Neal Adam Simon

Neal Adam Simon

5.0
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 22 years

Divorce and separation Lawyer at Northfield, IL
Practice Areas: Divorce & Separation, Family, Mediation ... +5 more

1., Northfield, IL

About Neal

Biography

Fees and Rates

Cost

Hourly Rates

$ 250-350 per hour


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in Illinois for 22 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 2003

Active and Authorized to Practice Law

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Neal Adam Simon

1., Northfield, IL, 60093

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Neal Adam Simon's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

89 Client Reviews

Showing 26 - 30 of 39 reviews | Case Results

Posted by Jennifer | October 25, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Easy to work with

Mr. Neal Simon met me with me and we reviewed my initial divorce case, I left feeling confident and hired him shortly after.he was always responsive and so was his whole team. He helped me negative the legal processes with ease, and was willing to work within my budgets and always left me feeling sur...e of what the next step was. He helped recommend the best way to get our case through quickly and that's exactly how things went Highly recommend Mr. Simon.

Posted by anonymous | October 19, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Great experience under the circumstances!

Neal was personable, attentive and my divorce was finalized quickly. He was quick to reply to emails and phone messages. Neal made me feel comfortable in an uncomfortable situation and explained everything clearly.

Posted by Patrick | February 27, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Veteran family law attorney: Experienced, compassionate and of strong integrity!!

Dr. Neal Simon was the attorney that I hired for my divorce case. I found Ventrelli Simon Family & Divorce Law Firm through Avvo.com where I read many positive reviews about the firm. So I called and met with Dr. Simon. As of today, my case has already been completed with success. It was quite a *REL...IEF* to have him on my side during this stressful and painful period of my life. Dr. Simon fully understood all the difficulties that I was experiencing as a client and made all his efforts to help me get out of that *BIG MESS*. Dr. Simon is a senior attorney with many years of legal experience in family law in Illinois and a high level of professionalism as a legal counsel. He is extremely skillful in designing strategies which will work as anticipated. He is also instrumental in persuading the other party to accept proposed agreements. Thanks to his legal expertise, for my case, it took just a little bit over 1.5 months to reach an agreement with the other party and to have the marriage dissolution order entered. At the end of the litigation, he also prevented me from being *harmed* by several other unreasonable requests from the other party, which really helped me out. Dr. Simon is an understanding person. During the course of my case, I mostly resided in another state about over 1,000 miles away from Illinois where the lawsuit was filed. Because it was a long distance lawsuit, I could not show up for most of the court hearings and was very concerned that the case would take forever to complete. Dr. Simon understood my concerns. He kept me well informed about the entire process in a timely manner, from each court order to each single E-mail communication with the other party. In addition, more importantly, he provided me with plenty of workable strategic advice on avoiding delays and expediting the litigation process. Dr. Simon is detail-oriented. As is typical in a divorce case, there are so many details in the final judgement and agreement that even a very minor change in language/wording could have a deep impact on the client’s obligations under the order. As for my case, Dr. Simon was able to foresee each and every (even remote) chance which the other party could possibly take advantage of and he was always able to come up with a solution to prevent me from becoming vulnerable. Among others, two specific examples from just the final prove-up hearing: 1) He asked me to verbally and clearly recite to the other party my E-mail address in front of the judge to avoid ever being held responsible by the other party for not providing sufficient information to effectuate and fulfil one of the terms in the agreement; 2) He helped me document every item that I handed over to the other party and had the other party sign a receipt that he drafted spontaneously right after the hearing Dr. Simon was conscientious (i.e., careful) about incurring attorney fees and was honest with me about how much was spent on what services. He would not incur fees unless the services were/would be necessary in bringing the case to completion in my favor. I was able to see the rationale/usefulness of each step he suggested. As a cost-sensitive person, I always carefully reviewed each invoice from him and compared the invoice items with what I had received: E-mails, letters, etc. I found they matched well. Each and every item listed in the invoice was justifiable by concrete evidences. So, I was never worried about being over-charged. To sum up, Dr. Neal Simon is a veteran attorney with a high level of legal expertise, a great sense of compassion, and is a person of strong integrity. Because my divorce case went through smoothly, I had full confidence in his work throughout the entire litigation. I am very satisfied with the final results. Therefore, I strongly recommend Dr. Neal Simon to whoever is starting to feel the stress and pains from the divorce lawsuit. He will be able to protect you and help you get out of that big mess *FAST AND EASY*.

