Financial Acumen to
Serve High-Net-Worth Professionals
Vanessa has significant experience handling complex financial divorce cases including sophisticated family estate plans, valuation issues, and forensic tracing. Her wealth of experience allows her to handle unique compensation structures of business and financial sector executives, entrepreneurs, physicians, and other high-net-worth professionals.
Success with Contentious
Child-Related Conflicts
In addition to her financial acumen, Vanessa has a significant record of success handling high-conflict contested allocation of parental responsibilities (custody), parenting time (visitation), and relocation cases. She has also prosecuted and defended matters involving international kidnapping and wrongful retention cases brought under the Hague Convention, in both state and federal court, as well as interstate child custody litigation under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA).
Mediation and
Child Representation
In addition to her litigation practice, Vanessa is also a trained mediator and offers mediation services to help families resolve property and/or child related disputes. Vanessa also serves, at the discretion of the Court, as a Guardian Ad Litem/Child Representative in both Cook and DuPage counties.
Parenting Coordinator
and Co-Parenting Consulting
Whether you are contemplating divorce or whether you are in the throes of litigation, the legal process can be overwhelming and nerve-wracking when children are involved. Even when your family law matter has concluded and a judgment has been entered, the process of implementing your written parenting plan on a day to day basis can seem daunting.
As a divorced parent herself, Vanessa brings a unique perspective in order to assist families in learning how to navigate parenting issues before, during, and after the divorce process with an eye toward facilitating a peaceful and effective co-parenting relationship.
Serving Clients in Illinois and Texas
Vanessa received her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center and is licensed to practice in Illinois and Texas and in the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of Texas. Vanessa is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mexican-American Studies.
Highly Regarded in the Field of Family Law
Vanessa’s ability to guide clients through divorce-related matters and effectively handle their unique circumstances has been widely recognized. She has been selected as:
Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Illinois Chapter)
Illinois Super Lawyer 2018- 2021
Emerging Lawyer 2017- 2019, Leading Lawyers Network
Best Lawyers, Selected 2019-2020
Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star 2017
Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star for 2012-2013