1. Home
  2. Find a Lawyer
  3. Illinois
  4. Edwardsville
  5. Family
  6. Jennifer Shaw

Jennifer A Shaw

Family Attorney at Edwardsville, IL

3.9   14 reviews
Message
Worth Every Penny
anonymous
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired Attorney
Adoption attorney
anonymous
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired Attorney
Read more reviews

About Jennifer

Learn Jennifer’s areas of practice.

5
Practice areas
  1. Divorce and separation
    20%
    Whether the end of your marriage is amicable or adversarial, her holistic and thoughtful approach will help make this transition in your life as painless as possible for you and your family. Stop worrying, call now for a consultation.

  2. Family
    20%
    Attorney Shaw has been a premier family lawyer in the great state of Illinois since 1996. When it comes to your family, your most valuable asset, you will want her focused and detailed approach to the law. Call her today.

  3. Child custody
    15%
    When it comes to child custody, tensions can run high. It's important to remain calm and have a laser focused train of thought so you can get as much of what you want as possible. Call Attorney Shaw today to discuss your situation.

  4. Child support
    15%
    On occasion, laws regarding child support may be updated, which is why it's always recommended to periodically check with an attorney to make sure you're paying or receiving the right amount of child support. Call today to discuss further.

  5. Domestic violence
    15%
    When involved in unwanted physical contact between two members of the same household, it can be traumatic for everyone in the household. Let Attorney Shaw aggressively defend you while you heal from your trauma.

  6. Marriage and prenuptials
    5%
    Attorney Shaw can handle your marriage prenuptials and postnuptials. Agreements before and after marriage are more common than you think. Call Attorney Shaw today to discuss further.

  7. Adoption
    3%
    Adoptions | DCFS Adoptions | Step Parent Adoptions | Co-Parent Adoptions | More | Call today.

  8. Alimony
    3%
    Make sure your spousal support payments are accurate. Call today to review your existing alimony or make sure you're paying the most fair amount by calling today at 618.219.1208.

  9. Uncontested divorce
    3%
    Attorney Shaw is qualified to handle uncontested divorces. Not all divorces have to be difficult. Uncontested divorces, considered no-fault, may be an option if you do not have children in the marriage.

  10. Child abuse
    1%
    Child abuse can be horrified and stigmatizing, as well as extremely traumatic. Attorney Shaw will diligently work with you as a tireless and compassionate advocate. Stop worrying, call now.

Jennifer Shaw founded The Shaw Law Group, P.C. after dedicating four years of legal practice to Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation.  The firm is focused on all areas of domestic relations litigation with special emphasis on securing the rights of unmarried couples. 

Jennifer is an active member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Madison County Bar Association.  She has been an active Board Member of several not-for-profit agencies.

Licensure:

  • Illinois, 1996
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois, 1997
  • U.S. Circuit Court, 8th Circuit, 2005
  • United States Supreme Court, 2004

Work Experience:

  • The Shaw Law Group, Jennifer A. Shaw, P.C., Managing Partner (2003-current)
  • Reilly & Shaw, Partner (2001-2003)
  • Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc., Senior Staff Attorney /Domestic Violence Task Force Director (1998-2001)
  • Campbell, Black, Carnine, Hedin, Ballard & McDonald, P.C., Associate Attorney (1996-1997)

Honors and Awards:

  • Super Lawyer, Thompson Reuters, 2012 and 2013
  • Young Careerist of the Year, State of Illinois, Business and Professional Women, 2002

Special Licenses/Certifications:

  • Illinois Department of Child and Family Services Panel Attorney

Bar/Professional Activity:

  • Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section Council Member – Subcommittee Chair – Unmarried Couples and Civil Unions
  • Illinois State Bar Association -- Assembly Member (6/2007-12/2012)
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Past Chair - Human Rights Section Council
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Past Chair - Standing Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (current Continuing Legal Education Chair)
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Past Chair - Standing Committee on Minority and Women Participation; Illinois State Bar Association
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Past Member -- Diversity Leadership Council
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Past Member  -- Diversity Pipeline Committee
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Past Member – Special Task Force on Legal Research
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Past Member – Standing Committee on ARDC
  • Madison County Bar Association – Family Law Committee Co-Chair

Pro bono/Community Service:

  • Children First Foundation, Board of Directors (2011-present)
  • Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, Board of Directors (2009-present)
  • Metro East Humane Society, Board of Directors (2004-2007)
  • Phoenix Crisis Center, Board of Directors (1999-2005), President

Scholarly Lectures and Writings:

  • Beloved Pets—The Oft-Overlooked Legal Quagmire, ISBA Family Law Newsletter, September 2012
  • The Civil Unions Act and its Impact on the Practice of Law, Speaker, St. Clair County Bar Association, 2011
  • The Roadmap to the Illinois Civil Union Act, Speaker, ISBA, 2011
  • Nuts and Bolts of Family Law, Speaker, Ethical Considerations in Representation, ISBA, 2011