Posted by John | November 15, 2016 | Divorce & Separation

Divorce

Neal from the start to the finish was extremely helpful and professional during a difficult time. He took the time to listen to my concerns and provided an excellent inital consultation which aloud me to fully understand the process. He took the time to help me see this difficult situation without e...motion so that the best outcome could be obtained. He was very fair with his billing methods and was within pennies of what he had quoted as the total cost for my divorce. I can't thank him enough for his professionalism. I could not have asked for a better outcome during the most difficult time of my life.

Posted by Boris | November 08, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Can't recommend highly enough

I went through a divorce that was (like many I hear) supposed to take a couple months, and ended up taking a couple years. I had a different attorney prior to Neal, and after 9 months of very little movement and very high bills I switched to Neal. A few weeks after I hired him, the case started movin...g in the right direction. He built a constructive relationship with opposing counsel instead of antagonizing them, yet fought for every point that mattered to me, while always strategizing intelligently. In addition he was constantly focused on keeping things affordable. In the end he did 80% of the work on the case, and billed me 50% less than my initial attorney. Really a standout in a world populated by a lot of dishonest and/or incompetent people.

See All Client Reviews

Neal Adam Simon's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Neal
L. Steven Rakowski headshot
L. Steven Rakowski

Divorce and separation lawyer | Feb 09

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Neal and I had a very difficult case. He exhibited patience and diligence while appropriately advocating for his client. He possesses the rare quality of compassion."

Joseph Pierce O'Brien headshot
Joseph O'Brien

Marriage and prenuptials lawyer | Mar 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Melanie Caspi headshot
Melanie Caspi

Family lawyer | May 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. I have worked with Neal for years. He is a quality, honest and thoughtful attorney. He cares about his clients and the results."

Bradley Robert Kaye headshot
Bradley Kaye

Family lawyer | Jun 20

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Neal is a bright and honest attorney. A great guy to have on your side!"

Cecilia Hynes Griffin headshot
Cecilia Griffin

Family lawyer | Jul 01

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Neal is an excellent attorney with expansive knowledge of the area of family law. As a result he is able to negotiate very effectively on behalf of his clients. I endorse Neal Simon."

Robert D. Carroll headshot
Robert Carroll

Family lawyer | Jun 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Neal is a very experienced, talented and smart attorney. He really cares about his clients and is excellent at communicating with them. I highly recommend him."

Joshua Michael Jackson headshot
Joshua Jackson

Family lawyer | Nov 25

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer."

Michael S. Strauss headshot
Michael Strauss

Divorce and separation lawyer | Oct 11

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I endorse this lawyer."

Jerald Kessler headshot
Jerald Kessler

Family lawyer | May 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Neal Simon is a talented family law attorney, well respected by his peers. He is thoughtful, knowledgeable and conscientious. He listens to his clients and provides sound, practical advice. His clients always speak favorably about him."

Jason Nathaniel Sposeep headshot
Jason Sposeep

Divorce and separation lawyer | Mar 21

Relationship: Co-worker

"Neal is very client centric and a great listener. I would highly reccomend this good man. Always a pleasure to work with."

David Samuel Kerpel headshot
David Kerpel

Divorce and separation lawyer | Mar 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Having known Neal Simon for most of his law career, I am confident that anyone who hires him will be in excellent hands. Neal Simon has the unique experience and abilities to handle any type of case- whether it is a complex, multi-million dollar estate, to a simple, uncontested divorce. Having previously worked for a high-end divorce firm, Neal brings great experience, with a reasonable hourly rate. I recommend Neal Simon with the highest regard."

