$ 225-225 per hour
Jessica L Defino
About Jessica
Biography
From a young age, Jessica knew that she had a passion for family law. Jessica finds family law extremely rewarding because she has the ability to counsel and advise clients during the hardest time in their lives. She particularly enjoys being a certified Guardian ad Litem for minor children in DuPage County while helping parents resolve issues of parenting time and allocation of decision-making responsibilities.
Jessica is a graduate of The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois and is authorized to practice law in the State of Illinois. Throughout law school, Jessica worked as a law clerk at a DuPage County family law firm, concentrating on family law and plaintiff employment law matters. In her last year of law school, Jessica worked as a judicial extern with presiding Judge Pamela Loza in the Cook County Domestic Relations Parentage Division, where she gained extensive knowledge in parentage cases and assisted Judge Loza with preparing her written decisions and assisting pro se parties. During her time in law school, Jessica maintained herself on the Dean’s List. She graduated from the University of Iowa with honors, earning a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Communication Studies (with a focus on debate) and a double minor in Spanish and Human Rights. During her time at the University of Iowa, Jessica was a co-founder of the Students for Human Rights Group. Jessica was also inducted into the Lambda Pi Eta Honors Society, which was given to students that obtained a 3.6 or higher GPA in their Communication Studies classes. Jessica also worked closely with one of her professors on a gender studies research and writing project that was ultimately published.
Before joining Kollias & Giese, P.C., Jessica worked at a mid-size family law firm in DuPage County where she gained extensive knowledge and experience in the domestic relations area of law. Since graduation from law school, Jessica has concentrated her practice solely in family law matters. Jessica has handled numerous pre-decree, post-decree, parentage, child support, adoption, appeals, relocation, orders of protection, and Guardian ad litem cases, including contested cases involving the modification of parenting time and allocation of decision-making responsibilities.
Jessica is the Treasurer for the DuPage Justinian Society of Lawyers and Vice Chair of the DuPage County Bar Association New Lawyers Division. Jessica is an active member of the DuPage Justinian Society of Lawyers, DuPage County Bar Association, DuPage Association of Women Lawyers, Kane County Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association.
Practice Areas
5
Practice Areas
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in Illinois for 9 years
State: Illinois
Acquired: 2016
No misconduct found
Location
McSwain, Nagle & Giese, P.C.
400 S. Knoll Street Suite B, Wheaton, IL, 60187
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Jessica L Defino's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
6 Client Reviews
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Practice Areas
Showing 1 - 1 of 1 review | General Knowledge
Posted by Matt | December 13, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation
Unbelievably Great Attorney
Ms. Defino did an absolutely amazing job working with me on my case. She was very, very prepared, was excellent in responding to calls, emails and messages, understood the law and worked with with partners of her firm if there were areas that we needed advice and other opinions on. Jessica was a ...
Jessica L Defino's Lawyer Endorsements
"Jessica Defino is a great attorney. She is extremely knowledgeable about the law, and is always well prepared in court. Jess' commitment to her clients is unquestionable. She approaches every case with passion and a willingness to fight for her clients. I would recommend her to anyone!"
"I endorse this lawyer."
"Jess is a great lawyer. She is well-educated and well-prepared for her job. She takes the time to focus on a client centered approach. She also is willing to ask questions and grow her knowledge of the law."
"Attorney Defino is an intelligent and efficient attorney. She is well respected in the legal community and works very hard to ensure her clients receive the best result possible. I endorse this lawyer."
"Jessica's dedication to her clients and the practice of law makes her one of the highest quality attorneys in the area. Her potential is boundless and she has a great future ahead of her."
"Jessica is an outstanding attorney. She is a fearless advocate for her clients and a brilliant litigator. I unreservedly endorse this attorney."
"Jessica Defino is one of the best and brightest young lawyers in the field of family law. She combines an in-depth knowledge of the law with a practical, problem-solving approach to her clients' cases. I recommend her enthusiastically and without reservation."
"Jessica and I have worked on various cases together. In one case in particular, I recall that not only did she do everything that she could to represent her client's interests, but she made an extra effort in communicating with the client and holding the client's hand throughout a very difficult situation. If I was a client, that is how I would want to be treated."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"Jessica is a highly skilled litigator and negotiator who is results driven. Her clients are frequently complementing her combination of knowledge and compassion. She’s also well respected within the legal community and frequently appointed as a guardian ad litem by the local judiciary. We are fortunate to have her as a member of the Kollias & Giese, P.C. team."
"Attorney Defino zealously advocates for her clients to obtain outstanding results and help them achieve their goals. She is hardworking and dedicated to the practice."
Melissa Marin
Family lawyer
Kevin McSwain
Family lawyer
Rachel Boehm
Family lawyer
Sean McCumber
Divorce and separation lawyer
Emily Rapp
Family lawyer
David Weiss
Family lawyer
Richard Conner
Family lawyer
Experience
Honors
2019
Rising Star, Super Lawyers
2019
New Lawyer Pro Bono Service Award, DuPage County Bar Association
2014
Law School Scholarship, Justinian Society of Lawyers
2013
Barrister Scholarship, The John Marshall Law School
Work Experience
2016 - 2018
Attorney, Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella, LLC
2013 - 2016
Law Clerk, Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella, LLC
2012 - 2013
Judicial Extern, Cook County Circuit Court
Associations
2018 - Present
DuPage County Bar AssociationVice Chair of New Lawyers Division
2018 - Present
Justinian Society of Lawyers (DuPage County chapter)Treasurer
2016 - Present
Kane County Bar AssociationMember
2015 - Present
DuPage County Bar AssociationMember
Education
2016
John Marshall Law School, Chicago
JD - Juris Doctor
2013
University of Iowa
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Speaking Engagements
2019
Estate Planning / Animal Law MCLE
Pet Trusts and Allocation of Dependent Animals in Divorce Cases
Languages
English
Spanish