Jody L. Usow

Jody is smart, down to earth, extremely intelligent, and very very good at her job. I knew my relationship wasn't in the best place, but I did not realize I was soon going to be in a battle for my house and most importantly my children. I wasn't sure how to go about finding the correct lawyer. I did... the normal googling and had several consultations. My consultation with Jody really stood out. I could tell she was genuine and most importantly to me she had this passion about fighting for me to help me get what was fair and what I deserved. It was obvious from a short conversation just how knowledgeable she was. I knew I wanted Jody and her team to represent me. Right from the beginning she helped break down the laws so they were easier to understand and she helped guide me through the process. There was a point where I was fearful of being removed from my own house for no explainable reason. I was not in a great place. Jody took the time to send multiple emails attempting to keep me calm and level headed. She helped show me the bigger picture and really helped guide me through these tough times. I can't even explain how stressful certain moments of this process were, but again Jody had a way about her to keep me moving forward. She was 100% dead on with everything that she told me and all of the pointers that she gave me. It is extremely apparent how much experience that she has and how good she is at looking into every aspect of each and every situation. She caught numerous things in the financials and data that I sent her that would benefit me. I could go on and on with how good Jody is and how much she helped me out. There is just something different about her. She has an inner fire or passion that is hard to describe. The best way I can put it is, she will fight and most likely get for you everything that you deserve. I did also want to say that her paralegal Nick is a great guy as well. I believe Jody was mid trial when I called in after finding out some terrible news of what my wife was trying to pull over on me, and Nick had great words of wisdom and was able to get feedback very quickly from Jody as well. I just can't say enough good things about these two. They helped me out so much with everything, I am extremely grateful to have had them by my side through one of the most trying moments of my life. Thank you Jody and Nick!

Leaving a review for a law firm that helped secure and solidify the future for me and my children is a passionate process for me. When you are going through the most difficult time in your life, it’s overwhelming to have to make decisions relating to your separation or divorce. It’s intimidating to... have child custody paperwork and meetings that impact your children in the present and future world in which they must adjust. It goes without saying that it is vital to attain counsel you can trust. Jody Usow is a dynamic lawyer with a wealth of knowledge vital for operating in the world of divorce and child custody in Wisconsin. I learned fast that Jody has an organic process that alleviates the intimidating process of divorce. My initial consultation with Jody took place at a time where I was emotionally unstable and intimated by fast approaching court appearances and deadlines. Jody does not spend time with the minutia that exists between parties, but on a staunch conviction that the facts and realities of your current situation will be the foundation of your approach for the entirety of the process. I found this approach to be effective in the divorce process itself, and for me personally. One of the most exceptional traits that Jody has in her arsenal is the ability to find the things in your life that you thought futile or irrelevant, and maximizing their significance as they apply to the terms of the divorce. This unique skill set is a testament to years of experience litigating in the state of Wisconsin and working closely with families to meet their needs. Jody communicates effectively with you - explaining your options. Jody communicates promptly and respectably with your spouses attorney, something I appreciate to this day as it has a lasting effect on the relationship between parties. I found Jody to pe particularly pleasant to deal with in the areas of property division, maintenance and child placement. Jody uses an eclectic blend of skills that made for a particularly effective representation of a father that spent most of his time caring for kids. The relationships that Jody has developed in her years of practicing family law proved critical in the process involving our children. A guardian ad litem was made part of the process and we were able to effectively communicate with her and make known the challenges surrounding our situation. It was evident to that Jody was exceptionally respectful and sensitive when it came to this, and once she felt like the GAL would help to investigate and represent the best interest of the children, that is what we did. The world is evolving at an incredible rate and views on divorce are always changing. The word ‘divorce’ has such an unpleasant vibration, and the stigma around it is real. But for me, I will always remember that in the most trying time of my life, I had a lawyer that genuinely focused on my divorce and made me and my family a priority. I was more than thrilled with the placement of the children. In the end I found the alimony agreement reached to be reasonable and effective for all parties, and the property division was fair and efficient. One year after my divorce is when I am really able to see the range of effectiveness Jody Usow has had on the lives of both me and my children. Every single aspect of the divorce has proven to have been navigated in a responsible way that put everyone in a position to be as happy and successful as possible. There are indisputable challenges for both spouses when the process of divorce takes place, and I could not be more passionate about recommending Jody Usow to anyone in the Greater Milwaukee Area that is proceeding with the process. Jody operates with a particular level of civility and advocacy that allows for a safe and responsible process.

Jody is very responsive and takes the time to listen, in addition to inquiring on all aspects of the legal matter. She also reviewed and wanted to have full information about all of the events and circumstances creating the legal matter. Additionally, she completely advised all of the possible and li...kely outcome scenarios for our case. Eliminating surprises is a very comforting thing in a stressful legal situation, and her understanding of the legal landscape, along with her familiarity of the entire legal community gave us confidence in her representation.

My case was a very complicated case trying to protect my young daughter from abuse. I went through several family law attorneys (five in total!) that lacked the know how or skills for the challenge and instead tried to convince me that I had already done everything I could to protect her. By the... time I came to Jody, my child's situation seemed very bleak. I was emotionally drained and feeling almost hopeless, but Jody turned things around completely by the time we reached our final trial. Jody was always straight forward, never one to tell me what I wanted to hear but what I NEEDED to hear keeping me focused on what mattered most. She is savy, tough, clearly we'll versed in family law and has a great presence in the court room. My child is finally safe now because of Jody's fearlessness and dedication.

Jody and Nick are an amazing team! They are professional, knowledgeable but also empathic and personable. Jody represented me on two cases. My divorce dragged on for years even though we were ready to come to a reasonable agreement with the other party within months of the initial filing. She... didn’t hold back on bluntly telling me “you can’t do that” or “that’s not how it works” when I was misguided - but she did the same when my ex’s filings intimidated me unnecessarily. When yet a new filing or demand scared me, she could explain in simple terms why I didn't have to worry. Thanks to her many years of experience, she knows the law and workings of the court thoroughly and also has good professional relationships with other lawyers and court officials. So I was constantly reassured and had correct expectations set - expectations that were exceeded when the final order was made! I’ve told many people that my lawyer was many times more beneficial for my mental health than my therapist, friends and family combined :) To be fair, we had a blundering opponent - who basically told the judge that his feelings should trump the law - but Jody and Nick’s assistance in navigating the years of filings and demands was invaluable regardless. It also helped that I had an organized archive of emails, documents, screenshots. For example, when Jody would discuss two possible responses to yet another filing, I could quickly send relevant documentation to decide on our response. On her part, she was fast and efficient with no needless meandering - always to the point, always on top of the case. I feel incredibly grateful for her to have represented me.