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Latest from Kogut & Wilson Blog

Kogut & Wilson partner Cailee J. Alderman will cover adoption law and parentage topics during two upcoming CLE programs this month.
On April 7 at 2:00 pm CDT, Cailee will speak during a Chicago Bar Association webinar titled “Family Formation in a New Legal Landscape: ART, Surrogacy, and Confirmatory Adoption Under the Equality for Every Family Act.” Her portion of the program, “Equality for Every Family Act: History and Parentage and Divorce Updates,” will focus on recent Domestic Relations developments under the Act, including how changes to parentage and divorce may impact family law practitioners.
On April 8, from 12…
Continue Reading Cailee J. Alderman to Address the Equality for Every Family Act and Adoption Issues in Upcoming CLE Programs

Partner Cailee J. Alderman will speak on a panel at DePaul University College of Law addressing Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and adoption.
The event will take place on Wednesday, March 19 at 12 pm and is presented in collaboration with the Center for Public Interest Law, the Society for Asylum & Immigration Law, and the International Law Society.
During the program, Cailee will join fellow panelists who practice in family and immigration law to discuss SIJS and adoption issues and share their perspectives with members of the DePaul law school community. Cailee will be joined by family law attorney…
Continue Reading Cailee J. Alderman to Share Insights on Adoption Law and SIJS at DePaul College of Law Panel

Kogut & Wilson partner Cailee J. Alderman will provide adoption law insights during an upcoming seminar hosted by Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS).
On Wednesday, March 11, from 12 – 1 pm CST, Cailee will join four other Guardians ad Litem to compare contested and uncontested adoptions. The panel will share guidance on representing the best interests of children while navigating adoption proceedings in Cook County Adoption Court.
Titled “Uncontested Adoptions from Start to Finish,” the program is part one of a two-part Adoption CLE series presented by CVLS for its volunteers. The session will cover key stages of the…
Continue Reading Cailee J. Alderman to Discuss Uncontested Adoptions in Part 1 of CVLS Adoption CLE Series

Congratulations to Eva M. Kogut on being featured on the 2026 Super Lawyers Illinois Top 5 Family Law Attorneys, Top 50 Women Attorneys and Top 100 Attorneys lists. She also joins five other firm attorneys that were named to Super Lawyers Illinois’ lists for 2026.
Eva has been recognized by Super Lawyers for her outstanding work in family law since 2017 and has been included in its Top 50 List since 2023 and its Top 100 List since 2025. This is her first year being recognized in the Top 5 Family Law Attorneys list.
Each year, Super Lawyers recognizes…
Continue Reading Eva M. Kogut Honored on Three Illinois Super Lawyers Top Lists in 2026

Kogut & Wilson is pleased to announce that six of the firm’s attorneys have been honored by Super Lawyers on their Illinois 2026 lists, recognizing the firm’s achievement in family law:
Super Lawyers

Rising Stars

This is Nike’s first year being recognized by Super Lawyers.
Additionally, Eva was named to the Illinois Super Lawyers Top 5 Family Law, Top 50 Women and Top 100 Lawyer lists. Read more here.
Super Lawyers makes its selections using a rigorous patented multiphase selection process consisting…
Continue Reading Super Lawyers Illinois Honors Six Kogut & Wilson Attorneys on 2026 Lists

Kogut & Wilson Partner Eva Matela Kogut will discuss the intersection of family law and therapy during the presentation, “Family Law & Therapy: A Collaborative Approach” on Thursday, January 22, from 9:30–11:00 a.m. at Sketchbook Brewery in Skokie, IL.
Eva will be joined by attorney Erin Wilson of The Law Office of Erin M. Wilson, LLC for a coffee and conversation–style discussion exploring how family law and psychotherapy work together, including:

  • Litigation, divorce, mediation and collaborative law
  • Serving the best interests of children and how that is accomplished
  • The role therapy plays for individuals and families
  • Co-parenting, communication and reunification

…
Continue Reading Eva Matela Kogut to Discuss Collaborative Approach in Family Law and Therapy

The dress has been purchased. The invitations have been sent. A countdown to the big day is prominently displayed. As many details are being finalized, couples often don’t think about an important component of wedding planning: the prenuptial agreement.
The premise–that a couple is planning for the challenging financial aspects of their relationship–can create tension during an exciting time. Understanding what a prenuptial agreement is, the process involved and the benefits afforded can help alleviate stress for those considering adding an agreement to their wedding planning checklist.
What is a prenuptial agreement?
A prenuptial agreement is tailored to the couple,…
Continue Reading How Can a Prenuptial Agreement Help Plan for Life Beyond a Wedding?

