About

Christine Harney has extensive experience in dissolution of marriage proceedings, including: negotiating and litigating the division of multi-million dollar estates; representing business-owners or their spouses in litigation involving complex forensic accounting and business valuation issues; litigating child-related issues including allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting time, and child support; and empathetically counseling clients through emotionally charged parenting disputes.Formerly based in Chicago and now leading the firm’s West Coast expansion, earlier in her career Christine took time off to care for her two small children and is therefore intimately familiar with the pressures and demands facing both working parents and homemaking parents. A divorce often exasperates these challenges by creating new financial strains and shifting child rearing responsibilities. Christine has learned that what is best for her clients is devising and implementing strategies that get them out of divorce as quickly and as cost-effectively as possible.For some couples, litigation is unavoidable and necessary in order to divide the marital estate and to resolve support and parenting disputes. Christine is a tenacious litigator for her clients when that is what they need. For an increasing number of couples, their goals are best met through alternatives to litigation, such as settling these disputes early on in a comprehensive settlement conference or through mediation. Recognizing these trends and with the primary goal of taking whatever approach is in the best interest of her clients, Christine has recently completed the Mosten/Guthrie Family and Divorce Mediation Training. Mediation offers an alternative to litigation for couples focused on cooperation and reaching amicable resolutions and Christine is primed to help clients throughout this process as well.Christine has also learned that many of the challenges that people face when going through a divorce do not simply end once the divorce decree is entered. Christine’s empathetic approach is geared towards helping her clients navigate these transitional challenges and supporting them during their personal journey of grounding and, in some cases, reinventing themselves post-marriage.Christine has received numerous accolades during her time practicing family law, including selection as one of “Forty under 40” by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin at the age of 32, selection to the Illinois Rising Stars list by “Super Lawyers” in 2017, and selection as an “Emerging Lawyer” by Illinois Leading Lawyers from 2015-2016.Christine has served as a member of the Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyers’ Section Executive Council and co-chair of the Family Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Section. Additionally, she has guest lectured on child support, maintenance, and temporary relief at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.During law school, Christine interned at the Loyola Community Law Center Clinic where she served the indigent community in family law proceedings and acted as a Guardian Ad Litem with a 711 license. Christine also participated in Moot Court as a member of the Chicago Bar Association team. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago School of Law with a Certificate in Trial Advocacy.Awards Selected to Chicago Daily Law Bulletin’s “Forty under 40,″ 2016Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2017Illinois Leading Lawyer “Emerging Lawyer” honoree, 2015 and 2016EducationJ.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2008B.A., Loyola University Chicago, 2005 (Cum Laude)Bar Admissions DegreeIllinois, 2008California, 2021

Practices Areas

Child custody

Child support

Family

Language

English

Contact