Jaclyn R. DeSana

Jaclyn R. DeSana

also known as Jackie DeSana

4.9
Rating: 8.6

Licensed for 9 years

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

440 W Randolph St., 5th Floor, Chicago, IL

About Jaclyn

Biography

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes

Hourly Rates

$ 300-300 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 9 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 2016

Active and Authorized to Practice Law

No misconduct found

Location

Merel Family Law

440 W Randolph St., 5th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60606

Law Offices of Jonathan Merel - Highland Park Office

595 Elm Place, Suite 225, Highland Park, IL, 60035

Merel Family Law

40 E. Hinsdale Ave, Suite 202, Hinsdale, IL, 60521

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Jaclyn R. DeSana's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

28 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (28) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 21 - 25 of 28 reviews

Posted by anonymous | April 20, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

The best lawyer I ever had

Need a divorce lawyer? Jaclyn DeSana is your girl. She has kept me updated since day one. Always kept me in the loop if anything changes thru out my case. She calls you on ever update she receives and also will give you more then one option on where you wanna take your case. She is always on a happy ...mood and it rubs off to everyone so your case will be handle with the upmost professionalism there is. Thank you Jaclyn for all your hard work. Truly the best.

Posted by SHEILA | July 22, 2020 | Child Custody

Awesome lawyer. I totally recommend for your family law needs!

I had a tough relocation case, and had to go to court to file the papers my ex husband signed for our two children so I can relocate them out of state, and the one my ex boyfriend signed for our son. The clerks office at the courts gave me unneeded paperwork to also file, told me some wrong informati...on, and gave me the run around. Jaclyn was amazing at emailing me back right away, answering all my questions, doing phone conferences with me, telling me I didn't need to go through all that and what I SHOULD do, and helped me correct what the clerks office messed up, or I would have been going through court dates, and unneeded drama. I am so grateful I had Jaclyn by my side the entire time. She had my back, knew exactly what she was doing, gave me the right advice and told me what to do and when, and was amazing at saving me money so I didn't have to pay thousands for something I was able to do on my own. She isn't like most lawyers who are all about the money. If she can help you get something done with low costs, she totally will! And, she's super kind. I can't tell you how grateful I am for her in both of these cases. I didn't need to go to court with the dads like the clerks office said I would. With Jaclyn's help, the judges signed off on both cases - no court dates needed - and I am able to move out of state with my kids legally. As a single mom who doesn't have a lot of money to spend on a lawyer, she made this so easy and fast for me. HIRE JACLYN, and you WON'T be disappointed.

Posted by Briana | January 28, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Great Lawyer

I came to Jackie from another Law firm. From my initial meeting with Jackie. I knew this is where I should have been from the start. Jackie LISTENED to all my concerns and what I was looking to get out of this process. I felt so comfortable and felt I finally had the help I needed. I had appointments... with other firms and canceled them immediately. We always had meetings prior to court to catch up and make sure we were on the same page. Jackie was always on top of things and if there was something, she wasn’t sure of she would consult with her colleagues to resolve an issue or find the answer. When it came to court, she fought for me and was fair to all parties involved. She never back down and was very professional and respectful to all parties. They’re were times where I didn’t have hope, but she helped me pushed through and provided all the help that she could. I appreciate everything Jackie has done for me. Thank you, Jackie and Good Luck you definitely will go far as a lawyer.

Posted by Allison | December 11, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

Successful case !

After meeting with Jackie Desana I knew the Blacha Law office was the right choice for my family’s situation . Jackie was straightforward and honest . Her knowledge and experience with cases like mine made me feel at ease. Being a single first-time mom I was terrified of what might happen but Jackie... put all my fears at ease. Everything we ever talked about or decided was in the best interest of my daughter -which is all that mattered to Me. I can’t thank Jackie and the Blacha team enough !

Posted by Mary | October 31, 2019 | Power Of Attorney

Power of Attorney

As power of attorney, Jaclyn had done a great job answering questions and giving suggestions to make sure my trusts meet my needs and the needs of my family.

See All Client Reviews

Jaclyn R. DeSana's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Jaclyn
Kathleen Buchanan Bondi headshot
Kathleen Bondi

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jun 21

Relationship: Co-worker

"Jackie is very attentive to her client's needs and works diligently to protect their interests. She is a pleasure to work with."

Hannah Jane McKinney headshot
Hannah McKinney

Family lawyer | Jun 21

Relationship: Co-worker

"Jackie cares about her clients and works hard to advocate on their behalf."

Monika M. Blacha headshot
Monika Blacha

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jun 21

Relationship: Supervised lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer."

Erin V. O'Connell headshot
Erin O'Connell

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jun 13

Relationship: Co-worker

"Jackie is a terrific attorney with great enthusiasm for this area of law and all of the matters she handles. She is extremely bright and hardworking and helps facilitate excellent results for her clients."

View All Endorsements
Colette Gallo headshot
Colette Gallo

Divorce and separation lawyer

Monika M. Blacha headshot
Monika Blacha

Family lawyer

Erin V. O'Connell headshot
Erin O'Connell

Family lawyer

Kathleen Buchanan Bondi headshot
Kathleen Bondi

Family lawyer

Hannah Jane McKinney headshot
Hannah McKinney

Divorce and separation lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.6 (Excellent)

Honors

2026

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2025

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2024

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2023

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

Work Experience

2022 - Present

Adjunct Professor, DePaul University College of Law

2020 - Present

Attorney, Law Offices of Jonathan Merel, P.C.

2017 - 2020

Attorney, Blacha Law Office

2016 - 2017

Volunteer Recruitment Specialist, First Defense Legal Aid

2015 - 2016

Intern, Cook County Public Defender's Office

Associations

2018 - Present

DuPage County Bar Association

Member

2016 - Present

Women's Bar Association of Illinois

Member

2016 - Present

Chicago Bar Association

Trial Advocacy Committee

2016 - Present

Chicago Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section

Member

2013 - Present

Chicago Bar Association

Member

Education

2016

John Marshall Law School, Chicago

JD - Juris Doctor

2012

Wayne State University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2017

Illinois Appellate Defender Annual Training

Defending Client's Rights in Police Custody

2017

Chicago Bar Association, Criminal Law Committee Monthly Meeting

Knowing your Client's Rights When Stopped or Detained by Chicago Police

2017

ACLU Chicago Chapter Luncheon

Defending Client's Rights in Police Custody

Languages

English

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