Meet Attorney Susan Butler
I have been a practicing attorney in Illinois for more than 30 years. When I graduated from law school, there were very few women attorneys in private practice. For the first year of my career, I worked for a large firm representing insurance companies. I was the only woman attorney in the city at that time, and very soon, the firm started receiving calls for me to represent people going through a divorce. Since the firm had never handled anything but insurance defense cases, I had to convince the firm's partners that I should be allowed to practice family law!
From the first family law case I handled, I knew I wanted to concentrate exclusively in this area of law. Soon, I left the insurance defense firm behind. My husband and I married, and my children were born. When I became a parent, I experienced the depth of love and the incredible bond between a child and a parent. At that point, my interest in family law was transformed into a passion for it, and for helping people going through a breakdown of their family.
Today, a significant part of my practice consists of helping my clients, who include both men and women, maintain strong relationships with their children even though their family is no longer living together.
I have handled numerous contested child custody, visitation and interstate child removal cases. I also have experience in dealing with mental health issues, professional evaluators, and emotional and physical abuse of children and spouses.
I also have experience handling complex asset division, pension issues and spousal maintenance matters for both men and women. I have written appellate briefs and have argued cases before the Illinois Appellate Courts for both the Third and Fourth Districts while representing clients in the appellate process.
I am a qualified child representative and guardian ad litem, accepting appointments in the Tenth Judicial Circuit, which includes Peoria and Tazewell counties. I also serve as a certified mediator for the Tenth Judicial Circuit of Illinois.
Education:
Susan (Hickman) Butler graduated magna cum laude from the University of Memphis in 1974, where she was inducted into the Mortar Board Society honoring excellence in scholarship, leadership and service. She received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from The Law School of Drake University in 1977. At Drake, she served as Editor of the Drake Legal Research Service and as Research Assistant to Associate Dean Arthur K. Ryman. She was admitted to the Iowa Bar in 1977, and practiced in Iowa until returning to her native Central Illinois where she was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1979. She is admitted to practice before the Illinois Supreme Court and the U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois.
Memberships and Offices:
Peoria and Tazewell County Bar Associations
Illinois State Bar Association
President, Women in Management, Peoria Chapter
Honors and Awards:
Woman of Achievement Award, Women in Management
Boss of the Year, Peoria Legal Secretaries Association
Biography:
Susan and her husband are the parents of two children.
Family Law Consultation
To arrange a consultation with me, lawyer Susan Butler, call 309-938-4204 or fill out the contact form on this site.
