Michael John Gauthier

Divorce and separation Attorney at Vernon Hills, IL

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Gauthier Family Law Review

My experience with Gauthier Family Law was excellent. He was a calming and confident presence during very difficult times and court proceedings. He has stood by every one of my requests and guided me through the entire lengthy process. Always responded to me in a timely manner and would even respond on weekends/ when he was out of the office. My needs were put first and I felt like I was treated as a friend rather than a number. My opinions were valued and my doubts were always reassured. My nerves were calmed and the process was always explained. Mr. Gauthier fought hard for me and my daughter. He went above and beyond and did everything he could to ensure a great outcome. I couldn't have asked for a better law firm or attorney.

Top notch law firm

About Michael

Learn Michael’s areas of practice.

Practice areas

Divorce and separation

90%

Divorce, division of assets and debts, maintenance (alimony), child support, parenting time (visitation) and allocation of parental responsibilities

18 years
Family

10%

Post-decree (after divorce) custody, support and maintenance modifications and parentage cases

18 years

AGGRESSIVE, ASSERTIVE AND COMPASSIONATE FAMILY LAW REPRESENTATION

I am a lifelong resident of northern Illinois, having earned my Bachelor of Arts degree from Lake Forest College and my Juris Doctorate from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. I am licensed to practice in the State of Illinois and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and am the recipient of the prestigious CALI Award for his work in Trial Advocacy. I dedicate my practice to family law litigation throughout the courts of Illinois and have represented clients in dozens of appeals before the First and Second Appellate Districts of Illinois as well as the Illinois Supreme Court.

Awards

Client's Choice

2022 2021 2020 + 4 ...

Top Contributor

2012

Photos and videos

Licensed for 16 years

State IL

Status Active and Authorized to Practice Law

Acquired 2006

Updated 01/06/2023

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

Contact Michael

Gauthier Family Law

(847) 550-3772 Office

(847) 557-4090 Fax

270 Center Drive

Suite 220

Vernon Hills, IL, 60061

gauthierfamilylaw.com/About/

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Reviews

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4.8 / 5.0

74 customer reviews

5 Star

95%

4 Star

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Client's Choice

Michael received a significant number of 4+ stars in 2022

Posted by Ellen | September 2, 2022

Gauthier Family Law Review

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Posted by Javier | September 1, 2022

Top notch law firm

My experience with Mike and his team has been amazing. From day one, I felt like I had a strong and knowledgeable team by my side. They understood my concerns and worked tirelessly to ensure the outcome of my case worked favorably on my side. Thank you guys so much! Highly recommend this firm!

Posted by Laura W. | August 29, 2022

Professional, Responsive and Kind

Mr. Gauthier and his staff helped me through a stressful legal matter with kindness and absolute professionalism. Mr. Gauthier gave invaluable guidance, and was responsive to any questions I had. The legal staff kept me informed at all times about filings and forms. I never felt confused about what was happening in my case which gave me peace of mind and confidence in the steps I was taking. I am grateful to have been represented by Mr. Gauthier and his team and highly recommend his services.

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Posted by Pricilla | August 16, 2022

Fantastic Representation!!!

I was extremely pleased with Michael & his team's support during my journey through court. I picked them based on my observations during a court appearance & they represented someone else. I inquired for a consultation and the rest is history. They IMMEDIATELY made me feel heard, they walked me through the expectations of what will happen during court and definitely talked me out of things that weren't in the best interest of me or my child. Overall, they were welcoming and I would for sure recommend Gauthier Family Law to anyone I know going through the same thing! Thank you for your much needed support!

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Posted by Christian | July 18, 2022

Highly recommend

I want to take this opportunity to share a few words about my experience with the Gauthier Law Firm. I hired Mr. Gauthier to represent me in a legal matter. This was my first time navigating a legal matter and I felt very grateful to have had Mr. Gauthier and his team by my side, guiding me every step of the way throughout this difficult time. Mr. Gauthier always took the time and energy to walk me through his thought process and made me an integral part of the decision making. The representation exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend Mr. Gauthier to anyone looking for a professional family lawyer who truly cares about his clients and who has the skills and knowledge to make sure they are treated fairly.

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Posted by Richard | July 11, 2022

Amazing Lawyer Firm!!!

