Reviews

I had first contacted Nancy Chausow-Schaeffer on a referral in early 2014 when my previous marriage, where I had two young children, was having alarming marital issues. Nancy was able to take an objective view and guide me through the process of divorce in a calm and patient manner while also being very professional while interacting with my soon-to-be ex-wife's attorney. The divorce went smooth and finalized quickly over two months. Nancy reassured me that she would be there for me if issues arose over the next 17 years. I ended up retaining Nancy’s services again, just a few years post decree due to a JPA modification my ex-wife requested. Over the next 5 1/2 years, my ex-wife had a few marital changes, employment changes, and created a very challenging co-parenting environment. Nancy was by my side the whole way and kept us focused non-related topics arose. With a final order in place, I believe Nancy did the best she could to obtain a fair outcome and will be by my side if challenges come up again in the future. I would recommend Nancy to anyone looking for an attorney who will objectively guide you through the divorce process and then be there when future family law needs occur.

What Nancy is doing is saving people who are going through the dark night of the soul. I know what it’s like to go through trauma. I know how much it hurts. I got to the other side. If you feel like you don’t know exactly where to go or what to do, Nancy has the answers. Regardless of how despondent you are or your situation is, Nancy will fight for you. Nancy fought for my future and negotiated my best life. There are few people walking this earth that have a rare and powerful combination of compassion and dedication for their clients.

Taryn was thorough with all issues & protected my interests with great attention. She was strong where it mattered and deeply caring & understanding of my situation. I could not recommend her more highly.

I hired Nancy Shafer to deal with a messy divorce after 26-years of marriage and a long illness. She was highly responsive and sensitive to my needs. She is experienced in court room appearances and writing MSAs. I would not hesitate to use her again for any legal work I needed.

I was referred to Nancy by a friend whose former spouse was actually represented by Nancy in their divorce. And I couldn't be more thankful! Nancy helped me tremendously during my divorce and custody battle. First of all, Nancy was one of the first professionals who believed me about my former spouse's emotional and verbal abuse. Secondly, she is highly knowledgeable about children with special needs labels (including ADHD, Autism, and Oppositional Defiance Disorder). Thirdly, she has a great deal of experience with the intricacies of military divorces and equitable pension disbursement (she is an expert in the Navy especially). Finally, and most importantly for me, Nancy has a deep reservoir of compassion, patience, and commitment. Because of the abusive nature of my former spouse, he fought almost every request I made and our divorce and custody process took 3 years and ended with a full trial. Nancy stuck with me and fought for me. Thank you Nancy for helping me protect myself and my son. Thank you for helping us keep the economic and legal protections we needed to start a new life. I will be forever grateful. I give Nancy Chausow Shafer my greatest endorsement and recommendation!

Nancy gets the job done and cares for the well being of her client! Not your typical attorney! Nancy made me feel safe, valued and respected during an extremely difficult time in my life. Nancy is a smart, hard working and supportive person you want on your side!

We chose the collaborative divorce process. For various reasons, the process took longer and was more expensive than anticipated. However, the outcome was satisfactory to both parties and as yet, does not require revision. I appreciated the time and effort that Ms. Shafer put into the case. Although she was my attorney, she strove for the best settlement, given the specifics and circumstances, which I appreciated. She was always available for a quick phone consultation or advice on a particular part of the law. Finally (and perhaps most important) was that she ensured that the settlement would be acceptable to the judge.

Ms. Nancy was extremely helpful from beginning to end. I was originally blessed to have Ms. Nancy through the Pro Bono program due my inability to pay for the fees and desperate need of help while serving in the military. I was experiencing an excessive amounts of stress and not only did she resolve my child custody issue but she out of the kindness of her heart assisted me in my entire divorce process including child support. I never felt pressured or lied to during this process. Ms. Nancy was clear and ALWAYS assisted me in making the best decisions for not only me but for my child. There were several times where I was confused and almost made poor decisions but Ms. Nancy stepped in and not only gave her advice as a lawyer but also as a wise woman. Her staff was extremely helpful and I was always made aware of my options and the next steps; especially with Ms. Taryn. I felt as if they had my best interest. I didn't feel the need to question their motives nor argue their advice. There were many times when I needed things explained over and over again and I was always provided with the information. There was something about Ms. Nancy's calmness that made me feel comfortable. I wont get into personal details but Ms. Nancy provided me with assistance that she did not have to and I am forever thankful! I honestly did not see my issue getting resolved without her. The other parties lawyer was often rude and aggressive but Ms. Nancy ALWAYS won the battle. I highly recommend her and I KNOW if I have any future issues with my previous case she will be the FIRST one I call. It's not everyday where you will find a lawyer who will go above and beyond to help you out the kindness of her heart. She saw first hand how difficult something was for me and how I was being treated and took it upon herself to support me and not leave me hanging. No one understands how thankful I am and how many tears of joy I've cried!

Nancy is very thorough and gets the job done. It did help that I was on top of all documents and organized, which I highly recommend that you be when hiring any divorce lawyer. You should never rely solely on your lawyer to do everything for you. Nancy also is very personable, level-headed, and very experienced. If I ever get divorced again, she would be rehired immediately :)

Nancy Chausow did work very conscientiously in obtaining the owed debt. I was pleased with both her skill and compassion. I cannot say enough about the way she managed this case.

I found Nancy through my military legal department and she agreed to take on my case for free, which helped me more than I can say. I was going through a divorce, and because I am stationed in Italy and the divorce was in Chicago, I needed assistance with making sure all of the paperwork was in order. I emailed her several times with a lot of legal questions along with personal questions and she was always very timely in her responses. She was never biased, if she felt something I was trying to do was wrong or wouldn't work, she would tell me, but then suggest an alternate course of action. Even though the case is closed now, she still offers me assistance, saying she will happily answer any questions I have and would represent me again in the future if needed. I will definitely keep her contact information and use her again in the future if needed and would happily pay for her services as I think they are worth every penny. She is a great person and obviously takes her job seriously and does everything she can to help her clients.

Nancy consistently was a guiding light through an extremely difficult divorce situation. She demonstrated a fount of knowledge as we traversed through different phases. She was by my side as we dealt with 2 different state locations, and then attempted mediation which my former spouse was not interested in, and then finally, the actual divorce in 1 state, Illinois. She is well-acquainted with the military laws and provisions. Additionally, she knows many of the military lawyers across the U.S. to obtain current, updated information or support. She knew how to write up the decree in the appropriate military language with an eye to protecting me. She made sure I received my ½ portion of the pension, but that also received the money that was stolen from me by my former spouse. She was fair to my former spouse, and spoke with respect to my former spouse, the other lawyers, the judge, and me. Being very thorough, she also encouraged my communicating with another military lawyer to make sure the military paperwork was formulated and put through to DFAS and Personnel without any snafus. The 2nd lawyer told me that Nancy had done very well by me in the results of the divorce and decree write up. I sincerely appreciate all the guidance that Nancy gave to me, and all she did for me.