Due to her deep-seated knowledge regarding adoption law and her active membership within the Chicago Bar Association (CBA), Cailee J. Alderman was invited to join the legislative effort to draft and advance Illinois Senate Bill 103. The bill, which was passed into law in July 2025, concerns amendments to the Adoption Act to ensure stability for children in the adoption process.
As part of the drafting committee for the Bill, Cailee:
1. Corrected an oversight in court procedures in Section 7(c) of the Adoption Act, which governs who receives notice of the filing of an Adoption Petition. The revision clarifies…
Continue Reading Cailee J. Alderman Contributes to Passage of IL Senate Bill 103 and Amendments to the Adoption Act

Kogut & Wilson is pleased to announce Brenda G. Friedman has been recognized in Chicago Daily Law Bulletin’s sixth annual Women in Law List. This list recognizes and honors influential women in law who work to mentor and promote other women in the profession, act as shining examples of leadership and achieve success in the legal community.
As a partner, Brenda is known for her meticulous preparation and her ability to bring strategic clarity to complex family law disputes. She navigates matters involving significant assets, parental responsibilities, support and post-decree issues with the financial insight and steadiness clients rely on during…
Continue Reading Brenda G. Friedman Honored in 2025 Women in Law List

Kogut & Wilson is proud to be named on Best Lawyers® 2026 Best Law Firms® List, continuing its recognition for excellence in family law practice. The firm maintained its ranking in Chicago Metropolitan Tier 1 for its practice in Family Law and Tier 2 for Family Law Mediation.
This recognition follows eight Kogut & Wilson lawyers being honored in The Best Lawyers in America 2026 publication earlier this year.
To determine the Best Law Firms list, Best Lawyers® utilizes a rigorous industry driven selection process, analyzing numerous client evaluations and peer evaluations from legal professionals to place the most prestigious…
Continue Reading Kogut & Wilson Named to Best Lawyers® 2026 Best Law Firms® List

Kogut & Wilson partner Cailee Alderman will present “Adoption 101” as part of the Chicago Bar Association’s Domestic Relations Committee CLE program on Wednesday, September 3 at 12:15 p.m. (CDT).
The webinar will feature adoption law practitioners discussing the fundamentals of adoption practice. Cailee will highlight key considerations and practical guidance for attorneys in the domestic relations field. She will be joined by Genie Miller Gillespie, an attorney at Gillespie Law Group.
For more information or to register for the webinar, click here.
Cailee is an award-winning attorney who represents clients in all aspects of family and matrimonial law,…
Continue Reading Cailee J. Alderman to Join Chicago Bar Association Domestic Relations Committee Webinar on Adoption Law

Best Lawyers has selected eight Kogut & Wilson attorneys to be named for their excellence in family law for the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America publication.
The firm’s recognitions include:
Best Lawyers

Ones to Watch

Brenda has been honored on…
Continue Reading Best Lawyers Highlights Eight Kogut & Wilson Attorneys in 2026 Lists

This year marks a major milestone for Kogut & Wilson—the firm’s 10-year anniversary. What began with two attorneys and a vision of delivering first-rate client service during some of the most difficult and challenging times in our clients’ lives in 2015 has evolved into a respected family law team with an established and growing presence in the legal community.
Over the past decade, the firm has expanded significantly, growing to a team of five partners, five associates and a dedicated group of paralegals and administrative professionals who help deliver the highest level of legal insight and care to every family…
Continue Reading Kogut & Wilson Celebrates 10 Years of Growth, Service and Recognition

Kogut & Wilson is pleased to announce that three of the firm’s attorneys have once again been recognized by Leading Lawyers for excellence in family law.
Eva Kogut has been honored as a Leading Lawyer for the 11th consecutive year, a distinction reserved for fewer than five percent of attorneys in Illinois.
Bryan Wilson, previously recognized as an Emerging Lawyer, has now been named to the Leading Lawyers list.
Brenda Friedman has also been recognized by Leading Lawyers as an Emerging Lawyer, a distinction she first earned in 2021.
Leading Lawyers, a part of Law Bulletin Media, publishes lists…
Continue Reading Three Kogut & Wilson Attorneys Recognized by Leading Lawyers

Kogut & Wilson associate Sabrina Karakaya has expanded her services in family law to include Parenting Coordination (PC), an alternative dispute resolution process designed for high-conflict cases, such as:

  • High-litigation cases involving custody orders
  • Cases where mediation has not been successful
  • Parents needing assistance with developing, modifying or implementing parenting plans
  • Disagreements on important issues regarding their child
  • Difficulty in parental communication

After successfully completing a 16-hour training course with the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), Sabrina is prepared to take on complex custody matters as a parenting coordinator.
Sabrina is fluent in Polish and experienced in a…
Continue Reading Sabrina Karakaya Expands Services to Include Parenting Coordination

Kogut & Wilson partner Cailee J. Alderman will speak at two upcoming events. On March 7 at 2:15 p.m., she will present a workshop on SIJS predicate orders at the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association’s (AILA) Chicago Chapter’s 2025 Midwest Regional Conference. Cailee will also be a featured panelist at the Rotary Club of Chicago Six Corners’ International Women’s Day event on March 8 at 10:00 a.m.
Cailee will join co-presenter Drew Spear of Spear Legal Services at AILA’s conference to lead a workshop on SIJS predicate orders. The conference brings together representatives of government agencies and experts from AILA…
Continue Reading Cailee J. Alderman to Speak at American Immigration Lawyers’ Association Conference and Rotary Club International Women’s Day Event