MARY BETH POWERS, J.D., is a highly skilled Attorney, Mediator and Collaborative Law Fellow, with over 30 years of experience. Along with her team, Mary Beth practices family law exclusively, and has extensive experience in multifaceted cases including divorce, custody, visitation, domestic violence, paternity, DCFS, child abduction cases governed by the Hague Convention, and adoption. 

Mary Beth is frequently appointed by the Courts as a Child Representative or Guardian Ad Litem. She is honored to serve and represent children in this capacity. This opportunity gives Mary Beth better insight into child-related legal issues, and prepares her to effectively negotiate custody and visitation matters for her clients.

Mary Beth understands the intricacies of family law.  As both a trained and experienced mediator, and a skilled litigator, Mary Beth aggressively represents her clients, in and out of the courtroom. She acknowledges that family law disputes are often emotionally charged, and may be better addressed in a cooperative atmosphere, without court-imposed adversarial rules. However, Mary Beth will not hesitate to effectively utilize the court system when necessary as a last, although sometimes avoidable, resort.

In addition to litigation, she practices Collaborative Law to create a cooperative atmosphere for parties to control the dispute resolution process outside of the courtroom, which mitigates the negative effects of divorce on families. Each case is comprised of distinctive circumstances, and Mary Beth tailors the dispute resolution process to be most advantageous for her clients.

Mary Beth is held in high esteem throughout the Chicago legal community, and has often been recognized for her unparalleled honesty and integrity. She has lectured on various family law topics, and as member of the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts (AFCC), she has participated in workshops for professionals in Chicago, San Diego and London.  She has been interviewed on WBBM-TV and WLS Radio regarding issues of child support, visitation and child custody. Mary Beth has been selected as a Leading Lawyer and Super Lawyer in Illinois.

Mary Beth earned her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor (1982) degrees from Loyola University of Chicago.