Testimonials

"[Melissa] was incredibly professional yet so down to earth."

Melissa and I worked together to find the best solution to a situation that I never dreamed I would find myself in. She was incredibly professional yet so down to earth. She did a phenomenal job of talking me off my ledges, encouraging me, and bringing me to the end of a very difficult circumstance. Melissa, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Amanda H.

"Everything I desired, he delivered."

Jonathan is an extremely intelligent and very thorough attorney. Everything I desired, he delivered. I highly recommend Jonathan as legal counsel as he goes above and beyond and is a pleasure to communicate with.

A.S.

"He was very professional, knowledgeable, approachable, and he explained the process very clearly"

I had initial consults with three other attorneys before my initial consult with Jonathan. I have decided to work with Jonathan because, in our initial meeting, he was very professional, knowledgeable, approachable, and he explained the process very clearly answering all my questions satisfactorily. Looking back now, I have made the correct decision to work with Jonathan in this dissolution of marriage case. Having Jonathan on my side was the pleasant part of this unpleasant process.

During the whole process, Jonathan was always very professional and very responsive, Jonathan is excellent about returning texts (to his cell phone), emails and phone calls. He responded promptly to texts, emails and phone calls. He was always available when I needed him and always offered great legal advice. More importantly, he is very professional, well prepared, supportive, and looks at the long term benefit of the client and the children. I was impressed by his knowledge, his patience, and his experience. At the end, the dissolution of marriage resulted with a nice settlement. I am very satisfied with the services of Jonathan.

Everyone in the Law Offices of Jonathan Merel was very helpful, organized, and professional. I was also very fortunate to have Aurelija Fitzpatrick, Jonathan’s Associate, working on my case together with Jonathan. She too is very knowledgeable, professional, and responsive. 
I highly recommend Jonathan and the Law Offices of Jonathan Merel to anyone in need of legal services. Thanks.

Faruk

"Jonathan was very honest... He didn't waste time or money"

I hired Jonathan's law firm to represent me during my divorce. Jonathan was very honest about what he thought may or may not be the outcome for my personal situation. He didn't waste time or money fighting for things he didn't believe would resolve my case. He has lots of experience and didn't mislead me simply to drag things on.

Nina

"They fought for my rights and kept me well informed"

Getting divorced was a painful, difficult experience. I was lucky to have Merel’s firm to navigate through the process. Jonathan Merel has a fantastic team, including Melissa Caballero and Stephen Lincoln, who led the charge in my divorce settlement. They fought for my rights and kept me well informed as the case progressed. I highly recommend them if you are looking for an experienced law firm.

Alexander

"Truthful, straightforward, trustworthy"

Jonathan Merel and his colleague Bradley R. Kaye, Law Offices of Jonathan Merel ARE the BEST divorce/family law attorneys you can hire to help you with your divorce process...They get things done in a speedy way to finish, be done, so you can be HAPPY again!

They are extremely experienced, dedicated, and right on top of things at all times to make sure you get the BEST results possible during and in the finale of your divorce! They achieve and complete things very thoroughly in an extraordinary professional way! Jonathan M. and Brad K. handle arising matters asap, reply to your emails, texts and phone calls immediately with truthful answers, strategies, plans of resolution and even attack (if needed) in an ugly disagreements, conflicts, and disputes with your ex, who just don't wanna do what's right for your children!

Jonathan Merel will not treat you like a number in his law firm's client statistics. HE WILL make sure your case is NOT put on a back burner until the end of completion of your case, giving you best legal attention at all times when you need him! He will not take your hard earned money and promise you pears on apple trees! Both, Jonathan & Brad are very truthful, straightforward, trustworthy and mostly right on point with what they can accomplish, and what the results in the finale of your divorce will be! Jonathan Merel gets things done with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed for his client, who is going thru a repulsive, unpleasant divorce.

I highly recommend Jonathan Merel as your divorce attorney!

I had to fire 2 attorneys BEFORE I hired Jonathan M and wasted a lot of money & time making that mistake...

Jonathan Merel as my divorce attorney delivered FAST the BEST results I needed for my two wonderful children an I with a 110% satisfaction as his client in the finale! Thanks so much!

Marzena G.

"Shrewd, efficient and relentless"

First if you are reading this review know that:

1. You are in a bad place in your marriage. 
2. It is about to get A LOT worse.

Divorce sucks. Divorce in Cook County sucks worse. That is why you need a shrewd attorney to fight the invariable nonsense you are about to see.

