carry the full weight of your business’s financial operations, client relationships, and branding. We can assist with:

• Determining whether your law office is considered marital property
• Valuing business goodwill
• Evaluating the impact of your practice's cash flow on spousal maintenance
• Minimizing disruption to your client work and reputation

We also help safeguard client confidentiality and ethical obligations during discovery and valuation. Whether you plan to continue practicing or transition your firm, we’ll help you do so from a position of strength.

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Student Loan Debts

Student loan debt is common in legal careers, and how it's divided depends on several factors. If loans were taken out during the marriage, they may be considered marital debts, even if only one spouse benefited from the education.

We can help you:

• Determine whether the loans are marital or non-marital
• Assess responsibility for repayment
• Address loan payments in the context of maintenance or other support

Every financial decision in your divorce must be made with a complete understanding of its long-term impact.

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Spousal Maintenance in Illinois

In Illinois, spousal maintenance (formerly called alimony) is determined based on several statutory factors, including:

• The length of the marriage
• The income and earning capacity of each spouse
• The standard of living during the marriage
• Contributions to the other spouse’s career

For attorneys, especially those with fluctuating income, it’s essential to accurately present earnings, tax obligations, and career prospects. We help construct fair maintenance proposals and defend against unrealistic demands.

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Complex Finances

Divorcing lawyers often have multi-layered financial pictures that require careful analysis. We routinely handle divorces involving:

• Multiple income sources
• Business ownership
• Stock options and RSUs
• Trusts and inheritances
• Prenuptial agreements
• Significant retirement and investment portfolios

These cases require more than basic asset division; they demand a strategic plan to evaluate both current and future financial interests. For attorneys, this may include profit distributions, deferred compensation, capital accounts, or bonuses tied to performance.

We understand how to identify hidden or misrepresented assets and distinguish between marital and non-marital property. When necessary, we work with forensic accountants, financial analysts, and valuation experts to ensure all data is accurately assessed and presented.

Nottage and Ward, LLP is adept at managing financial disclosures, tax consequences, and the complexities of dividing professional and personal wealth. With the right legal and financial strategy, we help clients reach fair outcomes that reflect the true scope of their financial circumstances—today and long-term.

Divorcing as a Lawyer? You Need More Than Legal Knowledge

Schedule a confidential consultation with a firm that understands what’s at stake: (312) 332-2915.

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Avoiding the Temptation to Represent Yourself

As an attorney, you might be tempted to represent yourself. After all, you know the law. But divorce is emotional. Even the most experienced litigator can make decisions based on frustration, anger, or guilt, and this could lead to avoidable financial or legal missteps.

Representing yourself may also raise ethical questions, especially if your case involves client funds, trust accounts, or professional partnerships. By hiring us, you maintain objectivity, avoid unnecessary conflict, and ensure that your own interests are prioritized. You owe it to yourself to have the same quality of representation that you’d provide your own clients.

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When Children Are Involved

Divorce becomes even more delicate when children are involved. Your role as a parent, and your legal obligations, will be largely determined by Illinois law and your parenting agreement.

Key issues include:

• Allocation of parental responsibilities – Who makes decisions about education, healthcare, and religious upbringing.
• Parenting time – The schedule that determines where your children live and when each parent has time with them.

Even as a legal professional, it’s difficult to anticipate how courts may decide parenting arrangements. We help craft parenting plans that protect your relationship with your children while aligning with the law and their best interests.

We also provide guidance on relocation issues, child support, and parental communication—recognizing that co-parenting success is often built in the early days of a divorce.

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Why You Should See a Lawyer Right Away

Delaying legal counsel can put you at a disadvantage. If your spouse has already retained an attorney, you may be negotiating from behind. The earlier we become involved, the more options we can preserve and the better we can position your case from the outset.

Early consultation also allows us to:

• Identify and protect marital and non-marital assets
• Strategically approach parenting agreements
• Advise you on appropriate conduct to protect your interests
• Prevent costly or irreversible decisions made under stress

Time matters in divorce, and preparation is key. Contacting a knowledgeable divorce lawyer early helps ensure that you stay in control of the process.

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The Emotional Burden of Divorce

As much as lawyers are trained to remain rational and composed, divorce is still deeply personal. It can affect your focus at work, your relationships with clients, and your overall well-being.

We recognize the emotional toll that this process takes. Our role is to reduce your stress by taking on the legal and procedural burdens, keeping you informed without overwhelming you, and offering solutions rather than just processing paperwork. We help you move forward with confidence.

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What Clients Are Saying About Us

I recommend him and his talents with no reservations- Jessica (5-Star Avvo Review)

A GREAT LAWYER! Jeff helped me through a long and protracted divorce. His patience and unerring knowledge and instincts were of great benefit to me. He is a smart, funny man with killer instincts! I recommend him and his talents with no reservations.

She has continuously looked out for my best interests-Anonymous (5-Star Avvo Review)

Leslie has been the strongest representation I could ask for in a very complicated emotional matter. She has continuously looked out for my best interests & the best interest of my son. Always prompt in getting back to me & keeping me well informed.

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Speak With an Experienced Chicago Divorce Lawyer for Attorneys Today

If you’re a lawyer facing divorce in Chicago, the legal team at Nottage and Ward, LLP is here to support and advocate for you.

We have decades of experience guiding professionals through the intricacies of divorce, and we’ll bring that same skill and attention to your case.

Contact us today at (312) 332-2915 to schedule a confidential consultation. Let us help you protect your future, your family, and your practice while you focus on maintaining a successful legal career.

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Meet Our Chicago Divorce Attorneys

Jeffrey Knipmeyer

Jeffrey Knipmeyer brings decades of experience to his role as Managing Partner at Nottage and Ward, LLP, where he focuses exclusively on divorce and family law. Known for his pragmatic counsel and sharp legal insight, Jeffrey has represented clients in some of the most financially and emotionally complex family law matters in the Chicago area.

His practice includes high-net-worth divorce, the allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting time, and the division of business interests, including professional practices. He is particularly skilled at navigating sensitive issues involving business valuation, financial tracing, and post-decree modifications.

Jeffrey’s clients value his clarity, professionalism, and strategic thinking, especially during high-conflict disputes. He approaches every case with a blend of sensitivity and strength, staying focused on long-term outcomes while guiding clients through some of life’s most challenging transitions.

Leslie Fineberg

Leslie Fineberg is a highly-regarded family law attorney and partner at Nottage and Ward, LLP, with more than 25 years of experience representing clients in complex divorce and family law matters throughout the Chicago area. Her practice focuses on high-asset divorce, the allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting time, and post-decree issues, with a particular emphasis on protecting her clients’ financial and parental rights.

Known for her calm, measured approach and attention to detail, Leslie helps clients navigate emotionally charged situations with confidence and clarity. Whether working through sensitive parenting disputes or negotiating the division of substantial assets, she brings a thoughtful and strategic mindset to every case.

Leslie’s clients include professionals, business owners, and individuals with complex financial holdings, who rely on her discretion, sound judgment, and deep understanding of Illinois family law. She is especially skilled in addressing the nuanced legal and emotional aspects of divorce involving children and crafting parenting plans that support stability and well-being.

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Additional Information

• Prenuptial Agreements Among Doctors and Lawyers in Chicago
• Why Attorneys Shouldn’t Represent Themselves in Divorce Cases