EXPERIENCED TRIAL
LAWYERS IN LAKE COUNTY
A Regular In Lake County Courts
Rebecca Berlin Melzer regularly represents clients in the Circuit Court of Lake County, handling complex family law matters that require strategic advocacy, financial sophistication, and meticulous trial preparation. She has successfully represented clients in high-conflict litigation involving substantial marital estates, closely held businesses, executive compensation, parenting disputes, and other challenging family law issues.
Rebecca has extensive trial experience in Lake County, including a recent multi-day bench trial involving complex business valuation issues, business ownership interests, income determination, and expert witness testimony. Her experience includes litigating sophisticated financial disputes, presenting and cross-examining valuation experts, addressing evidentiary issues, and advocating for the admission or exclusion of expert opinions under Illinois law. She understands that in high-asset divorce cases, the outcome often turns on careful preparation and the effective presentation of financial evidence.
In addition to her trial work, Rebecca has represented clients in appeals arising from Lake County cases, providing continuity of representation when complex legal issues extend beyond the trial court.
Rebecca is an active member of the Lake County Bar Association and is committed to the continued advancement of the legal profession. She regularly participates in professional organizations, continuing legal education programs, and collaborative efforts with attorneys throughout Lake County and across Illinois.
Rebecca is also a frequent lecturer on family law and litigation topics. Most recently, she was invited to present at a legal conference in Colorado, sharing her knowledge with attorneys from across the country. She has also been invited to speak at the Lake County Bar Association's annual family law seminar, reflecting the respect she has earned among her peers and her commitment to educating fellow practitioners on developments in Illinois family law.
Clients benefit from Rebecca's combination of courtroom experience, financial acumen, and practical litigation strategy. Whether negotiating a resolution or preparing a case for trial, she approaches every matter with careful preparation, thoughtful advocacy, and a commitment to protecting her clients' interests.
Every family law case presents unique facts and challenges. Rebecca works closely with each client to develop a strategy tailored to their goals, providing experienced representation through every stage of the litigation process in the Lake County courts.
Lake County Divorce Lawyers
Our attorneys represent clients in divorce and family law matters before the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Lake County.
We handle contested and uncontested divorces involving:
Division of marital property and debt
High-asset and high-net-worth divorce
Business ownership and business valuation
Marital and non-marital property
Tracing of non-marital assets
Maintenance and spousal support
Child support
Allocation of parental responsibilities
Parenting time
Relocation
Parentage
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
Enforcement of judgments and court orders
Modification of parenting and support orders
Post-decree litigation
Divorce is not simply about ending a marriage. The decisions made during your case can affect your finances, children, business, home, retirement, and future for years to come.
Our job is to help you understand those decisions and develop a strategy designed to protect what matters most.
High-Asset and Complex Divorce in Lake County
Berlin Melzer Law has significant experience handling divorces involving complex financial issues and substantial marital estates.
When significant assets are involved, determining what exists—and understanding what those assets are actually worth—can become a critical part of the case.
Business Owners and Closely Held Companies
Divorce involving a privately owned business can raise complicated questions.
What is the business worth? Is all or part of it marital property? How should the owner's income be determined? Are distributions, retained earnings, business expenses, or other benefits relevant to support?
Our attorneys have experience litigating sophisticated business and valuation issues in divorce cases.
When appropriate, we work with business valuation professionals, forensic accountants, financial experts, and other specialists to analyze business interests, income, assets, and financial records.
Marital and Non-Marital Property
Not every asset owned during a marriage is necessarily marital property.
Property owned before marriage, inheritances, gifts, trusts, family wealth, businesses, investments, and assets purchased using both marital and non-marital funds can require detailed tracing and legal analysis.
Berlin Melzer Law handles cases involving the identification, classification, tracing, valuation, and division of complex assets.
Executive and Complex Compensation
For many professionals, executives, and business owners, income cannot be determined simply by looking at a salary.
Compensation may include:
Bonuses
Commissions
Business distributions
Partnership income
Stock options
Restricted stock
Deferred compensation
Equity compensation
Other employment or business benefits
Understanding the complete financial picture can be important when determining both property division and support.
Parenting Time and Parental Responsibilities
For parents, nothing about divorce is more important than their children.
Illinois law addresses allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time, and our attorneys represent parents in both negotiated and contested parenting matters.
