William Lowell Opal

I would imagine for anybody going through a divorce it is never an easy time.. It was a very emotional and stressful decision my ex wife and I had to make.. I owe a huge thank you to Bill Opal and his outstanding firm for making our situation as easy and least stressful as possible. Bill was very muc...h sympathetic to our towards us, understanding, and genuinely wanted to make our separation as smooth as possible. He accomplished a final result that is in BOTH of our best interests, and especially what is best for our child. I would strongly encourage anyone going through a divorce or needing assistance with any legal matters - reach out to Opal/Obrien. Excellent experience through tough times that we will forever be grateful for.. Their assistance created a fair and peaceful outcome for everyone. The level of professionalism and sincerity is unparalleled! Thank you all!!!!

I could speak for days about Bill Opal, but to sum it up, this is the legal mind you want fighting for you in a divorce or custody case. Bill Opal came highly recommended after my previous attorney was out of his depth (a dabbler). Bill was characterized as "a smart, consummate professional with ...an amazing legal mind." Bill picked up my case right away, he asked the right questions, studied the material and has successfully fought for me with energy, intelligence and a well thought out strategy. Bill Opal communicates honestly in a way that is completely understood by non-legal minds. He guides in a way that you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. He prepares for, and argues in court as a professional should. And Bill Opal doesn't give up. My case was complicated to say the least. I had full custody of my children. Then during the COVID lock down, a Kane County judge wrongfully took the children away. Bill Opal recommended an emergency appeal, then orchestrated the appeal, keeping me updated every day. Bill Opal and his legal team have immense experience at the Circuit level, but also at the Appellate level, which is great to have all in the same office. Bill Opal and his partner accomplished something seemingly unheard of with respect to custody cases, they had a lower court's decision overturned by being granted an emergency stay. The 2nd Appellate Court heard the appeal, ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS DURING THE COVID LOCK DOWN, and granted an emergency stay. Essentially stating the lower court's decisions was improper, without cause and violated my rights. I picked up my children within an hour of receiving the decision. The children have been in my custody / care since, as they were prior to the misguided ruling by the lower judge. Bill Opal has been by my side every day since. He has provided updates and guidance, even if it opposes my own thought process. (I do follow Bill's advice) I can't speak enough positive things about Bill Opal and his legal team. Bill is extremely smart, energetic, has an outstanding legal mind and knows how to speak with clients so that we understand everything. If you need an attorney for divorce or custody, don't choose a dabbler, choose a subject matter expert. And don't make a choice on an attorney without speaking with Opal O'Brien first.

I hired Bill to represent me in a divorce. He handled my case with care, kept me up to date with anything I needed to know or any pending deadlines. I had no idea what to expect while going through this process and Bill made a difficult time easier to handle. I would highly recommend Bill to anyon...e looking for a professional attorney. The outcome of my case was favorable and it was not a foregone conclusion how things would work out. I owe that to Bill.

Bill represented me the first time post divorce when I had no access to a 529 education fund to be set aside for our (3) children's college tuition. In our original decree my ex husband was court ordered to deposit 32% of his year end bonuses into a 529 plan. This was in lieu of paying me directly in... some form of child support. Our oldest was ready to head off to Marquette, not a cheap school- sticker price 54k and I had no knowledge of much less access to the 529 education fund. At this point 10 years of 32% net was allegedly being put into an account. It was not. Turns out, funds were misappropriated, numbers weren't really adding up and I was in no place financially to cut a check for 1/3 of Marquette tuition. After months of not repeatedly asking for documents, W-2's, 529 account information and access to, my ex husband turns this information over to Bill. Please understand the longer the delay one side takes to rack up attorney's fees for the other person only means they've got the money to play and toy with you/me until you have no money left to fight and you once again have to give in. I couldn't give in, Bill asked for my attorney's fees to be paid by my ex due to his non compliance. It was granted. Ironically enough, my child support went up quite a bit even though I was receiving support for 2 children and not 3 at this point. After another round in court when I went in solo....no attorney (not a good move) I got pretty hosed. My income is 25% of what my ex husbands is yet, in IL everything is 50/50 and then tuition is 1/3 split. Bill Opal was my last chance. I asked for the following: 1. any and all FAFSA grants awarded based on my application & income, be allotted to my portion of tuition at 1/3 (as opposed to being divied up by 3) 2. any FAFSA Loans, work study etc. be allotted to our child's portion (as opposed to being divied up by 3) 3. any additional applications I personally fill out for aid, grants, etc. from the University my child attends be allotted to my portion (as opposed to being divied up by 3) 4. all shared expenses be 70% 30% no longer 50/50 The judge awarded these to me. I'll put it into a financial perspective- 3 kids in college at the time time. Tuition, room/board alone average 150,000.00 total a year (doesn't include books, life, travel) That's not only steep- it's 3 times my annual salary. I couldn't do it. Yes, tuition is still around 18k out of pocket for me, but that's a far cry from 50k plus. I will say this about Bill Opal, he is fair and honest, determined and not remotely spiteful. He sticks to the facts rather than firing up an angry client to go for the guttural. I walked out of court feeling as though the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. I've already referred Bill to a few of my friends in similar situations. Normally the word trust and lawyer don't go in the same sentence. They do here. I trust Bill Opal.

I very strongly recommend Bill Opal and his firm. My ex filed for divorce and I hired Bill after my mediation failed and he took over the case. My ex and I had a very contentious relationship during the divorce process. Bill was extremely professional and was available at all times regarding var...ious issues that came up - even after hours and weekends - and was always responsive. Bill was a constant source of guidance, support and reason. Even when my head and heart were in different places at times during the divorce process, we were able to break down issues and deal with them rationally and professionally and what was in the best interest for my kids and me. Bill was extremely pleasant to work with and I am grateful he was there to represent me and support me during this difficult period. We were able to settle shortly prior to trial which allowed me to move on and get closure and get on with life. In the end, I consider Bill a trusted friend who helped me during this rough period in my life - perhaps the strongest thing I can say about Bill. I would very highly recommend him to anyone going through this difficult period.