Mike, Maryam and Katherine were awesome!! They are extremely professional and personable. They gave me sound advice and I would recommend them to anyone that is going through a divorce! From the beginning steps to the final filing they were amazing!

Posted by Michele | June 6, 2022

A fair and relatively pain free divorce

Mike and his team worked as a super team to help me through my divorce. They kept me in the loop and fought for my rights. Positive outcome and would like to commend Maryam for her extra hard work and efforts to keep me sane.

Posted by Richard | May 23, 2022

Highly Recommend

Michael and his team were a pleasure to work with. Start to finish, my entire divorce process was professional and done in a timely manner. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a professional and courteous Lawyer/Law Firm.

Posted by Kelly | April 14, 2022

Need help with a difficult ex-spouse or family law issue? Well, look no more! Michael John Gauthier is the Attorney for YOU!

Mike (and team) were incredible to work with on a very frustrating and complicated case. I was often worried, concerned, scared even, of what the end result would be and Mike was consistently kind and patient and talked me through it all so that I understood everything. He not only guided me, he counseled me on how to make the best decision for my situation, and truly helped us get the results that were right for me and my family. Everything that Mike told me would happen in court, was exactly what happened. Having a supportive attorney really is worth it's weight in gold, and Mike totally came through for us. I will recommend Michael John Gauthier's family law firm to anyone who needs family law support. Highly recommend!

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Posted by Alyssa | February 2, 2022

Highly recommend

As a younger parent trying to navigate the world of family court alone, I was very nervous and scared, consults with several lawyers never left me feeling heard or reassured about where bringing out issues to court would take me, until I hired Mike. He absolutely went above and beyond for my case. He’s very transparent and gave me the tools I needed to make informed choices regarding our case. Not only was he thorough and brought up potential issues to address that I hadn’t even thought of, but he made sure that I understood the law myself. Any questions I had he would not only answer but provide resources and references for me to look at to get a full understanding. Mike has been very responsive throughout the entire process. I’ve heard of firms that will take your money and do the bare minimum, but Mike truly makes you feel like you’re his only client and a top priority. His office staff was also very responsive and helpful when he was unavailable. After hiring Mike I felt empowered and confident in where the case was heading. From start to finish it’s only been a few months and so much more stress free than if I tried to go into this alone. I highly recommend him to anyone, and if need be he would be the only lawyer I would consider hiring in the future. I am so much more appreciative of Mike and his staff than they will ever know.

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Posted by Sujata | January 21, 2022

Thank you!

I hired Mr. Gauthier after consulting with multiple lawyers. My consultation was informative and gave me both a best case scenario and a realistic scenario should the case drag on due to custody and my husband's lack of agreement. In the end I'm so happy I picked him because he successfully got me a divorce in 6 months and did so fast and efficiently that I could afford it. I would highly recommend him to anyone who needs a fast and efficient divorce, and wants an empathetic lawyer who cares about your interest and not just getting paid.

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Posted by Jennifer | January 16, 2022

Professional and Helpful

I hired Gauthier Family Law to handle my sons custody case. We decided to move out of state which is never easy in the case of a child but Mr. Gauthier was wonderful. He walked me through the process and made me feel at ease. I was happy with the outcome and his team members are also amazing. Maryam and Katherine were always there to answer my questions and make sure I understood what happened at court and what our next steps were.

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Posted by Corrie | January 10, 2022

Highly recommended

I am extremely satisfied with Michael Gauthier. He was very knowledgeable. I truly appreciated how straightforward and honest he was about how things would go or could go. His staff knew my name when I called. They would have my file pulled up and were familiar with my case. They were able to help direct me with any questions I had. I highly recommended Michael Gauthier.

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Posted by Brooke | August 23, 2021

Highly Recommend

I have nothing but amazing things to say about Gauthier Family Law. They are all extremely professional and super helpful with any questions you have. When I reached out for my consultation initially he was extremely helpful, he explained everything to me as much as a I needed it, given the fact that I’m not a lawyer, all the lawyer talk makes about no sense to me so he was super helpful with all of that. I had so much stress taken off of me after this point. My case was over quickly and easily. I would 100% recommend anybody I know to Gauthier Family Law.

