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Top 3 Qualities to Look for in Your Attorney

Your attorney should not speak in legalese.

Finding an attorney who doesn't use complex legal jargon and is a “real person” can be difficult. You should be able to connect with your attorney on a personal level, and they should speak to you in plain language that you can understand.

Your attorney should be accessible.

You deserve a responsive legal team that communicates regularly and promptly returns your calls.  Although legal matters can take time, you should feel confident in the progress of your case.

Your attorney should be realistic about costs and outcomes.

You want a favorable outcome as efficiently as possible.  It is essential that your attorney set realistic expectations about the costs you should expect, concerns that the attorney has about the outcome of your case, and the length of time that you should expect your case to take.

  • We Are Cost-Conscious And Cost-Effective!  We treat the client's money as if it were our own.  We do not surprise our clients with unexpected bills.  Instead, before accruing any fees we allow you to make an educated decision with respect to the costs of each step in the dispute resolution & litigation process.  We work aggressively but efficiently to minimize the expense of each stage in the process.  
  • We Put Your Interests First! At O'Flaherty Law, our goal is not to make our firm money off of your case, but instead to have you walk away feeling like you got a good resolution at a fair price.  Many litigation attorneys are content to let cases drag out and "bill the file," but we realize you are a person, not a file, and we want you to have a lifelong relationship with our firm, so we are prepared to aggressively pursue or defend your case.  
  • We Will Be Your Aggressive Advocate!  Our team of Lisle civil litigation attorneys has made a name for ourselves representing the "little guy" against powerful corporations.  We have handled class action suits in Federal Court as well as appeals and multi-state litigation.  No case is too big, and we are prepared to take on and defeat powerful adversaries.     

See why we are trusted

Kevin's firm handled setting up my will and trust recently. They took something that seemed intimidating and made it easy to understand. I've also referred a couple clients to Kevin - he's trustworthy, approachable and very fairly priced.

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"I've used Kevin and his firm's services since 2011. He gave undivided attention to my cases, advised me on different options and..."

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"Kevin was extremely professional, responsive and knowledgeable when I came to him for help. I would definitely recommend O'Flaherty Law!"

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"...your articles on the changes to the child support law are very well-written and informative.”

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“It’s good to open the door of creative vision to offer a service that may motivate other attorneys to do the same. Keep up the good work.”

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Lisle Civil Litigation Attorneys

Contact Us

Please contact our friendly lawyers to Schedule a Consultation.
See below for our other locations. If our office locations are not convenient for you, we are happy to speak with you by phone.

Please contact our friendly Lisle Civil Litigation Attorneys at our nearest location to schedule a consultation.

O'Flaherty Law of Downers Grove

5002 Main St., Ste. 201

Downers Grove, IL 60515

(630) 324-6666
info@oflaherty-law.com
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Hours of Operation

Monday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Tuesday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Wednesday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Thursday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Friday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Why O'Flaherty Law of Downers Grove?

Why O'Flaherty Law of Downers Grove?

Why O'Flaherty Law of Downers Grove?

Top 3 Qualities to Look for in Your Attorney

Cost-Effective

When we started our firm in the midst of the recession, we learned to survive in a lean environment and pass the savings on to our clients.  As the economy has improved, we have not changed our philosophy.  We are hungry to grow our client base, and so we have intentionally set our rates below what the market will bear.  Our mission is to make each client walk away feeling that they got more value than they paid for.  This is easier to do when we make our prices affordable.

Client-Focused

The secret to our success as a firm is incredibly simple: we build a personal relationship with each of our clients and treat them with the respect that they deserve.  We pride ourselves on our open lines of communication, frequent check-ins with our clients, and our accessibility.  We are here to help you in any way we can, often leveraging our network of resources to assist you with non-legal issues that you may be having.  We are your one-stop problem-solver and trusted adviser.  All attorneys say that they provide excellent client service, but, unlike other attorneys, we practice what we preach.  We make sure every client walks away happy . . . period.

Comprehensive

We are your community law firm.  Our business is built on long-term relationships with our clients.  Our clients have the luxury of building trust over time with one team of attorneys, rather than having to find a new attorney for each different type of matter that arises over the course of their lives.  No one attorney can be experienced at everything.  That is why we have worked hard to assemble a team of attorneys with extensive experience in different areas of experience.  Our attorneys work together closely to bring our collective experience to bear on any issue that may arise for our clients.

Great at What We Do

Since our business comes entirely from referrals and community involvement, our reputation for quality legal work is our greatest asset . . . and it is extremely important to us.  Each of our attorneys is truly experienced in his or her practice areas, with the highest personal standards of excellence.  We are proud of our reputation in the community, and we did not achieve it by accident.  Our reputation for excellence comes from hard work, continuing education, and an above-and-beyond approach to our clients’ cases.

Our Lisle Civil Litigation Attorneys provide excellent service in the following areas of law:

Our attorneys work as a team to provide comprehensive has experience in:

You Don't Have to Leave Your Home For Your Legal Consultation

In this video, attorney Kevin O'Flaherty describes ways you can receive legal services from the comfort of home.

Please contact our office to Schedule a Consultation.
See below for our other locations. If our office locations are not convenient for you, we are happy to speak with you by phone.

O'Flaherty Law of Downers Grove

5002 Main St., Ste. 201

Downers Grove, IL 60515

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info@oflaherty-law.com
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What to Expect From a Consultation

The purpose of a consultation is to determine whether our firm is a good fit for your legal needs. Although we often discuss expected results and costs, our attorneys do not give legal advice unless and until you choose to retain us. Although most consultations are complimentary, some may carry a charge depending on the type of matter and meeting location.

Expertise Best Child Support Lawyers in Chicago 201710 Best 2016 Client Satisfaction American Institute of Family Law AttorneysAvvo Clients' Choice 2016 DivorceRising Stars Kevin P. O'Flaherty SuperLawyers.com10 Best Law Firms 2018 Client Satisfaction American Institute of Family Legal Counsel Attorneys Estate Planning Law40 under forty

Meet the Owner

I am personally committed to ensuring that each one of our clients receives the highest level of client service from our team.  Our mission is to provide excellent legal work in a cost-effective manner while maintaining open lines of communication between our clients and their attorneys.  Many of our clients are going through difficult times in their lives when they reach out to us.  They should feel comfortable leaning on the experience and knowledge of our attorneys as their counselors and advocates.  We are here to help!

- Attorney Kevin O'Flaherty, Owner

Check Out Articles and Videos from our Lisle Civil Litigation Attorneys

Lisle litigation attorney, Kevin O'Flaherty, explains Motions to Dismiss.

Lisle litigation attorney, Kevin O'Flaherty, explains Motions to Dismiss.

Our Lisle Attorneys Explain Motions to Dismiss

‍The Pleading Phase of Litigation Explained

The Pleading Phase is the first phase of a litigation case. To initiate a lawsuit, the Plaintiff files a document called a "complaint," which lays out, in numbered paragraphs, factual allegations the Plaintiff is making against the defendant. The complaint would entitle the plaintiff to judgment from the court, and requests monetary or injunctive relief from the court if it is found in their favor.

The plaintiff will have the complaint served to the defendant through a sheriff, a special process server, or certified mail requiring the defendant's signature. The complaint comes with a summons requiring the defendant or their attorney to appear in court at the first court date, called the "Return Date."

The defendant will have 30 days from being served with the complaint to respond by filing either an Answer to the Complaint or a Motion to Dismiss the Complaint

If the defendant files a Motion to Dismiss, they may feel there is some defect with the complaint that makes the case improper, or it should be dismissed. When the motion is successful, the case is usually dismissed without prejudice and the plaintiff will typically be granted 30 days to file an amended complaint correcting the defects. If the court finds the defects can't be corrected by Amending the Complaint, the case will be dismissed with prejudice and cannot be refiled, but can be appealed.

If the Motion to Dismiss is unsuccessful, the defendant will be granted time to file an Answer to The Complaint.  The defendant will admit or deny each of the allegations listed in the complaint and plead any defenses that may defeat the claims made in the Complaint even if such claims are true.  Once the defendant has filed an Answer to the Complaint, the case is "at issue" and the Written Discovery Phase of litigation begins.

The phases in a litigation case include:​

  1. The Pleading Phase;
  2. The Written Discovery Phase;
  3. The Oral Discovery Phase;
  4. Pre-Trial Motions and Settlement Efforts; 
  5. Trial; and
  6. Appeals.  

Click here to read an article by our Lisle litigation lawyers about Motions to Dismiss in Civil Litigation. 

Lisle litigation attorney, Kevin O'Flaherty, explains the written discovery phase of litigation.

Understant The Written Discovery Phase Of Litigation

In this article, our Lisle litigation attorneys discuss what takes place once the Answer to the Complaint has been filed, the Pleading Phase of litigation is complete and the Written Discovery phase begins.  Each side will issue three types of written discovery requests to the other:  Interrogatories, Requests for Production of Documents, and Requests for Admissions of Fact.

  • Interrogatories:  These are written questions to the other parties that must be answered fully in writing.  Each side is allowed to issue 30 questions to the other party without leave from court to issue additional interrogatories.  The purpose of the questions is to reveal the other side's theory of the case, the witnesses they intend to put on at trial, and the facts they intend to use to support their case.  It allows the attorneys to learn who they need to depose and gives them a foundation for their deposition questions. 
  • Requests for Production of Documents: Requests to produce require the other side to produce any documents specifically listed that are relevant to the claim or defense of any party in the case.  Typically the attorney issuing the request to produce will include a catch all request, asking for anything relevant.  However, it is also important to narrowly tailor the requests to the type of document you are looking for so in case those particular documents are not provided, the party who failed to provide them can be sanctioned by the court. 
  • Requests for Admission of Facts: Each side can request the other side to admit or deny up to 30 facts.  The purpose of this is to narrow the issues that have to be decided at trial.  Once a fact is admitted, it cannot later be denied.  If a fact is denied but it turns out later  that the party denying it knew it to be true, the party who wrongfully denied the fact will be sanctioned by the court.  If the Requests for Admission of Facts are not returned by the statutory deadline they are all deemed admitted, which has cost some negligent attorneys to lose cases. 

Read the entire article by our Lisle civil litigation lawyers

In this Learn About Law video, Lisle litigation attorney Kevin O'Flaherty explains the Illinois appeals process in civil cases.

When is a Litigation Case Likely to Settle?

Because the overwhelming majority of civil suits settle, our DuPage litigation attorneys work with a focus toward obtaining a favorable settlement for you as early in the case as possible.  This allows both sides to spend less in attorneys fees, making it easier to reach a more favorable settlement for both parties.  Below are the typical inflection points in a litigation case when settlement is particularly likely:

  1. Demand Letter: When our Lisle litigation lawyers are retained by a potential plaintiff in a dispute, typically, our first step is to send a well-researched demand letter to the other party laying out the facts of the case, citing to appropriate statutory and case law, setting forth the damages for which the defendant will be liable if the plaintiff is successful at trial, and making a demand for payment or some other action within a specified time period.  This usually leads to a response letter from the potential defendant's attorney and/or phone negotiations between parties.  Many cases will settle at this point before either side is required to spend more than a nominal amount on legal fees.  
  2. Complaint & Summons: If the case doesn't settle after a demand letter, the next step is filing a Complaint initiating a lawsuit.  This is served by the sheriff or special process server upon the defendant along with a Summons requiring them to appear in court and respond to the Complaint by a particular "Return Date."  At this point, if the defendant has not hired an attorney, he or she will usually do so.  The defendant will realize the plaintiff's demand letter was not a bluff and will have a serious conversation with his or her attorney regarding the expected costs and outcomes of litigation.  Initiating the lawsuit will sometimes apply the additional pressure necessary to settle the matter. 
  3. After Depositions Have Been Conducted: The next likely time for a case to settle is after written discovery has been answered and the most important depositions have been taken.  At this point both sides have a very good idea of what can be proven at trial, and should have a more realistic understanding of the likely outcome at trial.  Cases will often settle at this point, because all the facts are on the table. 
  4. Pre-Trial Settlement Conference or Mediation: In a pre-trial settlement conference, the parties, their attorneys, and the judge will meet for several hours in an attempt to settle the case before trial.  The judge will usually give the parties an indication of what he or she considers a fair settlement based on the facts of the case, and will attempt to pressure parties who are being unreasonable to come to terms.  In a mediation, a professional mediator (usually a retired judge or attorney) tries to bring the parties together on settlement.  Pre-trial settlement conferences and mediations have a very high success rate.  
  5. Immediately Prior to Trial: It is common for cases that have made it all the way to the day of trial without settlement to settle on the day of trial either shortly before trial begins or even after the trial has been conducted but before the judge rules.  This is because the parties have run out of time to hope the other side will come around to their way of thinking, and both sides are facing the immediate prospect of an all-or-nothing verdict at trial.  

Because many cases settle eventually, our Lisle litigation attorneys focus on achieving a favorable settlement on your behalf as early in the process as possible.  This leaves more money in your pocket and allows you to move on with your life.  Because we practice nearly all areas of law, our focus is not on making as much money as we can on your litigation case, but rather on having you walk away happy and gaining a client for life.  

Further Reading from our Lisle Civil Litigation Attorneys