Kelli E. Gordon
PartnerContact Kelli
Phone: 217-544-3403
Fax: 217-544-1593
Email: kgordon@feldmanwasser.com
Areas of Practice
Adoption
Alimony and Spousal Support
Child Custody and Support
Children’s Rights
Custody and Visitation
Divorce
Domestic Violence and Neglect
Estate Planning
Family Law
Guardianships and Conservatorships
Landlord/Tenant
Paternity
Prenuptial Agreements
Trusts, Wills, Estates, and Probate
Named both a Leading Lawyer in family law by Law Bulletin Media and a Super Lawyer in family law by Thomson-Reuters™, Kelli E. Gordon prides herself on helping clients through the most difficult periods of their lives. Kelli grasps the many nuances of family law and thoroughly enjoys her work. These traits help her provide exceptional personal service to clients. She makes a point of being available when her clients have questions, always offering professional and timely answers.
Kelli’s experience covers a wide range of family law matters, from the protection of adult disabled children and the division of family businesses to international kidnappings and unique estate issues to paternity and adoptions. Her widely recognized authority on these matters earned her an appointment as chair of the Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Council, where she is helping to revise the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.
Kelli is also a mediator who helps families rapidly achieve resolution on legal matters outside a traditional courtroom setting. She works hard to keep informed on the latest developments affecting her clients, from the legal impact of social media to new surveillance technologies. She also makes sure interactions with opposing parties congenial. Rather than cause harm by dragging out proceedings, she aims to help families by reaching the best resolution possible quickly, so everyone can move forward.
Honors and Awards
- Leading Lawyers, Family Law, 2012-present
- Super Lawyers, Family Law, 2015-present
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, fellow, 2003-present
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1998
- U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois, 1998
- 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, 1998
Education
- Southern Illinois University School of Law, J.D. 1998
- University of Illinois, B.S., business administration, 1995
Cases and Results
- In a custody case where a wealthy spouse kidnapped two children to Costa Rica, Kelli worked with the FBI to bring the children back to Illinois.
- Kelli successfully argued for the first Illinois bifurcation on account of imminent death. A bifurcation is a divorce that allows the parties to be divorced while financial matters, such as the division of assets, are postponed. Kelli’s elderly client was dying of cancer, and the bifurcation allowed the client to ensure her biological children would receive a significant portion of her estate, which was not divided from her husband’s property until after her death.
Certifications
- Approved Custody and Visitation Mediator, Circuit Courts of the 7th Judicial Circuit in Illinois, 2007, after 40-hour training, University of Illinois, Springfield, January 2007
Professional Memberships
American Bar Association
- 1998-present
Illinois State Bar Association
- 1998-present
- ISBA Family Law Section Council, 2008-present, chair 2014–15
Central Illinois Women’s Bar Association
- President, 2005
Sangamon County Bar Association
- President, 2011
- Young Lawyers, president, 2005
- Law Day, chair
Lincoln-Douglas Inns of Court
- 2005-present
Publications
“What’s the status of the big family law rewrite?” ISBA Section on Family Law Newsletter, August 2014, Vol. 58, No. 2
“Minimum Contacts with Your Out of State Expert,” Trial Briefs, Illinois State Bar Association, May 2007, Vol. 52, No. 9
“Who is going to Pay for College?” Trial Briefs, Illinois State Bar Association, August 2010, Vol. 54, No. 1
Presentations
“Family Law, Nuts and Bolts, Trial Procedure,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2014
“Child Custody Litigation: Techniques for Trying a Custody Case from Rehearsal to Closing,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2013
“Pleading Under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act and Client Rationalization,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2012
“Temporary Relief — Emergency, Ex Parte or Otherwise,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2011
“Case Law Updates,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2010
“Inside Divorce Mediation,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2009
“Support for Non-Minor Children and Educational Expenses,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2009
“Orders of Protection,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2008
“Basic Skills,” Family Law, Illinois State Bar Association, 2007
“Primer on Domestic Violence — Getting Orders of Protection,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 2007
“Strategies for Divorcing Elder Clients with Disabilities,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 2005
“Family Law for the Elderly Client: The Dying Client in Dissolution Matters,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2005
“Update and Overview of Civil Practice: Service of Process,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2005