Verdicts and Settlements:

  • In re Parentage of C.W.S., a Minor Child.  Trial Court's award of custody of an infant to the father was affirmed on appeal, 2010
Licensed for 26 years
State IL
Status Active and Authorized to Practice Law
Acquired 1996
Updated 04/01/2023

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

Contact Jennifer

Similar lawyers nearby

Jennifer A. Shaw, P.C.
201 Hillsboro Avenue
Edwardsville, IL, 62025
Message Get Directions

Reviews

Write A Review
3.9 / 5.0
  14 customer reviews
5 Star
 
71%
4 Star
 
0%
3 Star
 
0%
2 Star
 
0%
1 Star
 
29%
Posted by anonymous | November 1, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Worth Every Penny
I hired Jennifer and her office to help me with my divorce. When I initially hired The Shaw Law Group, I was a mess. Everyone at that office helped me get through the most difficult time of my life and helped me obtain a fair outcome. Divorce is not something anyone wants to go through but having an office who advocates for you and your family so much makes it bearable. Thank you Jennifer, Kristen and Ashly for all you do for your clients.
Read less
Posted by anonymous | September 4, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Adoption attorney
Jennifer surpassed our expectations as out attorney. We hired her to work on a very complex case. She was passionate about our needs, and took our concerns seriously. I would highly recommend her to anyone and have given her name out many times. Jennifer was knowledgable about family law and DCFS cases and we did have and continue to have total confidence in her.
Read less
Posted by anonymous | September 4, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Divorce and Custody
Jennifer Shaw is a true advocate for her clients and their children. In my case, I could rely on her to provide accurate information, education about the law, and knew she truly cared about the well-being and safety of myself and my child as her highest priority.
Posted by Jennifer | August 28, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Jennifer Shaw = Results
Jennifer Shaw and her legal team helped me understand the law, make decisions and reach my goal regarding the custody and support of my children. I'm so glad she was recommended to me by a friend and I am pleased to recommend her and her team of professionals. Available, helpful and always on top of my case - I couldn't have asked for anything more!
Read less
Posted by anonymous | August 27, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great Lawyer
Jennifer and her staff did a great job. I truly appreciated the personal attention that Jennifer gave when I met with her. She understood my problems and concerns and spoke to me on a personal level, which I truly appreciated. I know that I freaked out a lot over the course of my case, so I appreciated her calm and pretty quick responses. This was a difficult journey for me and my kids, and I couldn't have been happier with the outcome. Unfortunately, divorce is never an easy situation for anyone involved. I would recommend Jennifer and her staff over and over!
Read less
Posted by Chuck | August 27, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Child Custodity
Jennifer has worked diligently on my case while experience difficult matters of her own and has been very attentive. She is a selfless person that will go the extra mile to make sure things are done right. I have confidence she will get the job done and get it done right. She is a very informative individual full of experience and knowledge in her field. 2013 lawyer of the year and 2013 woman lawyer of the year proves she is top notch at what she does. I will not hesitate to refer her to anyone.
Read less
Posted by Gwen | August 27, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great Family Law Attorney
Jennifer was my attorney for a partition suit, which didn't end the way I'd hoped, but I still highly recommend Jennifer. She's extremely personable, tries to help you in your situation to the best of her abilities, keeps you informed, and has a wonderful staff.
Posted by anonymous | December 1, 2014
One of the best!
Jennifer has represented me for the last 5 years dealing with my divorce and custody/support battles. She was aggressive in the courtroom when needed and always advocated for my families best interests. She made sure I was prepared for each step of the legal process and was completely upfront with me. She far exceeded my expectations!
Read less
Posted by anonymous | April 21, 2013
Responsive to my needs
Jennifer an her entire staff were very helpful in getting me through my divorce. Although she is very busy, I always felt like she had enough time to answer my questions fully and completely. When you have her attention, you have 100% of it. Her staff is great. When Jennifer is not in the office, they can often answer the routine questions or can get a response from her in a timely manner. I had a great outcome and I would hire her again.
Read less
Posted by anonymous | March 24, 2012
The Best
Jennifer handled my divorce case in a straightforward and professional manner. She was up front about what was likely to happen and most of her predictions about the outcome were completely accurate. I could not be more pleased
Posted by Charles | April 6, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
BEWARE
Had a very bad experience with the Shaw Law firm. Jennifer was late with a filing and slow to return calls. On the phone she talked about her personal life more than sticking to the facts of the case. I had to dismiss her. The office staff gets high marks but Jennifer Shaw was a fail.
Posted by anonymous | March 17, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Complete Waste
Hiring Jennifer was a complete waste of time and money. Don’t hire her unless you’re looking to pay someone an extravagant amount of money for zero results.
Posted by anonymous | October 16, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
I would not recommend Jennifer A. Shaw
Jennifer Shaw charges way too much for legal services and yet was very inattentive and not proactive about my case. I felt like I worked 2x as hard at getting my divorce than she did. Not only was it very difficult to get a hold of her via phone or email, when we did talk she would waste my time by talking about her health issues, which she would bill me for. Once she even billed me for an email that she sent cancelling a previous appt. with me. I did dispute that with her and she removed the charge, however. I also felt like she didn't really listen to me, but rather made a lot of assumptions about my case. Finally, she ended up letting go of all her staff in her office or possibly they all quit. I felt like that was very suspicious as well. Jennifer may be rated as top notch, but that is not the experience that I had.
Read less
Posted by anonymous | September 23, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Poor experience, high price
Very expensive learning lesson here. Was charged for weekly meetings to discuss my case, between Jennifer, her paralegal, and their office assistance, but with nothing provided to me as to what was discussed and why a meeting was necessary. Since it is a small outfit, I was told that the paralegal would be able to handle the bulk of my questions and needs. Jennifer was out due to a surgery that was known to her, but not mentioned until after I paid the retainer. Paralegal was educated and helpful, but any work she created was redone by Jennifer, essentially charging me twice. Far too much costs for very little work. Have new lawyer now, and charges / retainer is much smaller and communications are much better. My advice, shop around, and realize that someone who charges $250~280 for a first time consultation has one objective in mind.
Read less
View all reviews
View less reviews

