Ruggiero and Associates, About Us

Vincent C. Ruggiero is and has been licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois since 1984. He has practiced continually since his admission to the bar and devotes his full time to family law. He has provided legal assistance to many hundreds of divorce clients. His former experience in business (Bank Vice President, Real Estate Broker, Teacher), his litigation training at the highest level (Bell, Boyd & Lloyd, a nationally known and highly respected law firm with over 150 lawyers), and his personal life experiences uniquely qualify him in any case ranging from the most difficult custody or financial dispute to the simplest case in which the parties agree on every issue.

While many cases require litigation for resolution, often settlement can be achieved using novel approaches. For example, as a Fellow of the Illinois Institute of Collaborative Law, Mr. Ruggiero is on the cutting edge of this new approach to resolving divorce cases. Collaborative law is an emerging and cost-effective alternative to amicably settle a divorce case, and Mr. Ruggiero is one of relatively few attorneys in Illinois with a practice in this unique area of family law, explained more fully under the FAQ section of this website. Mr. Ruggiero is also a Certified Divorce Mediator, a registered Certified Public Accountant, and a member of the DuPage County Bar Association Family Law Subcommittee.

Areas of Practice:

• Divorce, Contested Custody, Alimony/Spousal Support, Trial Litigation, Business Valuations, Appeals and Prenuptial Agreements.

Certifications/Specialties:

• Certified Divorce Mediator, DuPage County Bar Association
• Certified Public Accountant, University of Illinois, 1981

Bar Admissions:

• Illinois, 1984

Education:

Illinois Institute of Technology/Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois.

• Juris Doctor with Honors, June 1984
• American Jurisprudence Award, Advanced Civil Procedure
• William Friedman Memorial Scholarship Award
• Justinian Society of Lawyers Award
• Merit Scholarship Award
• Deans List

University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois.

• Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, May 1981
• Certified Public Accountant
• Illinois General Assembly, Full-Tuition Scholarship
• Order of the Sons of Italy, Scholarship Award
• Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, Scholarship Award

Published Works:

• Child Support and Business Expenses: Revising Section 505, DuPage County Bar Association Bar Brief

Classes and Seminars Taught:

• Divorce Law Lecturer, DuPage County Bar Association Mega-Seminar
• Real Estate Law Instructor, College of DuPage

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• Certified Divorce Mediator
• Illinois Institute of Collaborative Law, Fellow
• Illinois Licensed Real Estate Broker
• DuPage County Bar Association Family Law Subcommittee

Past Employment Positions:

• NLSB (Legal Advisor, Vice President of Commercial Loans, Trust Officer, and Compliance Officer) 1989 - 1994
• Taslitz, Smith & Hemmesch, 1988 - 1989
• Bell, Boyd & Lloyd, 1984 - 1988
• Goldberg & Geiser, (Income Tax Preparer) 1984
• Chicago Transit Authority (Paralegal, Law Department Litigation) 1982 - 1983

Why A Prenuptial Agreement Is Important In The State Of Illinois

When most people become engaged, planning their divorce may not be at the forefront of their wedding preparations... But it should be. Prenuptial agreements are not only for the rich and famous, they are also for anyone who has assets or future wealth to protect in the event the marriage ends in divorce or even death, because often a party has children from a previous relationship for whom an earned inheritance may be better ensured. Keep in mind too, that in today’s economy, an even more popular reason for a prenuptial agreement is to fairly divide debt that is incurred during the marriage, such as medical debt and student loans.

With a prenuptial agreement, you have control over your assets. Without one, you are at the mercy of Illinois state law, which is ever-changing, and judges that vary widely in discretion. During a divorce, a person may be surprised to find that one's own retirement account does not belong to them alone. This is when having a prenuptial agreement in the state of Illinois can be beneficial.

A prenuptial agreement is also beneficial in the instance one spouse remained out of the workforce to raise children. An agreement would ensure that the financial burden of raising children is fairly shared by both parties since there would be a great discrepancy in the income during the marriage.

Other reasons a prenuptial agreement is a necessary part of marriage:

• To protect a partner that is significantly more wealthy. 
• Conversely, it can also protect the spouse that earns significantly less. 
• If this is not your first time down the aisle your financial and legal concerns will likely be very different this time around. You may already own a home, have children from a previous marriage, or have significant assets. 
• A prenuptial agreement is beneficial in ensuring that when you pass away, your assets are distributed the way you see fit. 
• If your partner has a high debt load and you don't want to be responsible for these debts if the marriage ends, a prenuptial agreement is also called also for. 
• If you own a business and do not have a prenuptial agreement between you and your spouse, they could end up owning a portion of your business. Chances are, if you no longer wish to be partners in marriage, you probably won't want to be business partners if the marriage fails. 
• In our mobile society, it can compel the use of Illinois law even if one or both spouses leaves Illinois. 
• It can place reasonable limits on the amount and duration of maintenance/alimony. 
• It can limit the attorney fees that you can be ordered to contribute to the other spouse. 

For more in depth information pertaining to your specific scenario, contact Illinois Prenuptial Agreement Attorney Vincent Ruggiero at 630-654-0044 for assistance with your prenuptial matters in DuPage, Will, Kane, and Cook Counties.


Vincent C. Ruggiero, Esq.
Contested Divorce, Custody, Maintenance,
Property & Business Division - Lawyer 1984,
CPA, Certified Mediator, Former "Fellow"
Illinois Collaborative Law Institute
website: RuggieroFamilyLaw.com
office: 630.654.0044
fax: 630.654.0150