Margaret A. Bennett

Bennett Law, LLC

2015 Spring Road, Suite 370, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523

Our highly reputable family law firm specializes in settling our client's divorce cases utilizing the Collaborative Divorce Process, Mediation Services, or an Uncontested Cooperative Approach.

Attorney Profile

  • Margaret Bennett
  • 2015 Spring Road, Suite 370
  • Oak Brook, Illinois, 60523
  • Phone: (630) 573-8800
  • Fax: (630) 573-9810
Email Me

Margaret A. Bennett

Illinois Family Law Attorney and Super Lawyer

Margaret Bennett has been practicing family law and divorce litigation for over 25 years. She now focuses her practice on utilizing the Collaborative Divorce Process or the Cooperative Approach, as well as providing divorce mediation services to resolve divorce and family law matters.  Ms. Bennett practices in DuPage, Kane, Cook and Will Counties, she is a specially trained Collaborative Law attorney and serves as a Family Court Mediator for the DuPage County court system.

Margaret Bennett is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including recognition as an Illinois Super Lawyer (2012-2019). Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Only 5% of attorneys in the State of Illinois are selected to the Super Lawyers list. Ms. Bennett has also been named to the Top 100 Super Lawyers list (2012-2019) and the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers list (2013-2019) in the State of Illinois by Super Lawyers, as published in Super Lawyers Magazine and Chicago Magazine. She recently received an award from the American Institute of Family Law Attorney as one of the 10 Best Attorneys for exceptional and outstanding client services.

Margaret Bennett has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell® since 1998, which is the highest rating available, and has also been named to the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers (2011 to present). Ms. Bennett received this highest recognition by her peers, bestowed upon lawyers only with the utmost legal ability and adherence to professional standards of conduct, ethics, reliability and diligence. In addition, Ms. Bennett attained the highest possible rating by AVVO.com, one of the leading lawyer rating websites.

Margaret Bennett received legislative appointment to serve on the Illinois Family Law Study Committee (2008 to present). The Illinois House of Representatives formed this committee to study and revise state law provisions relating to parentage, child support, spousal maintenance, the allocation of assets and child custody. Ms. Bennett also is an appointed member of the Illinois Child Support Advisory Committee (2010 to present). This committee is charged with reviewing child support guidelines and making recommendations to the State legislature. Through presentations to this committee, as well as numerous bar associations throughout the State of Illinois, Ms. Bennett has promoted the adoption of the income sharing approach to determine child support, an approach used by 39 other states and the District of Columbia.

Margaret Bennett is an appointed member of the Family Law Section Council for the Illinois State Bar Association (2009 to present). Ms. Bennett is the Co-Chair of the Child Support Subcommittee of the Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Council for the terms 2010 - 2019. She recently co-authored articles on child support for the Illinois State Bar Association Bar Journal and the New Spousal Maintenance Guidelines. She also serves as chair of the Parentage Subcommittee of the Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Council for the term 2014 - 2019. The Parentage Subcommittee drafted the Parentage Act of 2015. Ms. Bennett testified before the Judiciary Committees of the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield, Illinois on family law issues in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. 

Margaret Bennett is an appointed member of the standing committee on Judicial Evaluations Outside Cook County for the Illinois State Bar Association (1997 to 2018). Ms. Bennett served as chair of the DuPage County Bar Association Family Law and Practice Committee for the terms 1997/1998 and 2011/2012.

Education
Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence QLTT, College of Law, London, Solicitor of England & Wales University of California at Berkeley, B.A., Political Science, with honors
Bar Admissions
United States: Admitted to the Bar in Illinois and Colorado U.S. Supreme Court U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit United Kingdom: Admitted to the Rolls of Solicitors of England and Wales
Legal Experience
1982- Present: Principal, Bennett Law Firm, LLC, Oak Brook, Illinois. The practice is concentrated in family law.
QLTT, College of Law, London Loyola University of Chicago School of Law: J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence University of California at Berkeley: B.A., Political Science (with honors)
Professional Memberships
Illinois State Bar Association DuPage County Bar Association West Suburban Bar Association DuPage Association of Women Lawyers
Bar Associations and Appointments
Appointment to the State of Illinois Child Support Advisory Committee, 2010 to present Appointment to the Family Law Study Committee by the Illinois House of Representatives, 2008 to present International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, Member, 2006 to 2010, 2012 to present Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, Fellow, 2006 to 2010, 2012 to present Society of English and American Lawyers, United Kingdom, 2005 to present The Law Society, United Kingdom, 2004 to present Northern Illinois Real Estate Law Committee, Chairman, 1994-1997

Illinois State Bar Association

Appointment to the Family Law Section Council, 2009 to present Appointment to Standing Committee on Judicial Evaluations Outside Cook County, 1997 to present Appointment to Real Property Section Council, 1996 to 2002 Elected to Illinois State Bar Association Assembly (governing body), 1986-1990 and 1994-2000

