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Lisa M. Giese

Partner

Over the last two decades, Lisa has handled thousands of uncontested and contested family law matters, including divorce cases involving division of assets, support modification and enforcement proceedings, paternity and parenting time (visitation) matters, allocation of parental responsibilities (custody) and removal (relocation) cases, DCFS appeals, orders of protection, guardianship cases and related matters. Lisa is a zealous advocate for her clients and knows when a case should be settled and when it requires aggressive representation and litigation.

Lisa has been extremely active in the legal community which enhances her legal skills and strengthens her relationship with her colleagues and the judiciary. Lisa’s been involved in the Illinois State Bar Association, DuPage County Bar Association, Kane County Bar Association and DuPage Association of Women Lawyers, serving on numerous committees including the Family Law Section Council (ISBA), Child Law Section Council (ISBA), Children’s Advocacy Committee (DCBA), Judicial Evaluation Committee (KCBA) and Wellness Committee (DCBA). Lisa has also served on the Board of Directors for DAWL, DCBA, and DuPage Legal Aid.

As a trained guardian ad litem (GAL) with the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court of DuPage County, as well as Cook, Kane and Will County, Lisa has been appointed by the Court on hundreds of occasions to serve in that capacity and to make recommendations in accordance with the best interests of the children. Lisa has also served many years as a volunteer for the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program in Cook and DuPage Counties assisting the Court in complex abuse and neglect cases within the juvenile court system. While in law school, Lisa focused her studies on family law and earned her Certificate in Child and Family Law.

Lisa's experience with complex financial issues also regularly aids her in her practice of family law. Lisa frequently collaborates with business valuation experts, CPA’s, and forensic investigators when necessary to support her clients’ interests. Her approach to her cases is to listen to her clients’ needs and goals and use her background and experience to counsel them toward the appropriate resolution in a compassionate, efficient and professional manner.

Practice Areas

Education

J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 2008
Certificate in Child and Family Law

B.A., Michigan State University, James Madison College, 2004
Honors: Dean's List, Major: Political Theory and Social Relations

Professional & Bar Association Memberships

Illinois
Member Since: 2008

U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
Member Since: 2008

U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar
Member Since: 2009

United States Supreme Court
Member Since: 2015

Kane County Bar Association

DuPage County Bar Association

Illinois State Bar Association

Published Works

  • "Supreme Court Rule 304(a): Does including the language of the rule in an order make it appealable? " Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Newsletter 2015
  • Til Death Benefits do us Part: The Effect of Marital Settlement Agreements on Beneficiary Designations, DCBA Brief, 2010
  • Substitution of Judge as a Matter of Right and the Application in Post-Judgment Proceedings: A Domestic Relations Perspective, DCBA Brief, 2012
  • Navigating Section 607.6 of the IMDMA: The Use of Counseling Communications in Litigation, DCBA Brief, 2020

Speaking Engagements

  • “Divorcing a Narcissist: How is it Relevant to Parenting Time and Allocation of Parenting Responsibilities” DuPage County Bar Association, Family Law Committee, 2024 (co-presented with Dr. Roger Hatcher)
  • “Common Mistakes made by GAL’s and How to Avoid Them” DuPage County Bar Association, Guardian ad Litem Training, 2024 (co-presented with Hon. Robert Douglas)
  • “Preparing for Evidentiary Hearings and Trials in Family Law” Kane County Bar Association, Family Law Committee, 2023 (co-presented with Emily J. Rapp)
  • “When Galaxies Collide: Evaluators and GAL’s” DuPage County Bar Association, Guardian ad Litem Training, 2022 (co-presented with Dr. Robert Shapiro)
  • “Cross-Examination of Expert Witnesses” DuPage County Bar Association, Family Law Committee, 2022 (co-presented with Dr. David Finn)
  • “Interviewing Children as Guardian ad Litem” DuPage County GAL Training Seminar, 2022
  • “GAL ROLE: Appointment through Testimony” Kane County GAL Training Seminar, 2020 (co-presented with Hon. Kimberly DiGiovanni)
  • "GAL Role: Appointment through Testimony" ISBA GAL Training, 2019
  • "Role of the GAL from the Perspective of the GAL"
    DuPage County GAL Training Seminar, 2013 & 2015
  • "GAL Appointed -Now What?"
    Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE), 2014
  • "Child Interviews, Evaluations and Investigations"
    DCBA Family Law & Practice Seminar, 2015

Honors and Awards

  • Elite Lawyer, 2019-Present
  • Super Lawyers, 2019-Present
  • Super Lawyers Rising Star Distinction, 2013-2018
  • DuPage County Bar Association Service Award, 2014
  • DuPage County Bar Association Director's Award, 2020

Employment History

Kollias & Giese, P.C.

  • Managing Partner, 2014-2020

Anderson & Associates, P.C.

  • Associate Attorney, 2008-2014

Hanley Flight & Zimmerman, LLC

  • Law Clerk and Legal Secretary, 2006-2008

Divorce

If you are planning to dissolve your marriage, or if you and your spouse have already begun the divorce process, we will make sure you understand the legal issues that you will need to address, and we will help you resolve disputes effectively while protecting your rights. We can help you determine whether you can use mediation or collaborative law to reach a divorce settlement, and if necessary, we will advocate for your rights and interests during divorce litigation. We will work closely with you to help you achieve your goals and ensure that you will be prepared to move on once your divorce is complete.

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Cost of Divorce

Every divorce case is unique, and the costs involved in the divorce process can vary depending on the issues that will need to be addressed. During your divorce, we will fully explain your attorney's fees and other costs, including expenses related to mediation, experts who may be needed to perform business valuations or review other financial matters, or a guardian ad litem or other child custody evaluators. If you are concerned about your ability to pay the expenses involved in your divorce, we can help you understand whether you can ask that your spouse be required to contribute to your attorney fees and other costs. We can also help you determine whether you will be eligible to receive spousal maintenance, including pursuing temporary support orders during the divorce process.

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Parent and Child Issues

We help divorcing and unmarried parents address the allocation of parental responsibilities (formerly known as child custody) and parenting time (formerly known as visitation). We will work with you to create a parenting plan that will provide for your children's best interests.

Child Support

All parents have the obligation to provide financial support to meet their children's needs. We can help you calculate child support according to the laws in Illinois, and we can also help you address additional child-related expenses, as well as college expenses and non-minor support.

Child Removal and Relocation

If a parent wishes to move with their child outside the state of Illinois or to a new home that is more than 25 miles away from their current home, they must receive approval from the court if the other parent does not agree to the relocation. We represent both moving and non-moving parents in child relocation cases.

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Family Law

Parents, children, or other family members may need to address multiple different types of legal issues in family court. We can provide representation in a wide variety of situations, including assisting with the adoption of a child, establishing paternity, drafting surrogacy and reproductive rights agreements, or naming a person as the legal guardian of a minor child or disabled adult. We can also help couples create prenuptial or postnuptial agreements, assist with name changes for adults or minor children, or address issues related to juvenile law.

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Domestic Violence

If you or a member of your family have been the victim of domestic violence or abuse, we can help you obtain an order of protection to ensure that you will be safe from harm. We can also help you defend against an order of protection that has been issued based on false accusations of abuse.

DCFS

If your family is being investigated by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, we can provide you with legal representation to protect your rights and avoid disruption to your family relationships. If a DCFS investigation results in an indicated finding of child abuse or neglect, we can help you appeal these findings.

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