We assist clients with issues involving:
Decision-making responsibilities
Parenting schedules
Holidays and vacations
School decisions
Medical and extracurricular decisions
Parenting-time modifications
Relocation
Enforcement of parenting agreements and court orders
High-conflict parenting disputes
We also hav experience with complex cases involving Guardians ad Litem (GALs), child representatives, parenting coordinators, mental health professionals, evaluators, and other experts.
Our focus is not simply on getting through the current dispute. Parenting arrangements need to work for families aefter the lawyers and court proceedings are gone.
Child Support and Maintenance in Lake County
Child support and maintenance can have a substantial effect on both parties' financial futures.
Berlin Melzer Law represents clients in matters involving:
Child support
Maintenance and spousal support
Determination of income
Business-owner and self-employed income
Bonuses and variable compensation
Imputation of income
Modification of support
Enforcement of support orders
Children's educational, medical, and extracurricular expenses
College contribution
Post-decree financial disputes
In complex financial cases, determining income may require more than reviewing a tax return or W-2. Our attorneys examine the financial information behind the numbers when necessary to understand a family's actual financial circumstances.
Settlement When Possible. Litigation When Necessary.
Not every divorce belongs in a courtroom.
Rebecca Berlin Melzer is an experienced family law litigator who is also trained in mediation and collaborative law. We understand that a negotiated resolution can often give families greater control over the outcome while reducing conflict and expense.
But settlement only works when the result appropriately protects our client's interests.
When a spouse will not provide financial information, meaningful parenting issues remain unresolved, assets or income are disputed, or a reasonable agreement cannot be reached, our attorneys are prepared to litigate.
We believe effective family law representation requires knowing when to negotiate, when to compromise, and when to fight.
Family Law Representation Throughout Lake County
Berlin Melzer Law represents divorce and family law clients throughout Lake County, including individuals and families in and around:
Lake Forest • Lake Bluff • Highland Park • Deerfield • Bannockburn • Riverwoods • Lincolnshire • Libertyville • Vernon Hills • Buffalo Grove • Long Grove • Kildeer • Hawthorn Woods • Mundelein • Grayslake • Gurnee • Waukegan • North Chicago • Highwood • Deer Park • Barrington • Lake Barrington • Fox Lake • Round Lake • Round Lake Beach • Antioch • Lindenhurst • Lake Villa • Ingleside and surrounding Lake County communities.
Our attorneys represent clients throughout Lake County in matters before the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court.
You do not need to choose a divorce attorney simply because their office is closest to the courthouse. You need attorneys with the experience, strategy, communication style, and approach that fit your particular case.
Why Choose Berlin Melzer Law for a Lake County Divorce?
Berlin Melzer Law is a boutique Illinois family law firm focused on sophisticated divorce and family law representation.
Our approach combines:
Extensive Illinois family law experience
Significant courtroom and trial experience
High-asset and complex financial divorce experience
Business valuation and income analysis
Experience with contested parenting matters
Mediation and collaborative-law training
Strategic use of technology
Personalized representation
Practical attention to legal fees and costs
A team approach to complicated cases
We want our clients to understand what is happening in their case, why we are recommending a particular strategy, and what options are available at each stage of the process.
Meet Rebecca Berlin Melzer
Rebecca Berlin Melzer is the founder of Berlin Melzer Law and has devoted her legal career to family and matrimonial law.
Rebecca regularly represents clients in Lake County divorce and family law matters, including sophisticated financial litigation, high-asset divorce, business valuation disputes, contested parenting matters, child support and maintenance cases, negotiations, trials, and appeals.
Her involvement in Illinois family law extends beyond her client work. Rebecca serves on the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association and has been active in the ISBA Family Law Section Council and Women and the Law Committee. She is also a frequent speaker and writer on family law, litigation, ethics, technology, women's issues, and emerging issues affecting families and the legal profession.
Rebecca has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Family Law and selected to Illinois Super Lawyers.
She founded Berlin Melzer Law to provide clients with sophisticated advocacy while maintaining the personal attention, responsiveness, ethics, and efficiency of a boutique family law firm.
Looking for a Lake County Divorce Lawyer?
If you are considering divorce, have been served with divorce papers, are facing a parenting or support dispute, or need advice about another family law matter in Lake County, the first step is understanding your options.
At Berlin Melzer Law, we want to understand both the immediate legal issues and what you want your life and family to look like when the case is over.
Schedule a Strategy Session With Berlin Melzer Law
Complete our secure intake form. Once we confirm there is no conflict of interest, a member of our team will contact you to schedule a strategy and intake session.