William J. Stogsdill

Founder and Managing Member

Profile

William J. Stogsdill is the founder and managing member of The Stogsdill Law Firm, P.C, a ten-attorney firm, concentrating in domestic relations law, located in Wheaton, Illinois. William earned his Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School in 1974 and was admitted to the Bar on October 1, 1974. William was also licensed to practice in the Northern District Federal Court since 1974 and licensed to practice in the United States Supreme Court in 1980.

Before establishing The Stogsdill Law Firm, P.C, in 1984, William worked as an Assistant State's Attorney, in DuPage County, Illinois, from June, 1973, to November, 1976. He then became a partner of Kowalczyk & Stogsdill, Ltd. from December 1976, to May 1984, and was an Appointed Special Assistant State's Attorney, in DuPage County, Illinois, April 21, 1989. William J. Stogsdill established his firm to meet the needs of all persons involved in family law issues. The firm consists of experienced attorneys who are able to provide family law solutions from complex to even simple cases while providing the services at varying rates in order to accommodate families with varying financial resources. William's vast experience in litigation, his legal knowledge and his constant preparedness for litigation provides the opposing party with strong impetus to avoid contested court proceedings and the client with a strong likelihood of settlement, without the expensive litigation.

Year Joined Firm

• 1984

Areas of Practice

• Divorce
• Child Custody
• Child Support
• Collaborative Law
• Mediation
• Family Law
• Appeals

Bar Admissions

• Illinois, 1974
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1974
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1980

Education

• John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois
  • J.D. - 1974
• Wisconsin State University - Whitewater
  • B.B.A. - 1971

Published Works

• "Limitation of Factors Constituting a Substantial Change in Circumstances Justifying a Modification"
• "The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act"
• "Modification of Custody Judgments Under the Present Illinois Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act"
• "Highlights of Procedure for Withholding of Income to Secure Payment of Support, Section 706.1"
• "Allocations of Child Dependency Exemptions"
• Co-author, "Discharge in Bankruptcy of Hold Harmless Provisions, In Rethe Marriage of Lytle"
• Author, Chapter 23 of the Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Handbook 1995 edition, "A Division of Retirement Benefits in Domestic Relations Proceedings"
• Co-authored with his son Chapter 17 of the Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Handbook 2011 edition, "A Division of Retirement Benefits in Dissolution Proceedings"

Classes/Seminars

• "Issues of Business Valuation", DuPage County Bar Association Trial Advocacy Workshop, February 1, 2003
• "Classification of Marital and Non-Marital Property Pursuant to House Bill 544", DuPage County Bar Association Matrimonial Law Seminar, 1984 - 1985
• "Division of Retirement Plans", DuPage County Bar Association Matrimonial Law Seminar, 1985 - 1986
• "Qualified Domestic Relations Orders", West Suburban Bar Association Matrimonial Law Seminar, May 1987
• "Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act", DuPage County Bar Association Matrimonial Law Seminar, 1988 - 1989
• First Symposium on Women's and Children's Issues, "Sexual Child Abuse", College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, October 26, 1990
• "Planning for and the Need for Legislation in Illinois to Divide Illinois State Pension Plans", Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Chicago, Illinois, June 1992
• "Issues in Pension Valuation", DuPage County Bar Association Family Law Seminar, February 24, 1996
• "Required Changes in Domestic Relations Division of the 18th Judicial Circuit", DuPage County Bar Association Bench/Bar Symposium, May 22, 1997
• "Mission Impossible, QDRO's", DuPage County Bar Association Family Law and Practice, Part III, November 7, 1997
• "Overview Divorce Process in Illinois", Illinois Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, September 25, 1998
• "Qualified Domestic Relations Orders, Chicago, Illinois", Illinois Continuing Legal Education, December 11, 1998
• "Achieving the Goal Litigation Issues, Business Valuations, Illinois Qualified Domestic Relations Orders", Clifton Gunderson L.L.c. Seminar, January 18, 1999
• "Qualified Domestic Relations Orders", DuPage County Bar Association for Continuing Legal Education, Lisle, Illinois, January 23, 1999
• "Family Law Update Program", Illinois State Bar Association Seminar for Continuing Legal Education, Collinsville, Illinois, March 19, 1999
• "How to Allocate Stock Options in a Dissolution of Marriage", Annual Meeting ISBA at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Family Law Seminar, June 23, 2000
• Television Program: "Grandparent Visitation," Program presented by the DuPage County Bar Association, AT&T CableTelevision, June 27, 2000
• "How to Handle Stock Option Issues in Dissolution of Marriage Cases", DuPage County Bar Association MEGA SEMINAR, Lisle, Illinois, February 3, 2001
• "Role of Attorney for Child, Guardian Ad Litem and Child Representative", Northwest Cook County Bar Association Meeting, October 23, 2002
• "If Child Representative, Section 506(a)(3): Unconstitutional?" , Northwest Cook County Bar Association Meeting, February 23, 2005
• "Abuse of the Discovery Process", DuPage County Bar Association Family Law and Practice Committee, May 24, 2005
• "Exotic Executive Compensation and Understanding and Effectively Dividing Stock Options and Deferred Compensation", Business Valuation, Financial and Tax Issues in Divorce 2012
• Evaluator of Trial Presentations by Law Students in the 25th Annual Trial Competition, February 11, 2000
• Demonstrated proper techniques of cross examination of a business evaluator. Thereafter participated in training attorneys in the presentation of evidence, DuPage County Family Law Trial Advocacy Program

Honors and Awards

• DuPage County Bar Association Outstanding Service Award for Pro Bono Legal Services, 1986
• DuPage County Bar Association Pro Bono Attorney Service Award, 2012

Professional Associations and Memberships

• DuPage County Bar Association, Member
• DuPage County Bar Association, Ad Hoc Rules Committee, Member
• DuPage County Bar Association, Matrimonial Law Committee, Chairman, 1982 - 1983
• DuPage County Bar Association, Matrimonial Law Committee, Co-Chairman, 1983 - 1984
• DuPage County Bar Association, Matrimonial Law Committee, Chairman, 1987 - 1989
• DuPage County Bar Association, Matrimonial Law Committee, Vice-Chairman, 1997 - 1998
• DuPage County Bar Association, Matrimonial Law Committee, Chairman, 1998 - 1999
• DuPage County Bar Association, Legal Education Committee, Vice-Chairman, 1999 - 2000
• DuPage County Bar Association, Legal Education Committee, Co-Chairman, 2000 - 2002
• Illinois State Bar Association, Member
• Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section Council, 1989-1993, 1995-2003
• Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section Council, Lobbyist, 1993 - 1994
• Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section Council, SubCommittee Chairman or Co-Chairman for Pension Law, 1991 - 2003
• Illinois State Bar Association, Employee Benefits Section Council, 2000-2001, 2001-2002, and 2002-2003
• American Bar Association, Member
• University of Wisconsin-Whitewater School of Business and Economics Advisory Council, Member, 1993 - 2007

Past Employment Positions

• DuPage County, Illinois, Assistant State's Attorney, June, 1973, to November, 1976
• Kowalczyk & Stogsdill, Ltd., Partner, December 1976, to May 1984
• DuPage County, Illinois, Appointed Special Assistant State's Attorney, April 21, 1989