Jonathan is just that guy. Shrewd, efficient and relentless. Like it or not you are about to enter combat. Go in with the best weapons you can find and follow their advice. I would endorse Jonathan highly based on all the above criteria as he knows the fight well. He will make sure that you are covered and that you get what you deserve regardless of the issues that your soon to be ex raises.

Tom

"Jonathan Merel was an excellent advisor who had my best interest in mind"

Jonathan Merel was an excellent advisor who had my best interest in mind 100% of the time. Not only was he proactive and efficient, but compassionate at the same time. I highly recommend Jonathan Merel to anyone seeking a divorce attorney.

Tiffany

"I got everything I need from Jonathan and his team."

Jonathan and his assistants provided excellent service to me. First of all he gave me his personal phone number, I can call and text anytime, he listens and follows up on my divorce case very carefully, he writes up excellent defense reports and smart reasoning, he is in court on time. I got everything I need from Jonathan and his team.

John

"Competent, kind, and candid divorce attorneys"

My divorce case was not technically difficult, but I needed help immediately and Jonathan Merel and his associate Brad Kaye were able to leap in and help me with custody issues right away. Both men were aware my divorce was very difficult for me emotionally and their professionalism didn't just extend to legal analysis and representation; they also encouraged me and helped me through an awful period of my life, carefully explaining what was going on all the time. Jonathan was always prompt about getting back in touch with me when issues arose. And while Jonathan and Brad are both smart and affable, they were also dogged in defending my interests. Once, in court, faced with opposing counsel mocking me directly, Brad responded aggressively in my defense — something that deeply impressed me, and for which I am still very grateful. Additionally, I quickly came to prize Jonathan's astute legal analysis and vision for where he wanted my case to go. I'd highly recommend The Law Offices of Jonathan Merel to those looking for competent, kind, and candid divorce attorneys. They know the law. They helped me get a result I can live with and which is helping me move on with my life. And, maybe more importantly, it's clear they actually give a damn about their clients. That last bit is worth its weight in gold.

Eryk

"I didn't initially hire him. Worst decision made!"

Jonathan was initially referred to me by a friend. Upon my initial consultation, I liked his no nonsense approach but since I was concerned with costs since I had been recently laid off at the time, I didn't initially hire him. Worst decision made! I ended up having to go through two lawyers who unfortunately didn't accomplish anything and only delayed the process. I came running back as my divorce became more complicated. He quickly setup a consultation as I needed to bring him up to speed and I hired him on the spot. Jonathan and Melissa were extremely helpful and were straight to the point. After all the divorce drama with my ex husband, the divorce is now over and I thank them both for finally giving me my freedom.

Previous Client

"I would recommend Merel for a stress-free and fair experience."

My experience with Merel has been truly unique and exceptional. I was amazed at his knowledge and expertise in solving a complicated international divorce case like mine. He was extremely professional - The promises were strictly adhered to and exceeded in terms of timeliness and the speed with which the case was resolved. The cost was much lower than estimated. Billing was very professional and at no point in time I had a second thought of doing business with Merel. Even after two years after the settlement when I had a question about the case, Merel replied to me immediately and set up a meeting to provide answers to my questions. This support has been exceptional.

Last but not least - on the day of judgment, I had walked into the court forgetting my wallet at home and had no cash or card to pay for the parking too . Merel generously helped me with cash. This goes a long way in telling me that he truly cares for his clients.

In short, I would recommend Merel for a stress-free and fair experience.

Sathya

"They had an arsenal of experts to support my case."

After my first lawyer floundered on numerous occasions and basically did nothing the first 3 months of my divorce (besides keep my retainer), I contacted Jonathan Merel via AVVO on a Sunday morning. He called me back that same day and we met first thing on Monday morning. He and Stefani Radist went work immediately. They did their best to get my case back on track and keep it moving forward. My ex-husband was unreasonable and delayed the proceedings at ever chance that he could until he was laid off from his job. He then expected an obnoxious maintenance payment. What should have been a simple divorce turned into a more complicated chess match. Jonathan and Stefani were knowledge, organized and resourceful. They kept my best interest in mind and fought rigorously on my behalf. As my ex-husband pushed for trial, they prepared me and my case for the long haul. They had an arsenal of experts to support my case. Fortunately, my ex-husband was hired back by his company less than a month before trial. A settlement was then agreed upon. I had felt like my life was in purgatory for 16 months. I couldn’t have asked for more compassionate and supportive lawyers than Jonathan and Stefani. They pulled me out of my despair on many occasions. Every penny spent was worth the outcome. I can’t thank them enough for helping me reclaim my life. I will absolutely refer anyone seeking a divorce attorney to The Law Offices of Jonathan Merel P.C.