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Posted by Allison | August 10, 2021

Divorced in Three Months! (:

Mike was able to get me through a divorce in three months and I was told by others it would be a longer process! Mike is very professional and updated me throughout this entire process! I NEVER felt like a bother to Mike and was able to be very opened with any questions or problems (from my ex husband) that I was having! Mike took care of everything right away when I brought it to his attention! Thank you Mike and your team at Gauthier family law! THEY ARE YOUR TEAM if you need anything!

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Posted by Scott Clark | August 5, 2021

Gauthier Family Law Divorce Attorney

This was my first time ever needing a attorney & I reached out to Gauthier Family Law... They were VERY professional from beginning till the end... In my case I used Michael Gauthier for a Divorce & I never had to miss work for court Michael was always there for me & always had my back & was very professional in every way...His assistant Katherine is also very professional & was always there to answer the phone if I had a question that she always helped me out with... Gauthier Family Law was very professional & fair with prices & I would refer them to anyone...I was very Happy...Thank you Again Gauthier Family Law

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Posted by Izabela | August 5, 2021

Thank you

He sand all the motions that I requested he help me reserve child support and good visiting schedule , he aswer all my questions and explained me everything that I didn't understand . It was really easy to communicate with Mike and he did great job .

Posted by Gwen | August 3, 2021

Divorce attorney

Mike was absolutely wonderful during my entire divorce process. The office staff was always friendly, helpful and prompt in responses. I contacted Mike on many occasions with questions in regards to the proceedings and he always had a quick response. I would recommend his firm to anyone who is going through a divorce.

Posted by Abraham | July 12, 2021

Best possible outcome

Mike and Gauthier Family Law as a whole helped get my family through very rough custody case that also involved an order of protection. Throughout the entire ordeal Mike and his team were very pleasant to deal with and prompt with responses to any questions I had. I would highly recommend. Thank you Mike.

Posted by Sean | June 21, 2021

Gauthier Family Law Review

I had an excellent experience with Gauthier Family Law. Mike and his staff were very responsive to my questions and attentive to my case. The work done by the firm was professional and it was clear that they are very experienced. Mike worked closely with me as my needs changed throughout my case, and I always felt that he had my best interests in mind. Highly recommend for any family law needs.

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Cost

Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

Attorney
Gauthier Family Law
2017 - Present

Senior Attorney
Law Firm of Wendy R. Morgan
2010 - 2010

Attorney Founder
Gauthier & Gooch
2010 - 2017

Attorney
Wakenight & Associates, P.C.
2009 - 2010

Attorney
Law Offices of Thomas W. Gooch, III
2005 - 2009

View all work experience

Education

Chicago-Kent College of Law Illinois Institute of Technology
J.D.
2005

Lake Forest College
BA - Bachelor of Arts
2000

University of Havana
N/A

Legal Cases

Katten v. All Pro
Bench Trial

LeRose v. McDonnell
Settlement in favor of client

Buffalo v. Citgo
Settlement in favor of client

View all legal cases

Associations

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Member of Trial Bar
2012 - Present

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Admitted to Practice
2012 - Present

Volunteer Voter Protection Legal Team
Volunteer Attorney
2012 - Present

Lake County Bar Association
Member
2005 - Present

Chicago Bar Association
Member
2005 - Present

American Bar Association
Member
2005 - Present

Illinois State Bar Association
Member
2005 - Present

Libertyville Boys Club Football
Head Football Coach
1998 - 2000

View all associations

Languages Spoken

English

Honors and Awards

Top 10 Attorneys Under 40
National Academy Of Family Law Attorneys
2015

Nation's Top One Percent
National Association of Distinguished Counsel
2015

Top 40 Lawyers Under 40
American Society of Legal Advocates
2014

BV Rated
Martindale-Hubbell
2014

Featured Attorney- Divorce
Avvo
2013

Top Contributor - Divorce
Avvo
2013

Certified Small Claims Mediator
19th Judicial Circuit
2012

Named Member of ABA Advisory Panel
American Bar Association
2012

Granted Admission
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
2012

Certified Arbitrator
Circuit Court of Cook County
2012

Named to the Trial Bar
United States District Court
2012

Certified Arbitrator
19th Judicial Circuit
2011

Fastcase50 Nominee
Fastcase
2011

Dean's Honor List
Chicago-Kent College of Law
2005

Dean's Honor List
Chicago-Kent College of Law
2004

Cali Award for Excellence
Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction
2004

