Legal Solutions for your family.
Rhonda L. Rosenthal
Attorney at Law
I have been a licensed attorney and practicing attorney since 1995. Although I have practiced in Kane, DuPage and Cook counties, I currently limit my practice to McHenry County. I focus on issues affecting families and represent spouses, parents, children and disabled adults in divorce, post decree, paternity, adoption, juvenile, probate and guardianship matters. I am a trained Guardian ad Litem and Child’s Representative and appointed by the court in divorce or probate matters. I am also a trained Collaborative Attorney and mediator. Although I no longer accept court appointments for mediation, I use these skills in my roles as negotiator, advocate, representative for the children and collaborative law attorney.
When I was ten years old, I decided that I wanted to be an attorney so that I could help people when they were in trouble. While working my way though college as an assistant for three attorneys, I decided that I wanted to focus in probate and family law. I felt that in these areas of law, people were at their most vulnerable and emotional, and they needed a caring professional to address their legal and non-legal needs. Unfortunately, one of the attorneys whom I worked for hated the issues that arise in these areas of law and subsequently ignored his clients and their needs. In my almost 30 years and counting, I have never forgotten how mistreated my former employer’s clients were and how I determined I was to help. Thus, I have consistently focused on client care in these areas and have continued my education in order to better serve my clients.
By being a trained mediator, arbitrator, and collaborative attorney, I have learned dispute resolution alternatives that can help my clients to avoid unnecessary litigation. By being a trained Guardian ad Litem and Child’s Representative, I have learned to see things from the point of view of the children and how issues affect them. By being on the governing bodies of the county and state practice where I practice, (McHenry County Board of Governors and Illinois State Bar Association Assembly), I have also learned to carefully listen and thoughtfully explain matters, as well as to assess decisions using the short and long view.
My goal is to listen and guide families through difficult circumstances.
Education and Achievements
Certified Guardian ad Litem
Certified Collaborate Attorney
Certified Arbitrator for McHenry County
Passed the Bar Exam and sworn in as Attorney, 1995
J.D., Northern Illinois University College of Law, 1995
Certified Mediator (satisfied 40-hour training requirement of Academy of Family Mediators and 5 hours of impairment training): Conflict resolution and Divorce Mediation, George Williams College of Aurora University, School of Social Work, Aurora, Illinois. Fall, 1994;
B.A. in Writing Intensive English, Marquette University, 1991
Memberships
Executive Board Member of the MCBA Board of Goveners
Assembly member on the ISBA Governing Board
Illinois State Bar Association
McHenry County Board of Governors
Past president and current member of McHenry County Bar Association
Past president, secretary, and treasurer of the Family Law Section of the McHenry County Bar Association
Kane County Bar Association (prior)