Catherine

"Direct, to the point, and thorough"

Recently I needed to secure an Out-of-State Lawyer and had absolutely no idea how to even begin. I needed someone who would not only represent me but who would have the tenacity and skill set to ensure that this un-just filing was dismissed. Fortunately, with the help of Avvo and testaments from other individuals like myself, I found Jonathan Merel. Jonathan and his team were direct, to the point and thorough in their requests for accurate and truthful details of my case. They acknowledged the emotional distress and anxiety of having to go through this process while showing great diligence to effectively communicate with me without incurring exorbitant costs and without impacting the excellence of their service. Thanks to Jonathan and his team my case was dismissed. I am truly grateful to Jonathan for his services and definitely advise you to reach out to him if you find yourself in need of true representation.

Clyde

"He works to get the best solutions possible and definitely looks at the long term benefit of the client."

Jonathan is a smart, dedicated, compassionate person. He is understanding, approachable and trust worthy. He works to get the best solutions possible and definitely looks at the long term benefit of the client. Easy to work with and ensures high quality service. His staff is professional and efficient. 
He got the job done and had my best interest in mind when things got difficult.

In the end we prevailed and were able to finalize the divorce without spending unnecessary money and time.

Highly recommended!!!

Carol

"Loyal, trustworthy, supportive and dedicated"

Jonathan Merel is a loyal, trustworthy, supportive and dedicated lawyer. Jonathan's assistants and office staff are dependable and professional. Divorce is one of the hardest experiences that one can endure, and Jonathan was aggressive in seeking out my family's best interests. Jonathan stood by my side when my case was at its most trying moments, and for that I am and will be forever grateful.

Nicole

"A no BS kind of lawyer"

Jonathan Merel and his office is exceptionally professional, and a no BS kind of lawyer. He's very honest and always easy to get a hold of. He doesn't try to waste your money, instead he has his paralegals complete the easier things and only comes in when needed. His office pushed for my custody agreement quickly, there was no hesitation, there was no extreme waiting periods, everything moved very quickly. Much faster than expected, which has since lead to a great victory. He shows up personally to court dates instead of his paralegals, he coaches prior to the court date, and he knows what he's talking about. I highly recommend him. I've had many lawyers in the past, and if I ever run into another problem, I will be contacting him first.

Adam T.

"Very smart, creative, leaves no stone unturned, and tough as nails"

Jonathan and his team were just incredible. I cannot say enough good things about them. They saw me through a two-year journey, a bitter and contentious divorce that my ex-husband drew out as long as possible just to make life difficult. I don't think Jonathan and his team made a single false step. Jonathan is a bulldog in court, and a sweetheart to his clients. He treated me with genuine empathy and provided moral support, which is above and beyond the job of a lawyer, but was much appreciated. Meanwhile he is excellent at the main job of a lawyer - very smart, creative, leaves no stone unturned, and tough as nails when necessary in court. And I really needed someone like that on my side because it was a complex and challenging case. I will always be extremely grateful to Jonathan and his excellent team.

Virginia

"I would highly recommend Jonathan for legal representation."

I was very satisfied with the consultation services that Jonathan provided on my dissolution of marriage. The process took approximately 5 months. Yes, it was a no-contested divorce however there were settlements needed that Mr. Merel helped to facilitate to both myself and my ex-wife's satisfaction. 
We were able to discuss reasonable prices for the services provided by Jonathan and his fellow attorneys in the Merel office. Overall, I would highly recommend Jonathan for legal representation.

Charlie

"Melissa was a terrific advocate for me"

Melissa was a terrific advocate for me in my Allocation Judgement case. I was never married, but my daughter’s mother and I had been broken up for 11 years, during which we handled all scheduling on our own, with no legal agreement. My ex wanted to get our schedule officially nailed down and legally set. Melissa guided me through this process, protected my rights, and helped to negotiate our trouble areas. I never stepped foot in a courtroom at any point in this process. Melissa handled it all for me, and we were able to agree to terms and sign ahead of our final court date. Melissa’s biggest contribution was helping with the financial component. I am a professional actor, and my employment and income fluctuates constantly. She was able to help present a reasonable reflection of my income, ending with a fair, but very favorable support payment from me. My ex can be very demanding and difficult to work with, but Melissa was a massive help in negotiating this. I highly recommend working with her.

