Jaclyn R. DeSana

Jaclyn was the epitome of professionalism, bringing genuine care and guidance through a painful and difficult process. Jaclyn and her team helped me through my recent divorce proceedings and gave prudent council during some frazzling moments along the way. Once an agreement was reached, she was abl...e to very quickly move through the legal process and ensure the case was wrapped up in a very efficient and timely manner. If you're looking for someone who knows how to get the job done, look no further! I cannot recommend Jaclyn highly enough.

Going through a divorce is never easy, especially when you're an immigrant unfamiliar with the legal system. I’m so grateful I found Jackie and the team at Merrel Law Firm. From the very beginning, they guided me through every step of the process and helped me understand the rules and procedures here... in Illinois. Jackie was not only an incredible attorney, but also a truly empathetic and supportive person. She stood by me during one of the lowest points in my life. What made a huge difference was that I could trust her completely—I never had to worry about the little things in my case. She took care of everything with professionalism and confidence. While I focused on healing emotionally, she and her team handled the legal side with care and efficiency. Jackie was always reasonable, never pushed the case unnecessarily, and kept communication clear and minimal—just enough to keep me informed without running up legal costs. In a time when I felt vulnerable, Jackie became my strength.

Jaclyn got me through an absolutely heinous divorce. She saw me through the darkest of days and I always knew she had my back. She always provided the soundest advice and her strategic thinking helped wrap up a divorce that it seemed the other side would never let end. She was exceptional at answerin...g my myriad of questions (I’m a very technical person who wants to fully understand everything before signing) and I was always able to reach her for input, even on short-notice situations. If you’re going through the wringer with your divorce, I can’t recommend her enough.

Going through a divorce was one of the most challenging and emotional experiences I faced, and I am so grateful I had Jaclyn and her incredible team by my side. From the very beginning, she was compassionate, understanding, and deeply invested in helping me navigate this difficult chapter of my life.... Her expertise and professionalism were evident in every step of the process, and she made me feel supported and informed at all times. She truly listened to my concerns and worked tirelessly to protect my interests while guiding me through decisions with clarity and care. I highly recommend Jaclyn and her team to anyone facing the challenges of divorce. Their dedication, skill, and compassion make them exceptional advocates, and I am forever grateful for their help during this difficult time.

Review for Jacklyn Desana I am writing to share my experience with Jacklyn Desana, highlighting how she mishandled critical aspects of my divorce case. While she provided assistance with securing temporary child support and completing the allocation judgment for custody, her failure to manage the ...discovery process left significant gaps, ultimately undermining my case. Working with Jacklyn became increasingly difficult when I started raising questions about discovery-related documents from opposing counsel. I specifically asked for information regarding rental income, tenant payments, and my husband’s tax returns. Jacklyn assured me via email—correspondence I still have—that she had everything. However, when I asked her to send the requested documents, nothing was provided. Discovery was scheduled to close on September 27, 2024, but she withdrew from my case on September 13, 2024, leaving the process unfinished, even though I repeatedly expressed concerns about its completeness. Now, with pre-trial scheduled for December 2, 2024, I am left without an accurate valuation of the marital estate. After hiring new counsel to review the discovery process, we found numerous missing documents in the file she handed over. Key records, such as tax returns for 2021, 2022, and 2023, updated pay stubs for 2023-2024, pension information, property sale details, and bank statements from 2023-2024, were missing. Without these essential documents, I am unable to assess the full value of the marital estate. Jacklyn had an entire year to complete discovery, yet very little was accomplished. When my new attorney sent a 201K request for the missing information, opposing counsel refused to comply, citing Jacklyn’s prior agreement to prematurely close discovery. Despite my concerns, Jacklyn assured me that discovery was still open—an assertion I can verify with documentation. Unfortunately, this was untrue, and the discovery phase was never completed. I paid Jacklyn $50,000 from 2023 to 2024, only to receive incomplete work that has jeopardized my case. While the firm may attempt to portray me as a difficult client, it’s important to acknowledge that we successfully collaborated on temporary child support and reached a favorable custody agreement through a GAL. The real issue lies in Jacklyn's lack of professionalism and focus on billing rather than the case. She frequently sent itemized invoices totaling $5,000 per month, primarily for responding to my emails asking for updates on discovery. Instead of focusing on completing discovery, she seemed more interested in accessing my personal financial information, as if her objective was to drain my resources. I also expected her to inform the judge about opposing counsel’s lack of compliance, but instead, billing issues took precedence. Jacklyn failed to provide essential documents and resisted my request to be included in email exchanges with opposing counsel, which left me uncertain about the legitimacy of communications and further complicated the process. In my opinion, Jacklyn allowed personal feelings about me to interfere with her work. My new attorney confirmed that little to no progress was made on discovery under her supervision from October 2023 to September 2024. Due to this negligence, I am now forced to move forward with incomplete information. I plan to file a formal complaint with the ARDC regarding her mishandling of my case. Despite these setbacks, I am confident that my children and I will emerge stronger from this process, with God’s favor guiding us. My advice to Jacklyn is this: business should never be personal. If you simply do your job, you will not encounter complaints like mine. Best regards, A Client Moving Forward