Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Guimond-Quigley.
Jennifer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After law school, I worked for a boutique family law practice, which inspired me to open my own firm. Throughout law school, I always envisioned owning my own practice; I decided to make the leap sooner rather than later. I opened The Law Office of Jennifer Guimond-Quigley in 2009, and the risk worked out. My practice has grown, and I have grown as a practitioner, but I have always remembered where I started from and why I went out on my own. I wanted to practice in a way that best suited my personality and style, which is having a more personal connection with clients through a lot of attention and collaboration with less focus on billable hours.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Managing the business aspect along with developing my technical and legal knowledge has been a challenge, mostly because there just are not enough hours in the day to do all of it yourself. Luckily, I learned early on that having a good staff and outsourcing other aspects of my personal life is key. Another struggle I had was taking maternity leave. At the time I had both of my kids, I did not have any attorneys working for me. With both kids, I was on the phone handling at least one work-related matter while I was in the hospital after giving birth. In an ideal world, I would have had more time to focus on and cherish those first few months. Now that my kids have gotten a little older, I am so thankful for the flexibility I have with owning my own practice so I can attend their appointments, school functions and activities.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Law Office of Jennifer Guimond-Quigley – what should we know?
We are a family law firm, focusing exclusively on family planning and litigation. Our litigation side handles divorce, parentage, allocation of parental responsibilities, child support, orders of protection, estate disputes and estate administration. We also handle the transactional side, which includes prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements, adoptions and estate planning. I love both areas of my practice as well as the variety of work. There are some days where I am in court, and other days, I am drafting agreements and estate plans. It is the best of both worlds.
Despite the growth of the practice, we are still very committed to providing excellent, quality representation with a lot of attention to the client. That is something I work tirelessly to maintain. We also promote cooperation and settlement whenever possible, even though it often results in fewer billable hours and less work for the firm. It is much more satisfying to settle a case where both parties walk away friends than to litigate a case all the way through a trial resulting in the parties despising each other.
There are a few things that set us apart from other law practices. I am very passionate about providing the best results for my clients and their families. I do this by providing a high level of attentiveness to my clients to stay in touch with their needs and concerns through every phase of representation. My focus is on the client’s wellbeing. Additionally, I have an accounting background, which has proven extremely helpful in both business management and in the financial work that is completed in family law litigation matters.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
The moments that stick with me the most are when I achieve stability for children. I have helped return a child to a frantic parent when the child was wrongfully removed from the state and concealed. I have also helped remove kids from abusive situations. As a parent myself, these moments remind me that I chose the right career.
Contact Info:
- Address: 123 N. Wacker Dr., Ste 2300
Chicago, IL 60606 - Website: http://gqlawoffice.com/
- Phone: (312) 754-1319
- Email: info@gqlawoffice.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gqlawoffice/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gqlawoffice
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/law-office-of-jennifer-guimond-quigley-chicago
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gqlawoffice/
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