Andrew

"There was never any doubt that [Melissa] was on my side"

Once I met Melissa, I knew that I had found the right person to represent me during my divorce. I felt comfortable with her from the start, as she explained what I could expect throughout the process. Melissa was professional, knowledgeable, and always provided excellent guidance. I appreciated her prompt communication when I had questions and concerns. There was never any doubt that she was on my side and fighting for my best interest the entire time. I highly recommend Melissa to anyone needing a Family Law attorney.

Previous Client

"Melissa is personable, knowledgeable and reasonable... I completely trust her"

I contacted Melissa to discuss post-decree custody issues. I wasn’t sure what my options were. My relationship with my ex wasn’t great, but I also wanted to do everything in my power to maintain any respect we could salvage. Melissa recommended a few options and ways to proceed that were very appropriate for our situation. She explained a few angles I hadn’t thought of, and listened to exactly what I wanted to accomplish. Melissa was able to handle my entire case only speaking to me via phone and email, so it was minimally intrusive on my work/home life. We also discussed budget often and she was always very transparent about costs I should expect as the case proceeded.

Melissa successfully navigated a pre-trial conference and settlement negotiations on my behalf. I was able to obtain sole decision making over my minor child, while keeping the current relationship with the child’s father intact – which was a large part of my goal.

Overall, Melissa is personable, knowledgeable and reasonable, but also knew when to push back and when I needed to be encouraged to do so. I completely trust her judgment and ability to fight for me and my family. It’s such a relief to have someone like her on my side, even if I never need to use her again!

Kelly

"[Melissa] is very smart and really saved me from a bad situation"

Hi, Melissa Caballero is wonderful to work with, my X was trying to pursue a fraudulent protection order against me to tarnish my image. Melissa was able to transfer this case into divorce case and then vacate the protection order. Once the divorce process started everything was handled very well. My X was trying to pursue money from me, but she did not want to go through discovery process. So we were able to settle based on the original agreement without any changes and everything was resolved quickly at the end. She is very smart and really saved me from a bad situation that could of hurt my future. I highly recommend her.

Derek

"Melissa was such a positive, supportive lawyer who gave me strength to move forward"

I agree with the other reviewers. My therapist saw Melissa in action while she was a divorce mediator and was impressed. She recommended her to me as part of my safety plan before leaving for an out-of-state residency. I met with Melissa August 2015 and 4 months later, I finally had the courage to leave an abusive partner after 3.5 years of marriage. She immediately got started and ensured my safety. No matter how ridiculous my ex was during the process (it took me 11 months to divorce him without children!), she helped me make the most cost-effective decisions and had a working relationship with the other lawyer.

Melissa was such a positive, supportive lawyer who gave me strength to move forward and rebuild myself. I would happily recommend her to anyone who wants to stop the cycle of abuse or needs a divorce for other reasons.

Previous Client

"If you are looking for a professional and compassionate team and tough as nails family law attorney, this is your man."

Divorce is never an easy experience. My case had very unique circumstances and an exceptionally difficult ex-husband.  I reached out to Jonathan through an online search and have not regretted it. To say his services and his team is excellent would be an understatement.  My divorce was handled quickly,  thoroughly and the process was very professional. I also had custody and child support involved that was contested at every step, and Jonathan's team supported me and walked me through every step of the way. There were several court dates and investigative work involved for a dead beat dad trying to hide money. Jonathan took time and effort to provide every penny that was owed. The experience was thorough and accurate and communicated from beginning to end. If you are looking for a professional and compassionate team and tough as nails family law attorney, this is your man.

Gladys

"I highly recommend Jonathan and his firm for their professionalism, experience and for getting results!"

I hired Jonathan from a recommendation from a good friend of mine. Jonathan was great right out of the gates! He took his time with me and really laid out everything to expect during this difficult process. I took all of his advice and ended up being very happy with the outcome of my divorce. I highly recommend Jonathan and his firm for their professionalism, experience and for getting results!

Matt

"A huge shout out to Jonathan and his associates (Marleena especially) for all the hard work that was put into my case!"

