When Family Matters
Experienced, Efficient, Effective Representation
When Family Matters
Experienced, Efficient, Effective Representation
When Family Matters
Experienced, Efficient, Effective Representation
When Family Matters
Experienced, Efficient, Effective Representation
When Family Matters
Experienced, Efficient, Effective Representation

Divorce and Family Law Attorneys
Butler Giraudo & Meister, P.C. is a law firm dedicated to the practice of Family Law in Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties in Central Illinois. We provide effective and compassionate legal counsel in the pursuit of our clients’ goals. We will listen to the things that are concerning you, and together we will work to develop a plan for your case and for moving you on to the rest of your life.

We will make sure you are aware of all your options, and guide you toward making the best decisions in your case.

We have a proven record of success in our combined 60- plus years of experience in the practice of Family Law.

Our attorneys share a passion for helping people with the financial and emotional effects of a family breakdown.

Preparation is the key to success. Our attorneys are relentless in gathering all the facts and information required to present a compelling case.

We aggressively and thoroughly advocate our client’s position from the beginning of concern to a successful conclusion.


Division




Susan, prior to our first meeting I had concerns and doubts regarding going forth and trying to obtain sole custody of my daughter. Just being a father seeking custody, I already felt at a disadvantage despite the circumstances. I was also told by a previous attorney that I would not be able to do such a thing because I "did not have much of a case," although I felt strongly the opposite was true. It left me feeling helpless. However, after meeting you at our first consultation, walking out of that meeting left me with a sense of hope. You made me feel confident that I had a good case and that everything would work out for the best.
During the course of the case, you continually impressed me. You never gave up or backed down on anything. You knew what needed to be done, and made sure that it was. I always had the impression that you genuinely cared and were truly sympathetic to my case.
Again, thanks to you and your staff, I now have sole custody of my daughter and feel that my family is now whole. I could not have done it without you, your hard work, and perseverance. No words can express my gratitude.
Susan, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your excellent service and advice. I would not be totally truthful with you if I did not say that this has been a very difficult and momentous time in my life. Clearly you have many clients that are not as lucky as I am with their financial situations and I can only imagine their strife. However, I think you know me well enough to know that I truly believe luck is what "doers" in life create and the "watchers" talk about.
I appreciate how you "listened" to me as your client and definitely made me feel like your client even when you thought different of my opinion at certain points. I employ 5 different attorneys in my personal life and 38 in my business life and if there is anything I could not stress enough is to "listen" to your client…which you and your staff have done in exemplary fashion.
I will recommend your services highly and I am appreciative of our introduction. Please express my appreciation to your staff and a special thanks to Denise Clothier who was tremendous to work with…and I know I can be a little "tough" at times to work with.
Susan, a few years ago, I walked into your office about as low emotionally as a human can get. After meeting with you and talking about my case, I walked out that day knowing I would somehow survive this ordeal. You gave me every indication that this was a case that you would take and that we would work together to get a good result for me. You gave me hope that I could have custody of my three kids, and that I was not going to lose them in my divorce.
Over the years I have called both you and your staff to vent my frustrations. Time and time again you and they have saved my mental health. Your encouragement and willingness to listen were invaluable to me. I realize this is a job for you and your staff, but I felt as if there was real caring there.
I thought you were a good lawyer until I saw you in the courtroom. Then I saw a brilliant lawyer. I asked you if you had ever read Uncle Tom's Cabin because Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote as if she was being guided. This may seem a bit goofy, but I felt during the trial that you were being guided. You have a demeanor about you that suggested total commitment to what you were doing. Again, I know you were doing a job, but it went beyond that. It is said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Did I ever see that in the courtroom!
Your questioning of the witnesses was precise. It seemed like you were weaving a theme throughout the two days. Your knowledge of what each witness would contribute to this trial was simply unbelievable. You knew all the court orders, all the times, all the psychological reports, and the positives, and all the negatives. Even the negatives you turned around.
One witness told me that my answers on the stand were simple and short. You had to work extra hard to keep me from getting too windy in my answers. You asked me some questions that you knew would bring out an emotional response from me because you wanted the judge to see for himself how much I love my kids and how serious I was about my case.
Your writing notes to me during the trial kept me involved and busy. I felt like I was helping my case, because you would take something I wrote back to you at our table in the courtroom and use it in questioning the witnesses.
You have a sense of what is always going on in the courtroom. You asked me to sit closer to you at one point. My friend told me you asked him to move directly behind us to show his support. This showed me how focused you were on every aspect of the trial. When the judge would rule against us on objections, you shrugged it off and proceeded.
The judge had to overturn the psychologist's recommendation and my own children's desires in order for me to win custody. I realize how hard that is, to convince the judge that I should be awarded custody even though the psychologist and my children had the opposite position. You made that all possible.
Your summary was so powerful, so full of truth and emotion, bringing out all the important and emotional points during the four-day trial, that I was stunned. How could you maintain that emotion and confidence during the entire trial? You literally beat my wife's case into the ground by presenting such a strong case yourself. Even your physical appearance (the way you look and carry yourself) shows utter competence.
Thank you for your support and counsel during these past few years. Seriously, I am not sure I would have survived without you. I remember being in another attorney's office when I was first looking for someone to represent me, and being told there wasn't much of a case here, that the children would be better off with their mother. What a contrast!
My children are improving by leaps and bounds. I take my role as their father very seriously. With God's help, and with your unbelievable work, they will have rewarding futures.
I have already recommended you to one person thinking about getting a divorce. Please feel free to use this letter or my name (or have anyone contact me) who is choosing a lawyer. You have a permanent client and friend in me. I will always be grateful to you.
What Truly Matters
The decisions you make during the divorce process will affect you for the rest of your life. If you make these decisions with the advice of a knowledgeable and successful attorney, you will make good decisions in your case. You will also be a more effective negotiator and a better advocate for your children. Our goal is also to promote a positive, cooperative relationship between you and your former spouse if you have children together. We care about your life going forward from your family law case, and strive to assist you and those you care for as you enter a new phase of life.