Kathleen Opal
Dussias Wittenberg Koenigsberger LLP
Family law

Kathleen Opal has one priority: serving her clients and helping them reach their goals. 

This singular focus helps explain how Opal has built such a thriving family law career at Chicago firm Dussias Wittenberg Koenigsberger. Her peers say that Opal works tirelessly for her clients and boasts a deep understanding of the intricacies of family law. 

She also has a rare ability to target and work toward the best possible solutions for her clients. But Opal also possesses one more key trait that has helped her earn the loyalty of her clients: She is empathetic, understanding just how challenging and emotional family law matters can be for her clients. 

"Katie was an exceptional talent," said Marin Leavitt founding partner of Chicago's Grund & Leavitt.  Opal was Leavitt’s dedicated associate when she worked at the firm for more than ten years. " In the most complex cases Katie took the laboring oar insofar as organization and being the most familiar lawyer working the case. There was no one more knowledgeable than her on any case she worked.”, Leavitt said. 

Opal’s achievements haven’t gone unnoticed. After graduating, she was named to Chicago-Kent Law School’s Bar & Gavel Society, an honor for students who distinguished themselves through service to the law school, community and legal profession. During her career, Opal has been recognized as an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers and a Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers in 2019 and 2020.

Lisa Ruble Murphy, a Chicago-based mediator and retired judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County's Domestic Relations Division, has worked with Opal frequently as a mediator in her cases. Murphy says that Opal never fails to impress with her ability and smarts.

“Katie is an exceptional lawyer and an extraordinary advocate for her clients,” Murphy said. “Katie has great command of the law, very good communication and writing skills and practices her profession with the utmost professionalism. We have had two very difficult cases together and I always have been impressed with her legal abilities. I absolutely would recommend Katie to any who asked for a reference for a domestic relations lawyer.”

A judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County's Domestic Relations Division, points to one case that highlighted Opal's skills. The case involved a multi-million-dollar earner with substantial dissipation claims. Opal engaged in a week-long nearly 60-hour pretrial conference before the judge, a conference necessitated by impending changes to tax law. 

Opal, the judge said, expertly and clearly presented her client's position. She was integral to resolving the case before trial and before the changes to the tax law went into effect, the judge said. 

"Katie is extremely astute at analyzing complex financial matters," the judge said. "She has the exceptional ability to clearly present the material she analyzes to ensure the correct division of marital debts and assets, including accounting for differing dissipation claims of the parties."