Jacalyn Friedman Birnbaum

Jacalyn Friedman Birnbaum

Licensed for 33 years

Divorce and separation Lawyer at Chicago, IL
Practice Areas: Divorce & Separation

333 N Michigan Ave Ste 2226, Chicago, IL

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About Jacalyn

Practice Areas

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Licenses

Licensed in Illinois for 33 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 1992

Active and Authorized to Practice Law

No misconduct found

Location

Reed, Centracchio & Associates, LLC

333 N Michigan Ave Ste 2226, Chicago, IL, 60601-4035

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Jacalyn Friedman Birnbaum's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

1.5 /5.0

6 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (6) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 6 reviews

Posted by anonymous | October 08, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

The Unconventional Strategist

Aside from legal strategy, Jackie's greatest asset is her uncanny intuition and deep understanding of the people involved in the dispute. She doesn't rely solely on conventional methods. Instead, she approaches a case with a highly personalized and perceptive reading of the personalities on the... opposing side, allowing her to anticipate moves and secure leverage where others might miss it. This ability to read people is key to her success. If you need an attorney who combines profound legal knowledge with sharp insight to achieve breakthrough results, she's the one to hire.

Posted by anonymous | October 02, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Family

She will brainwash your child

Jacalyn is a man-hating, unprofessional disgrace who obsesses over Disney instead of focusing on children. She puts her ego before families, delivers sloppy work, misses hearings, explodes with anger in court, and causes constant delays. DO NOT HIRE!!

Posted by anonymous | August 02, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Do Not Hire this Woman.

All of the other reviews are accurate. She is a complete narcissist, way out in lala land of Disney- if you see her office it is crazy. Rambles on and on and accomplished nothing for us. My ex and I just figured it out in our own after paying her a TON of money. My first meeting with her lasted 4 hou...rs. Part of this included me listing to her daughter’s music on a CD. It was crazy.

Posted by Alan | July 07, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

VERY Dangerous Woman

Gentleman, if your wife's attorney recommends Jacalyn Birnbaum to represent your children in your divorce proceedings, do WHATEVER you can to avoid her. She is COMPLETELY biased against men and when that was clear and I mentioned to her that her decisions regarding your children have absolutely no b...earing in fact and effect people's lives, she simply shrugged. She spoke AT LENGTH with my now ex-wife and listened very intently to her ramblings. After that, when she bothered to give me even the time of day to explain my position on things, it was almost immediately clear that she had already formed her opinion. She is one miserable human being who has no business being in the position she is. She is an embarrassment to her profession. Shame on her for acting in the manner she does! It's incredibly hurtful and mean-spirited and she is apparently oblivious to her behavior. Feel free to read some of the other reviews of her. I am FAR from the only person who feels the way I do about her. I'm surprised her actions haven't caused her to be disbarred but life is funny that way. I am not some vengeful lunatic who is trying to get revenge of any sort. My ex-wife passed away last year and I have absolutely NO reason to espouse my position on things except that I was going through my files regarding my divorce from OVER 20 years ago and seeing her bill just reminded me of just how shitty she acted toward me. She's should be ashamed. Oh, and she's also a huge phony. I'm STILL upset with myself for allowing her to represent my kids. Her actions messed with my relationship with my children TO THIS DAY (and they're 25 and 21 at this point). If I could give her zero stars, I would. In any case, STAY AWAY!

Posted by anonymous | February 21, 2013 | Divorce & Separation

The most disappointing professional I have ever worked with.

Without a doubt Jacalyn Birnbaum is the most disappointing professional I have ever worked with. Jackie was hired to represent my children in a high conflict divorce. She will graciously invite you into her office, an interesting, but in hind sight, bizarre world of Disney World figurines, a larg...e painting of herself and thank you notes from a supreme court justice hanging on the wall...impressive yes, idiosyncratic definitely, high expectations for sure - great setup. But, quickly things fall apart, as even the judge became flustered with her inability to speak in a clear and concise manner. She prides herself on "working outside the box", but her lack of viable ideas and follow through was very disappointing. She is exceptionally stubborn and listens mostly to herself because she does the majority of the talking, at times literally pounding her fists when she disagreed with my opinions or perspective. It was very clear to me that she wanted to succeed, however not necessarily to help her clients - her true motivation was not failing her own ego. Furthermore, I was troubled by her belief that she possessed the skills and insights of a child psychiatrist, yet had no educational background in that area. Jackie did not help my children or the relationship with their father which she repeatedly told me was her priority and as a result I cannot recommend working with Jacalyn Birnbaum.

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Experience

Honors

2015

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2014

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2013

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2012

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2011

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2010

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

Associations

Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section

Member

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

Fellow

Chicago Bar Association

Member

American Bar Association

Member

Education

1992

DePaul University College of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

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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