Cost

Rates
  • Hourly Rates $ 250-300 per hour
  • Retainer Always
Payment methods
Cash, Check, Credit Card

Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

  • Managing Attorney
  • The Shaw Law Group - Jennifer A. Shaw, P.C.
  • 2003 - Present
  • Attorney at Law
  • Reilly & Shaw
  • 2001 - 2003
  • Staff Attorney/Domestic Violence Task Force Coordinator
  • Land Of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation
  • 1997 - 2001
  • Associate Attorney
  • Carnine, Hedin, Ballard & McDonald
  • 1996 - 1997
View all work experience

Education

  • University of Mississippi School of Law
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • 1996
  • University of Mississippi
  • BS - Bachelor of Science
  • 1993

Legal Cases

  • In re Marriage of Cheatham, 2014 IL App (5th) 130547-U
  • Affirmed.
  • In re the Marriage of Agee, 5-13-0320
  • Affirmed, in part and Reversed, in part
  • In re Parentage of C.W.S., a Minor Child; 5-10-0162
  • Affirmed by the Illinois Appellate Court, 5th District

Associations

  • Illinois Bar Foundation
  • Director
  • 2014 - Present
  • Illinois Equal Justice Foundation
  • Board of Directors
  • 2009 - Present
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section
  • Member
  • 2009 - Present
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Member
  • 1996 - Present
  • Madison County Bar Association
  • Member
  • N/A
  • Children First Foundation
  • Board of Directors
  • 2011 - 2014
  • Illinois State Bar Association Human Rights Section Council
  • Chair
  • 2010 - 2011
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Standing Committee on Minority and Women Participation
  • Chair
  • 2008 - 2009
  • Illinois State Bar Association Standing Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
  • Chair
  • 2007 - 2008
View all associations

Languages Spoken

  • English

Honors and Awards

  • Super Lawyer - Family Law
  • Super Lawyers Magazine
  • 2015
  • Super Lawyer - Family Law
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2013
  • Super Lawyer - Family Law
  • Super Lawyers Magazine
  • 2012
  • Illinois Young Careerist of the Year
  • Business and Professional Women
  • 2002
View all awards

Publications

  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Subtle changes to House Bill 1826 may result in a more perfect civil union
  • 2008
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Civil unions in Illinois – House Bill 1826 and Senate Bill 2436
  • 2008
View all publications

Speaking Engagements

  • Family Law: Nuts & Bolts
  • Discovery
  • 2014
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section
  • A Child Custody Trial
  • 2013
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section
  • Child Custody Litigation
  • 2013
  • Continuing Legal Education
  • A Roadmap to the Illinois Civil Unions Act
  • 2012
  • St. Clair County Bar Association Fall CLE
  • How the Illinois Civil Unions Act Impacts the Practice of Law
  • 2011
  • Family Law -- Nuts and Bolts Continuing Legal Education Seminar
  • Ethical Considerations in the Practice of Family Law
  • 2011
View all speaking engagements

Attorney endorsements

Received (2)
Given (4)
Endorse Jennifer
Thomas Anthony Bruno headshot
Thomas Bruno
Divorce and separation Attorney | Jun 20
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I have worked with Jennifer Shaw on many Illinois State Bar association committees. She is a hard-working effective advocate for her clients."
Jeannie Marie Ridings headshot
Jeannie Ridings
Family Attorney | Nov 21
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Edwardsville Family Lawyer Jennifer A Shaw
Jennifer A Shaw
Family Attorney
Edwardsville, IL
Licensed for 26 years
Message