JONATHAN MEREL: FOUNDER AND MANAGING PRINCIPAL, MEREL FAMILY LAW

Jonathan Merel’s firm, Merel Family Law, specializes in all aspects of family law proceedings, serving as an advocate to help clients get through one of the most difficult chapters of their lives. “Beyond the divorce itself, there’s the restructuring of families that needs to happen. There’s making sure people don’t walk out of a courtroom worse off than when they walked in. Too many attorneys forget that,” says Merel, who built his stellar reputation by obtaining superb outcomes for his clients in multi-million-dollar marital estates and contested custody suits. In keeping with that philosophy, he took a groundbreaking step by hiring a full-time in-house Divorce Coach to provide clients with emotional support alongside legal advocacy. “It’s a trailblazing hire in the family law industry, and we are thrilled to be on the cutting edge, further bolstering our ability to provide top-notch support to the families of Chicagoland,” says Merel.

Since founding his firm in 2009, Merel Family Law has flourished into one of the premier family law firms in Illinois. Always committed to his clients and their causes, Merel’s philosophy is to build strong, trusting relationships that are founded on compassion, sound legal strategy, and communication. Known as a skillful and aggressive negotiator with strong tenacity, he has an impressive track record of protecting his client’s best interests and helping them meet their legal goals. “I got into family law because I realized most people facing these issues need someone who won’t sugarcoat reality,” says Merel, a thought leader in family law who has been featured on the Today show as well as the Wall Street Journal, Crain’s Chicago Business, and many top-rated podcasts. “I’ve built my firm and my reputation by saying the things most lawyers are too afraid to say.” When settlement is not a viable or reasonable option, Merel’s experience as a zealous courtroom litigator has produced outstanding results. If he could change one thing about the legal system, he says there would be fewer games and less theatrics just for the sake of draining clients’ bank accounts.

For more information, visit merelfamilylaw.com.