Family Law

• Divorce
• Child Support
  Going through a divorce, separation, custody dispute, child support battle, or adoption can be an extremely difficult process. You need a lawyer who will work diligently to protect your family and your assets. We understand that family issues are very difficult on you and your children and we pride ourselves on our ability to move cases quickly to completion without compromising your goals, but with great sensitivity to your family’s needs.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  We represent clients in complex civil litigation in state and federal courts for business and personal matters, including such matters as collection, personal injury, wrongful death, mechanic’s lien foreclosure, mortgage foreclosure, eviction actions, condominium association matters, and family law, including divorce and child custody disputes. We have litigated and prevailed against small and large law firms alike, representing our clients with vigor and personal determination.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Was born and raised in the northern suburbs of Chicago. She received her B.A. in Criminal Justice from Illinois State University in 2000. She went to Depaul College of Law and received awards for being named both the Dean’s Scholar and Dean’s Minority Scholar from the DePaul College of Law. Ms. Maldonado graduated from DePaul College of Law with her Juris Doctorate in 2003. Ms. Maldonado was admitted to the Illinois Bar in November of 2003. She is fluent in Spanish and Malayalam, an East Indian dialect. She is a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and Illinois State Bar Association. Ms. Maldonado practices in various areas of litigation, including family law, personal injury, criminal defense, and collection matters, as well as handling real estate and estate planning matters.
• Wrongful Death
  Was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He received his B.A. with honors in Political Science from Northern Illinois University in 1978, and his J.D. with honors from John Marshall School of Law in 1982. After graduating from law school, Mr. Lawrence established his own private law practice in Chicago. He is a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Chicago Bar Association, and Illinois State Bar Association. Mr. Lawrence has lectured before Bar Association committees and private organizations. He is admitted to practice before federal and Illinois courts. He practices in the area of litigation, primarily in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, worker’s compensation, criminal defense, landlord/tenant, and collection matters.

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Attorney Gael Morris is also a CPA and has an LLM in Taxation to better assist you by watching out for the tax implications of your planned transactions. Ms. Morris has extensive experience in determining and forming the proper legal entity for your business, acquisitions and sales of businesses, including the financing aspects, negotiating, drafting, and analyzing commercial leases, contracts, including employee contracts, covenants not to compete, confidentiality agreements, shareholder agreements, handling liquidations, buy-outs, and other dispositions of businesses.
• Business Transactions
  Our emphasis is on creative planning and structuring of business transactions, including tax-free exchanges, equipment leasing, and the acquisition and disposition of businesses. Ms. Morris has represented clients in all types of tax controversies with state and federal agencies, including matters before the Internal Revenue Service and the Illinois Department of Revenue.
• Limited Liability Companies
  In addition to being an attorney, Gael Morris is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Masters of Law in Taxation. This combination of disciplines makes Lawrence, Morris & Maldonado uniquely qualified in all areas of taxation, including individual, partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, fiduciary, as well as estate and gift taxation.

Employment Law

• Workers Compensation

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Was born in and has lived in the Chicagoland area for most of her life. She received her B.S. in Accounting with high honors from the University of Illinois in 1979, her J.D. from the University of Southern California in 1982, and her L.L.M. in Taxation with honors from the Illinois Institute of Technology/Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1985. She is also admitted to the California Bar and a Certified Public Accountant (Illinois 1979). Ms. Morris practices business, tax law, estate planning and probate, and real estate law.
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes
  Our real estate practice covers a wide spectrum of matters, from residential and commercial leases, residential and commercial sales and purchases, condominium developments and conversions, condominium association matters, landlord-tenant matters, and financing matters. We handle both the transactional and litigation aspects of matters concerning or affecting a variety of interests in real estate.
• Condominium Law
  Ms. Morris’ real estate practice include representation in commercial transactions, condominium conversion and development, condominium associations, commercial leases, investment and residential sales and purchases.

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  We have been providing dedicated service in the area of personal injury to clients for over 25 years. We have successfully litigated and won cases both at trial and arbitration against some of the nation’s largest insurance companies and law firms. We understand that while no amount of money can recover what you have lost in many cases where there has been a significant injury or loss of a loved one, people should be held wholly accountable for their negligent actions so that you can receive closure and full compensation for your losses.
• Medical Malpractice
  If you or a loved one has been hurt by the negligence of another person, you have the legal right to be compensated for your damages, including your medical bills, lost wages, loss of a normal life, and future damages (including medical bills). When a loved one has been killed by the negligence of another, you should also be compensated for your loss of that person and your inability to be with him or her anymore. Many different types of actions are covered in the broad area of personal injury law, including automobile accidents, slip and fall accidents, medical malpractice, premise liability, and other actions. It is so important that you have an attorney that can empathize with your loss and aggressively pursue the person or persons responsible for that loss so that you are compensated to the fullest extent.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Our corporate and business practice concentrates on the representation of entrepreneurs and owners of small to mid-sized businesses. We provide the full range of legal services required by entrepreneurs, including protecting the owners from personal liabilities from the operation of the business, facilitating business transactions and agreements, and planning for the death or disability of a key owner or employee, and other personal and family tax and estate planning.
• Wills
  In estate planning, we offer counseling to a wide variety of clients aimed at developing an individualized program suited to the specific goals and circumstances of each client. These clients include owners of closely-held businesses and professional practices, executives, investors, developers, and retired individuals with substantial net worth. We counsel such clients in addressing a wide span of concerns including avoidance of probate, estate tax savings, inter-generational transfers of wealth and family-owned businesses, and planning for liquidity to support the surviving family members and pay debts of the estate, including any taxes due. We also assist clients with basic estate planning, such as the preparation of simple wills and powers of attorney for health decisions and powers of attorney for property.
• Trusts
  Our practice in probate estate and trust administration provides a sensitive and practical approach to the needs of family members and beneficiaries, including the planning for distributions from qualified retirement plans to minimize taxes, preparation of estate tax returns, handling estate tax audits, estate income tax planning, trust administration, trust income tax planning, and preparation of fiduciary income tax returns.
• Power of Attorney
• Probate

Finance Law

• Foreclosure
• Tax Law
  Her business practice consists of sales and acquisitions of businesses, formation, use and operation of business entities, including partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, and buy-sell agreements. Her tax and accounting background provides an essential perspective in addressing issues of every transaction, whether it is anticipating tax consequences in the transaction or analyzing financial statements. Her estate planning and probate practice includes wills, trust, insurance trusts, generation-skipping transfer trusts, estate tax planning, planning for family-owned business, estate tax audits, and probate and trust administration.