I hired the Law Offices of Jonathan Merel to help with filing a relocation motion. When I first met with Jonathan he was very positive on the outcome of my relocation, made me very aware of how this was going to be handled and walked me through everything step by step. This became a very complicated case quickly. Through all of it, I had a team by my side keeping everything under control, emails were responded to timely, phone calls were returned timely. I had an emergency over a weekend and Jonathan made himself available to talk/text and to walk me through what needed to be done and how we would continue to handle and approach everything that was going on. The attorney’s I worked with were very strong in my representation, kept me informed on all information and very patient with me, kept me calm and positive. Jonathan and his associates put forth a great argument and under a time constraint of my relocation date with the children had all orders signed and approved within 2.5 months. With lots of negotiations now I can say my children and I are happily living out of state and our lives couldn’t be better today! A huge shout out to Jonathan and his associates (Marleena especially) for all the hard work that was put into my case! I am forever grateful!

Kelli

"They were thorough, thoughtful, respectful and always acted with my interests at heart."

I wanted to feel as though I had someone in my corner and I got that with Jonathan and Simon. They were thorough, thoughtful, respectful and always acted with my interests at heart. Thoroughly recommended.

Former Client

"Jonathan and his team are everything you want in a lawyer."

Dealing with family issues, particularly where children are involved, can be a very stressful and emotional time. Dealing with lawyers always scared me in the past as I did not have a good experience before I was introduced to the Merel Family Law Group. Jonathan and his team are everything you want in a lawyer. They are prompt, understanding, knowledgeable, and help walk you through the process every step of the way. They make sure you know all of your options before moving forward. I cannot say enough great things about this firm as I put all my trust in them and they didn't let me down. I am really happy with the outcome of my situation and have only Jonathan and his team to thank for that. I highly recommend Merel Family Law. They took my extremely scary and stressful situation to a place where I now have peace and can move forward.

BCT

"I cannot stress enough how happy I was with their performance and I highly recommend that anyone with a Family Law matter have the Law Offices of Jonathan Merel represent them."

The Law Offices of Jonathan Merel handled my divorce for me. I cannot stress enough how happy I was with their performance and I highly recommend that anyone with a Family Law matter have the Law Offices of Jonathan Merel represent them. The sound legal advice combined with the personal attention they gave me through the entire process was exceptional and so was the outcome of the divorce. I think the best testimony I can give is to share that after the divorce was finalized, I hadn't spoken to Jonathan or anyone in his firm in over a year and a half. During the holidays last year, my ex-wife tried to throw a very last minute curve ball involving kids schedule during holidays. I left a voicemail for Jonathan Merel asking him to call me. He responded to that voicemail within 15 minutes and had an email out to my ex-wife within the hour. How many Attorneys return calls within 15 minutes to clients they haven't spoken to in over a year? That's the level of service you receive from the Law Offices of Jonathan Merel. I am so grateful that this law firm was recommended to me by another Attorney which also speaks volumes.

Richard

"Jonathan is a great lawyer with great services and results"

Jonathan is a great lawyer with great services and results!

John

"Brings crystal clarity and bold solutions to complicated matters."

I highly recommend Jonathan Merel's law office. Divorce is a stressful and emotional time of life and you need great attorneys to support and to help you navigate through this storm. I have a complicated case that went through GAL and evaluation process, difficult opposing counsel, and a long process over 3 years (partially due to pandemic delay). During this period, I've been working closely with Jonathan Merel and David Zwaska. They are fast in response (usually within hours and even over weekends for urgent issues), explain legal matters and procedures in simple terms for me to understand, detail orientated in each circumstance and accurate in the financial calculations, bring crystal clarity and bold solutions to complicated matters. While Jonathan takes leadership, oversees and brings goal and visions to the case, David Zwaska works directly with me on a routine basis, and both of them are great attorneys that are capable of presenting each issue in a logical manner in court and fighting for our best interests and rights. And in my opinion, all these qualities have differentiated Jonathan and David as great attorneys from good attorneys. Now, the divorce is vanishing in my rearview mirror as I am moving into the next chapter of my life, I will definitely go back to Jonathan's office for any future legal assistance.

HW

"Always responsive, always available... this is the man you want in your corner"

Always responsive, always available to you, patient, tough on the opposing team. Responsible, very involved - this is the man you want in your corner during this rough time. Thank you Jonathan.

Previous Client