Academic Scholar Award
Chicago-Kent College of Law
2002

Deerpath Award
Lake Forest College
1996

View all awards

Publications

Windy City Times
Same-Sex Divorce: When there isn't a happily ever after
2015

Lake County Suburban Life
Downtown Sign Prompts Police Visit
2014

Cook County Record
Riffner Barber Rowden Sued for Malpractice
2014

Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
Oral Contracts Increase Accountants' Exposure to Breach of Duty Claims
2013

Illinois Appellate Court
Miller v. Harris
2013

Illinois Appellate Court 2nd Dist
Hoch v. Boehme
2013

Appellate Court of Illinois, 2nd District
Timan v. Ourada
2012

Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
Issues involving multiple cases throughout Chicagoland
2011

Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Chicago Sun-Times, London Daily Mail
Multiple issues in cases in Cook County
2011

Jezebel
Motion to Dismiss
2011

Above the Law
Motion of the Day
2011

Appellate Court, 2nd District
Christopherson v. Franklin
2011

Illinois State Bar Association
Voluntary Nonsuit? You'd Better Think Twice (Cited through Kasny v. Coonen & Roth)
2010

Illinois Appellate Court, 2nd District
Kasny v. Coonen & Roth
2009

Grand Central Publishing
The Genesis of Justice (contribution)
2001

View all publications

Speaking Engagements

Appellate Court, Second Distrist
Christopherson v. Franklin - oral argument of professional malpractice appeal
2011

Libertyville High School
Racial and Economic Relations in Cuba
N/A

Attorney endorsements

Received (51)

Given (131)

Endorse Michael

Michael Salvi

Litigation Attorney | Oct 05
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Mike is a smart lawyer who fights hard for his clients. Every time I see him arguing a motion I am impressed. The judges respect him because he's prepared and presents his case in a logical, persuasive way. Thus, he wins, a lot."

Marc McCallister

Divorce and separation Attorney | Oct 24
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

John Borcia

Divorce and separation Attorney | Feb 24
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Jeannie Ridings

Litigation Attorney | Nov 21
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Douglas Borthwick

Personal injury Attorney | Nov 18
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Saam Ghiaasiaan

Unknown Attorney | Jul 19
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Michael is a sharp witted, outside-the-box thinker who brings these attributes to the table for his clients' benefit."

Richard Rosenstein

Unknown Attorney | Jun 04
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Gauthier is a skilled and respected member of the legal community. He is a zealous advocate for the rights and interests of his clients."

John O'Brien

Divorce and separation Attorney | Jun 04
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"An extremely talented and well respected attorney in the legal community, I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone looking for a lawyer who knows the law and truly cares about protecting the rights of his clients and getting them the most favorable result possible."

Thomas Gooch

Litigation Attorney | May 02
Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer. I work with him. He's one of the best"

Sean Cleary

Divorce and separation Attorney | Apr 24
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. A brilliant and highly respected attorney in the legal community."

David Carrier

Divorce and separation Attorney | Oct 03
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Martin Osinski

Unknown Attorney | Sep 05
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Bryce Fetter

Family Attorney | Apr 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

John Phillips

Unknown Attorney | Aug 27
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Attorney Gauthier. From his answers and time on Avvo, it is clear he is dedicated to serving those in need and his clients. It's rare that lawyers spend so much valuable time helping the community, for free, and I applaud him for doing it to such a great level. Kudos."

Baskin Jones

Family Attorney | May 07
Relationship: Other

"If you need a family law attorney in Illinois, may I suggest Michael John Gauthier."

Jorge Rodriguez

Family Attorney | Apr 22
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Family law questions can be stressful. Attorney Gauthier knows the law and can successfully guide you through your legal situation."

Jon Pettis

Unknown Attorney | Apr 20
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Michael Duffy

Unknown Attorney | Apr 05
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Joan Bundy

Family Attorney | Apr 02
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. He always has intelligent and helpful things to say in response to questions posed by members of the public on Avvo. I would recommend his work without reservation."