DuPage County Bar Association

Chairman of the Family Law and Practice Committee, 1997/1998 and 2011/2012 Appointment to Custody Evaluation Committee, 2007 to 2008 Appointment to the DuPage County Family Court Task Force, 1997 to 2001 Appointment to Family Law Mediation Rules Committee, 1996-1999 Appointment to Family Law Fee Arbitration Committee, 1997 to 1999, and drafted Local Court Rules for Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program Chairman of the Professional Responsibility Committee, 1996/1997 Chairman of the Real Estate Law and Practice Committee, 1994/1995
Professional Honorariums
Named to Super Lawyers list as an Illinois Super Lawyer in area of family law, 2012 to 2015 Named to the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Illinois by Super Lawyers, 2013 to 2015 Named to the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers in Illinois by Super Lawyers, 2012 to 2015 Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating in Legal Ability and Ethical Standards, 1998 to present Named to the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, 2011 to present Who's Who in American Law, 2010 DuPage County Circuit Court Certificate of Appreciation, 2009 Leading American Attorney, 2008 Woman of the Year Award bestowed by The International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England, 2008 to 2010 DuPage County Bar Association Certificate of Appreciation, 1998 Illinois State Bar Association Board of Directors Award, 1990 DuPage County Bar Association Legal Aid Program Certificate of Appreciation, 1989
Lectures and Publications

Lectures include the following:

Speaker, “Why Illinois Should Adopt Income Shares to Determine Child Support”, Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Council, January 10, 2015. Speaker, “New Paternity Rule Highlights”, AAML Illinois Chapter Seminar, October 14, 2013. Speaker, “A New Parentage Act for Illinois”, Kane County Bar Association Family Law Committee, September 11, 2013. Featured speaker, “Income Sharing Approach to Determine Child Support”, Kane County Bar Association Annual Family Law Seminar, May 30, 2013. Speaker, “The Future of Child Support Calculations in Illinois: Income Shares vs. Percentage of Income”, Chicago Bar Association Domestic Relations Committee, January 28, 2013. Featured speaker, “Income Shares and Calculation of Child Support – Net Income”, Illinois Child Support Advisory Committee, July 23, 2012. Co-presenter of the Divorce University Financial Presentation sponsored by The Lilac Tree, May 6, 2012 and October 22, 2011. Featured speaker, “Why Illinois Should Retain the Net Income Approach When Determining Child Support”, Illinois Child Support Advisory Committee, October 19, 2011. Co-presenter of Team 5 of American Inns of Court, “How Far Can the Government Go Under the 4th Amendment in Using Modern Technology to Investigate and Track Suspects Without a Warrant?”, American Inns of Court meeting, April 25, 2012. Featured speaker, “Real Estate Law for Divorce Attorneys”, Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Council’s Mid-Year Seminar, 2001. Featured speaker, “Real Estate Pitfalls Affecting the Divorce Practitioner”, Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Council’s Annual Seminar, 2001. Featured speaker, “How to Avoid the Nightmare”, Illinois State Bar Association Real Property Section Council’s Annual Seminar, 1999. Featured speaker, “What Every Real Estate Attorney Should Know About Divorce Law and What Every Divorce Attorney Should Know About Real Estate Law”, Illinois State Bar Association Real Property Section Council’s Annual Seminar, 1998. Featured speaker, “The Allocation of Stock Options Upon Dissolution of Marriage”, Seminar on Financial, Business Valuation & Divorce Taxation Issues, 1998. Instructor, Paralegal Institute, 1992 to 1993.

Publications include the following:

“The legal and ethical conundrum of child support in multi-partnered families” Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Newsletter, January, 2015. “House Bill 6191 – The Illinois Parentage Act”, Illinois State Bar Association Section Council Newsletter, December, 2012. "A Summary of Illinois House Bill 6191", Illinois State Bar Association Section Council Newsletter, November, 2011. “Legal Practice Tips”, Illinois Bar Journal, Volume 88, December 2000. “The Real Estate Lawyer’s Divorce Primer (and the Divorce Lawyer’s Guide to Real Estate)”, Illinois Bar Journal, Volume 86 (Copyright assigned to West Law), September 1998. “Mandatory Matrimonial Fee Arbitration”, DuPage County Bar Brief, November 1997. “Another View of House Bill 365 (Leveling the Playing Field in Matrimonial Law)”, Illinois Family Law Report, April 1997. “The Allocation of Stock Options Upon Dissolution of Marriage”, Illinois Family Law Report, October 1996. “Penny Wise and Pound Foolish”, Illinois State Bar Association Real Property Newsletter, July 1995. “Real Estate for the Penny Wise”, Illinois State Bar Association Bar News, September 15, 1995.
Representative Clients
McDonald’s Corporation, Oak Brook, Illinois (real estate/legal matters) DuPage County Storm Water Management Committee (land acquisition/real estate) DuPage County Fair and Exposition Authority (interpreted statutes and provided legal opinions to the Authority) DuPage Department of Transportation (right-of-way acquisitions)
Charitable Affiliations
Board of Directors, First Folio Theatre, Oak Brook, Illinois, (current) University of California Alumni Association, (current) Berkeley in Britain Alumni Association, (current) Society of English and American Lawyers, (current) Supporter of RRAF - a non-profit agency that provides support to adults with developmental disabilities, (current) Supporter of the Association for Individual Development (AID) which provides services to individuals who have developmental, physical and/or mental disabilities, (current) Resources for Retarded and Autistic Adults, Lombard, Illinois Board of Directors, 1996 to 2000 DuPage County Blue Ribbon Committee on People with Disabilities, Wheaton, Illinois Member, 1993-1995 Evangelical Health Foundation, Board of Sponsors, Oak Brook, Illinois Member, 1988-1992 Good Samaritan Hospital Development Counsel, Downers Grove, Illinois Member, 1988-1992
10 Best
International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Margaret A. Bennett
Rated by Super Lawyers


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Margaret A. Bennett
Rated by Super Lawyers


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Margaret A. Bennett
Rated by Super Lawyers


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Margaret A. Bennett
Rated by Super Lawyers


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Margaret A. Bennett
Rated by Super Lawyers


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