Reviews

Working with this attorney has been an absolute nightmare. I spoke with her a few weeks after my divorce was finalized. My best friend had recently gone through a divorce & told me to make sure a qualified and competent attorney handled the QDROs portion of my divorce, as hers took an unreasonable amount of time. Emily was recommended by my divorce attorney. I spoke with her a few weeks after my divorce & stated to her my friend’s experience. She assured me my friend’s experience would not be the way she treated me & the process would be smooth & she had good relationships with the plan administrators where my money was invested. Fast forward to November. I emailed Emily, as I had heard nothing from her in almost 4 months. 25 days later she responded to me. She said she would get back to me the following week. Guess what? Not a word. 1/2/20 I asked her for an update. I received no response. Getting fed up Emily was ignoring me, as well as my financial planner stating this was nonsense, I put her in charge of contacting Emily. She called multiple times and received a lot of dodging by Emily’s secretary. I then let my attorney know what was going on. 1/17/20 — the paralegal finally seems to get things moving. 2/3/20 we were told this would be wrapped up in a few weeks. Today is 3/14. That day has come and gone. Nothing has happened. Also 3/13 I received a bill from my own attorney for $810. All the billing had to do with my attorney chasing down Emily Carrara and figuring out what was going on. I’m on a fixed income and do not have $810 just laying around for someone to chase this woman down. My own attorney stated he was disappointed in her actions. The portion of the QDRO I was to receive as cash that was owed to me by my ex husband has probably gone down 20-30% due to the stock market tumble. I am a social worker and that money was to go toward a bachelors of nursing degree I am pursuing, to help purchase a new home so I can get my son into the high school he wishes to attend with his friends & to pay for my kids’ college. I do not know now if the money will be there to make these goals happen. Had this been finalized months ago, I would not be in this predicament & would not have lost a large portion of my life savings. I am not a person who likes to leave negative reviews. I also always give people the benefit of the doubt. Given these circumstances I would NEVER use this attorney for any reason. She is incompetent & she will not respond to you. Please stay away from Emily Carrara.

Emily Carrara is an exceptional attorney. She exceeded by far any expectations I imagined during my divorce proceedings. Emily's knowledge and expertise is unbelievably top notch in her field and her compassion, empathy and understanding are what enabled me to 'survive' during this devastating time in my life. Emily took the time to speak with me and made me feel like a real person whom she genuinely 'cared' about and fought for in order to obtain the best settlement possible for me. I never once felt like a case number or dollar signs in the form of 'billable hours'. Emily is exactly 'the attorney' you want in your corner fighting for you during such a horrendous process and I highly recommend Emily to anyone who is entering into a divorce proceeding. She helped me more than I can explain in words and a settlement that allowed me to move forward and live again.

Emily Carrara is to be counted on to deliver results. She is highly competent, trustworthy, collaborative, and yet not afraid to be strong on points that have proper merit. She has an excellent understanding of IL QDRO, significant ability to quickly grasp complex situations and distill them into actionable items for your best interest. My situation was a decade old, required opposing lawyer work, court appearances, multiple 401K company ownership, and of course - emotion. She properly educated herself on all counts, provided accurate assessments and expectations .... delivering results in the end. I would highly recommend Emily Carrara!

I felt that I was in a David vs Goliath sized legal battle. Thankfully Emily was able to use her legal savoir-faire and integrity to manage my case brilliantly. Emily argued my case using her knowledge of the law winning the decision. I am thankful for having an attorney who is able to never forget that she is working with human beings who are walking through out of the ordinary circumstances. I felt that she genuinely cared not just about the case, but about my circumstances. I recommend Emily Cararra without hesitation.

Emily's advise has been spot on. She has been quick to respond to my emails and has always had availability for an appointment. I wish I would have retained her years ago.

I worked with Emily during my divorce. She had my back and was patient with me when my emotions were high. Emily knows her stuff and will be sure that you get what the law provides for. She also seemed to genuinely care about me and my kids which, in a very stressful time, allowed me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I highly recommend her. You need someone strong and thorough during a divorce.

I met with Emily at the end of a 2 year custody battle. It was messy and I was a mess. But I met with Emily and she was comforting about the whole process. She was very thorough with me about what was happening. She didn't beat around the bush and gave it to me straight, but in a way that I could handle the truth. There was a feeling a genuine care while working with Emily. It was a complete difference from the lawyer I had been working with prior to Emily. Although she came in at the end of my case, she was still very persistent and did as much as I believe she really could. I would highly recommend Emily and the firm she works with.

I hired Emily Carrara for my divorce proceedings. In the course of these proceedings, she drafted two QDRO's, one for a pension and one for a supplemental retirement fund. She also wrote a proposed settlement agreement and made herself available to contact and answer questions that my husband had. I believe that her skill, tact, and sensitivity really made the difference in my case. Her advice was sound, my case did not escalate in cost, and my husband and I were able to settle the divorce amicably. Thank you, Emily, for facilitating the resolution of a difficult and potentially contentious process. My case ended as well as it could have.

Emily, Maureen and the STG team did an amazing job ensuring my divorce resulted in a positive outcome for the most important person involved in it -- my daughter. They knew she was my No. 1 priority and never lost sight of that while we endured a grueling four-year court process against a very aggressive and large law firm. Emily started on the case before our trial and did all the day-to-day work that often goes unnoticed. After a successful trial outcome, she led the appeal and did an incredibly thorough job that included catching dozens of mistakes in the opposing counsel's filings. In the years following she was always there for me when there were flare-ups in or out of court. I can't say enough about the job she and the team at STG did for us. I highly recommend her as a lawyer and as a person.

Since the beginning, Emily has been an outstanding support. I have been represented by several lawyers, but once I started working with her it became clear I was at the right office. She has integrity, compassion, empathy and sympathy with a genuine interest at heart for your story. What I like most is that she allows me to give input, and explains the impact of decisions. I can honestly say, I feel comfortable with Emily's representation and trust her. Her staff is always friendly and professional. I highly recommend Emily to represent you in court.

I have never been so impressed by a lawyer as Emily Carrara at Sullivan, Taylor & Gumina, P.C. She handled a QDRO for me from my divorce years ago. As I approached the age to receive my benefits, from my former husbands retirement fund I was told my QDRO was never finalized at the time of my divorce. Emily was able to finalize everything within one month to allow me to receive my benefits on the date I was due for my first payment.. I wish I could express my gratitude on her expertise, knowledge, and efficiency. I was told by the Benefit Administrator that Emily was one of the very few lawyers that they deal with who actually knew what she was doing as I learned from my research that these QDRO's can be a difficult process and not all lawyers understand what is involved. I can say Emily is a very capable attorney and I highly recommend her and this practice.

she handled my appellate work superb with total concentration, thoroughness and dedication to the best result hoped for. I highly recommend her to anybody without reservation. BHK