Mario Raymond Ventrelli headshot
Mario Ventrelli

Family lawyer | Mar 01

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"A diligent and hardworking lawyer"

View All Endorsements
Nicholas Michael Pugesek headshot
Nicholas Pugesek

Family lawyer

Joshua Michael Jackson headshot
Joshua Jackson

Family lawyer

Melanie Caspi headshot
Melanie Caspi

Divorce and separation lawyer

Jonathan Brian Merel headshot
Jonathan Merel

Divorce and separation lawyer

Bradley Robert Kaye headshot
Bradley Kaye

Divorce and separation lawyer

Sarah Kahn headshot
Sarah Kahn

Divorce and separation lawyer

Cecilia Hynes Griffin headshot
Cecilia Griffin

Family lawyer

Kristie Cary Fingerhut headshot
Kristie Fingerhut

Divorce and separation lawyer

Robert B Buchanan headshot
Robert Buchanan

Divorce and separation lawyer

Robert D. Carroll headshot
Robert Carroll

Litigation lawyer

Jerald Kessler headshot
Jerald Kessler

Family lawyer

Jason R. Mercure headshot
Jason Mercure

Family lawyer

Stewart Jason Auslander headshot
Stewart Auslander

Divorce and separation lawyer

Gregory C. Maksimuk headshot
Gregory Maksimuk

Divorce and separation lawyer

Michael S. Strauss headshot
Michael Strauss

Divorce and separation lawyer

Jason Nathaniel Sposeep headshot
Jason Sposeep

Family lawyer

Jonathan Douglas Nye headshot
Jonathan Nye

Family lawyer

David Samuel Kerpel headshot
David Kerpel

Family lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2025

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2024

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2024

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2023

Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers in America

2023

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2023

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2022

Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers in America

2022

Avvo Client's Choice 2022, Avvo

2022

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2022

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2021

Best Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America

2021

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2021

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2021

Avvo Client's Choice 2021, Avvo

2021

Ventrelli Simon LLC Selected as Best Law Firms in Illinois, U.S. New & World Report

2021

Selected as Leading Lawyer, Leading Lawyers

2020

Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers in America

2020

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2020

Ventrelli Simon LLC Selected as Best Law Firms in Illinois, U.S. New & World Report

2020

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2020

Avvo Client Choice 2020, Avvo

2019

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2019

Client's Choice, Avvo

2019

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2019

Ventrelli Simon LLC Selected as Best Law Firms in Illinois, U.S. News & World Report

2019

Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers in America

2018

Client's Choice, Avvo

2018

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2018

Ventrelli Simon LLC Selected as Best Law Firms in Illinois, U.S. New & World Report

2018

Rising Star, SuperLawyers

2018

Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers in America

2017

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2017

Client's Choice, Avvo

2017

Selected as Emerging Lawyer, Leading Lawyers

2017

Ventrelli Simon LLC Selected as Best Law Firms in Illinois, U.S. News & World Report

2017

Rising Star, SuperLawyers

2016

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2016

Client's Choice, Avvo

2016

Selected as Emerging Lawyer, Leading Lawyers

2016

Ventrelli Simon LLC Selected as Best Law Firms in Illinois, U.S. News & World Report

2016

Rising Star, SuperLawyers

2015

Client's Choice, Avvo

2015

Ventrelli Simon LLC Selected as Best Law Firms in Illinois, U.S. News & World Report

2014

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2014

Client's Choice, Avvo

2014

Rising Star, SuperLawyers

2013

Client's Choice, Avvo

2001

CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Property, C.A.L.I.

2000

CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Legal Writing, C.A.L.I.

Work Experience

2014 - 2024

Attorney, Ventrelli Simon LLC

2013 - 2014

Attorney, The Law Offices of Neal Simon, P.C.

2003 - 2013

Attorney, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP

Associations

American Bar Association

Member

Illinois State Bar Association

Member

Chicago Bar Association

Member

Lake County Bar Association

Co-Editor of The Docket (legal periodical)

Education

2003

DePaul University College of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

2000

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

2013

Forensic Accounting and Litigation Services Conference

A Brief Education on Prevarication

2013

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Kentucky chapter)

Liar's Court

2012

North Carolina Bar Association

Detecting the Liar

2012

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, AICPA Divorce Seminar Committee

The Truth About Lies

2011

Chicago Bar Association

Detecting Deception

2011

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

Liar's Court: Defeating Lies in Matrimonial Matters From Negotiation to the Courtroom

2011

23rd AAML Ohio Chapter; Harold R. Kemp Annual Family Law Symposium

How to Determine if a Witness is Lying

2010

American Bar Association, Family Law Section

Ex, Lies, and Videotape: Defeating Machiavellian Tactics and Lies in Negotiation

Publications

2012

American Journal of Family Law How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Liars and Love Microexpressions

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution