Gombos, Rebecca

William Dowling holds a unique philosophy and has extensive litigation experience in successfully handling sophisticated and emotionally-charged Family Law and Child Custody cases. He firmly believes that every client deserves individual attention; that every case must be hand-crafted; and that each client is entitled to superior representation. Based on this philosophy, he has developed a sound reputation in the legal community as a fierce adversary.

Mr. Dowling recognizes the emotional trauma and pain individuals suffer when going through a divorce. As a result, he offers his client the time and the experience necessary to guide them though one of the most difficult experiences in their life.

William obtained his Juris Doctor degree from John Marshall Law School in 1980, and was admitted later that same year to the Illinois Bar and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He describes his life's work as a "struggle for equality in which there are no preferences and no prejudices against either side." His professional goal is to achieve "equal protection under the law for both genders."

In every case, Bill first attempts to bring about a quick, civilized, fair and inexpensive resolution. However, if that cannot be accomplished, he offers aggressive professional representation. Mr. Dowling has developed a reputation not only as an expert in the area of Family Law, but also in attending to the individual needs of his clients.

Mr. Dowling's practice concentrates exclusively in the area of Family Law. This includes: divorce, child custody, paternity, parenting time, spousal & child support, property division, prenuptial & postnuptial agreements, domestic violence, tax consequences of divorce, division of retirement benefits, change of domicile, grandparent rights, and post-judgment proceedings. His practice extends to various counties throughout the State of Illinois.

Mr. Dowling has negotiated and tried cases involving complex domestic relations issues related to divorce, custody, support, equitable distribution, tax and valuation matters, maintenance and college contribution. He takes pride in saving one client over $10,000.00 in interest concerning child support arrearages that were being aggressively prosecuted by the state's attorney's office. The order Bill was able to obtain on the client's behalf was upheld on appeal.

The most difficult cases involve child custody. Navigating through the morass that involves such litigation and obtaining or retaining custody of minor children for his clients is the most satisfying aspect of his practice.

In 2003, Bill was honored by the Fatherhood Educational Institute, a leading national non-profit organization focused on promoting fatherhood, for his superior legal work on behalf of fathers.

William was named one of the "Top Illinois Super Lawyers" in 2006.