Family · Chicago
Top Family Lawyers in Chicago
Family lawyers advise on relationships and children: custody and parenting time, child support, adoption, guardianship and domestic-violence protection. This list compares 48 family lawyers practising in Chicago on verified licences, years in this area, focus and sourced reputation.
- Updated 19 Oct 2026
- Ranking v1.0.0
- How we rank
- lawyers considered
- 48
- 23 verified licences
- 48%
- average years in practice
- 14
The ranking
Score out of 100- 1
- 2
Clara Quinn
VerifiedAssociate
Quill & Brook LLP27 yrs in practice4.1(9)FamilyImmigrationPersonal Injury+1 moreSpeaks English, Russian
- 3
Olivia Delgado
Out of dateSenior Associate
Vance & Granger LLP30 yrs in practice4.8(25)FamilyBusinessDivorce+1 more - 4
Julia Okafor
VerifiedSenior Associate
Brook Law Group37 yrs in practiceFamilyDivorceSpeaks English, Arabic
- 5
Benjamin Moreau
Out of datePartner
Marlow Law Group31 yrs in practice4.2(22)FamilyCriminal DefenseReal EstateSpeaks English, Russian
- 6
- 7
- 8
Hugo Ramirez
VerifiedSenior Associate
Calder Law Group15 yrs in practice4.0(1)FamilyChild CustodyReal Estate - 9
Aisha Bennett
Out of dateFounding Attorney
Vance & Granger LLP35 yrs in practice4.3(2)FamilySpeaks English, French
- 10
Adaeze E. Shapiro
VerifiedOf Counsel
Prescott Law Group38 yrs in practice4.7(11)Child CustodyEmploymentFamilySpeaks English, Tagalog
- 11
Adaeze Vance
VerifiedPrincipal Lawyer
9 yrs in practice4.6(11)FamilyCriminal DefenseSpeaks English, Tagalog
- 12
- 13
Wei E. Nakamura
PendingAssociate
Sterling & Granger LLP32 yrs in practice4.8(20)FamilyImmigrationSpeaks English, Korean
- 14
- 15
Leila Nakamura
VerifiedPrincipal Lawyer
Vance & Granger LLP3.0(1)FamilyBusinessChild Custody+1 moreSpeaks English, Tagalog
- 16
Hiroshi R. Okafor
VerifiedOf Counsel
Sterling & Granger LLP26 yrs in practice4.4(18)Personal InjuryCriminal DefenseFamilySpeaks English, French
- 17
David Ashford
VerifiedManaging Partner
Sterling Law Group27 yrs in practice3.3(8)ImmigrationChild CustodyEmployment+1 moreSpeaks English, French
- 18
Rafael Sorensen
UnverifiedFounding Attorney
Vance Law Group18 yrs in practice4.7(15)FamilyChild Custody - 19
Amara Pemberton
VerifiedAssociate
Redfern & Ashby LLP26 yrs in practice3.5(1)Criminal DefenseFamilyImmigrationSpeaks English, Russian
- 20
Thomas J. Abernathy
VerifiedAssociate
Calder Law Group25 yrs in practice4.0(9)BusinessChild CustodyFamily+1 moreSpeaks English, Mandarin
- 21
Anika Whitaker
VerifiedOf Counsel
Vance & Granger LLP32 yrs in practice4.7(9)Criminal DefenseFamilyImmigration - 22
- 23
- 24
Omar Stavros
VerifiedPartner
Merritt & Ashby LLP14 yrs in practice3.0(2)Personal InjuryEstate PlanningFamily+1 more - 25
How we rank
Each lawyer gets nine component scores from 0 to 100. The bar shows how many of the 100 available points each component contributed. Weights are fixed for every lawyer in this list and published in full; payment plays no part.
Expertise50%
- Credentials20%
- Relevant experience15%
- Specialization15%
Standing35%
- Verified reputation15%
- Professional recognition10%
- Relevant track record10%
Service & data15%
- Client experience5%
- Profile & data quality5%
- Data freshness5%
Chicago legal resources
- Illinois State Bar Association
Statewide bar association.
- Chicago Bar Association
Lawyer referral service.
- ARDC of the Supreme Court of Illinois
Lawyer registration search and disciplinary records.
Choosing a family lawyer
Family cases are often decided by local judges with wide discretion, so local courtroom experience matters. Ask whether the lawyer offers mediation or collaborative law, and how they keep children out of the conflict. Confirm who on the team will actually handle your file day to day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a family lawyer and a divorce lawyer?
Divorce is one part of family law. Family lawyers also handle custody between unmarried parents, adoption, guardianship and protection orders.
Can custody arrangements be changed later?
Usually yes, if circumstances change significantly. The court applies the best interests of the child when deciding whether to modify an order.