Jonathan
Merel

“I cannot recommend Melissa Cabellero Dunn highly enough! Going through a family legal matter can be incredibly stressful and emotional, but she handled every step with professionalism, compassion, and clear communication, and EMPATHY! From the beginning, she took the time to truly listen to my concerns, explain my options, and make sure I felt supported throughout the entire process. She was responsive, knowledgeable, and always had my best interests in mind. We had a few delays in the processes( not due to the firm) and everyone on her team- especially Rachel exhibited fluidity and flexibility. If you are looking for a family attorney who is dedicated, trustworthy, and truly advocates for their clients, I would absolutely recommend Melissa and her team! AA”

“I worked with Marleena Broekema and Nicole Fagin and they were amazing every step of the way. Thank you for making a difficult thing fairly easy!”

“I hired Jonathan Merel Law Firm for my divorce, working with Paige Ryterski. What started as a professional experience became extremely stressful and financially overwhelming. After noticing what I believed were excessive charges, I raised concerns and filed a complaint with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. Shortly after, I was billed an additional $10,000, bringing my total to nearly $30,000. Despite paying approximately $19,000, my divorce was not completed by this firm. When I asked for a settlement agreement regarding the billing, I was told no and was simply instructed to pay the balance. I then went an additional four months representing myself (pro se) without their help and successfully finalized my divorce on my own. This situation caused severe financial hardship for me and my two children. During one of the most critical times in my life, I did not feel supported. It felt like billing was prioritized over resolution and client care. I strongly encourage anyone considering this firm to carefully review billing practices, ask detailed questions, and ensure there is clear accountability before moving forward.”

“I had the pleasure of working with Melissa Caballero Dunn and we accomplished the goal we were seeking for a family case. She is very kind and knowledgeable, and I would highly recommend her. Thank you Melissa!”

“Recent customer of this joke firm. Prepare to spend money on nothing. 4,000 dollars billed for one motion and then they backed out on the date of the hearing leaving me to figure out what to do. If you’re a single father this isn’t your place to find relief. They will charge you for everything and then slam dunk on your bank account. Jonathan will use your vulnerabilities against you. Feel free to message me and I’ll share my billing and details with anyone that wants to see the truth. *update* I asked for a review of the billing and they have chosen to ignore me. Their response to this review shows exactly the behavior you’ll be treated with. Calling me disturbed for leaving an honest review when clearly most of these reviews look potentially fake. I urge people to check out Yelp as well for a more honest views of this firm. **Update 4-9-2026** $7600 dollars it cost me to file a motion and then get hit by a judge saying it was improper. 4000 in fees from Merel and 3600 from Heather Nosko who filed a petition against me for fees. She even cited this review in court. If you want to waste money this is the place, they’ll make you feel confident and then slam dunk on your bank account. I’ve even talked to others on LinkedIn who have similar stories of costly spending with little results. Jonathan could have made things right but instead chose to attack me. If you care about your children and getting through a divorce I wouldn’t go to Merel. Chris Mansfield”

“Child Custody My H”