Danielle earned her undergraduate degree from Loyola University Chicago and then began working at a family law firm as a law clerk, cementing her desire to practice law in the family arena. She later attended Northern Illinois University College of Law where she worked extensively with the Illinois Innocence Project, an organization dedicated to exonerating wrongly convicted individuals. Danielle competed in both the university’s Moot Court Competition and the American Lawyer’s Association Moot Court Competition.
After graduation from Northern Illinois University College of Law, Danielle obtained her license to practice law in Illinois and Federal Court. She began her legal career at a large bankruptcy firm in Chicago and later returned to the same family law firm she clerked for. Danielle has a passion for building lasting relationships with her clients because she truly believes that when her clients are informed and comfortable, it makes the difficult process that family law court often creates more bearable.
At the conception of Giannola Legal LLC, Danielle’s commitment was to change the way law firms interacted with clients. She truly believed that frequent communication with the client and complete transparency with the client from what occurred in court to what is discussed between opposing counsels was key in developing strong attorney client relationships. This has remained a requirement with our clients through the years, and it truly sets the firm apart from others. We work for you.
Danielle’s past times include cooking, reading, trying new restaurants, and being with her children.
Q&A:
From the perspective of your role, what’s one thing you wish clients understood better about the divorce process?
There is a time in the divorce process, towards the end but not quite the end, where a lot of cases stall because one or both sides are not at a full settlement still. This is the time that clients get really antsy and frustrated and often want the settlement to move quicker. Your lawyer cannot force the other side to settle though.
How do you balance the emotional side of family law with the legal side?
This can be a hard one. As a wife and mother myself, and daughter of divorced parents, I tend to really connect with my clients on a multitude of levels. While I truly feel for my clients during these times, I do often remind them that the Court can only remedy so much. The Court cannot change who your spouse/ex is.
From the perspective of your role, how do you ensure clients feel heard and understood?
I think that clients need to be constantly updated and checked in on to ensure they are still on the same page as you, the lawyer, are. This way when a problem does arise, the client is able to communicate it timely and there can be discussion to strategize how to best resolve the issue to the client’s understanding and satisfaction.
What’s one myth about divorce law you’d like to clear up?
Everyone thinks that if a bank account, house, or credit card, for example, are titled in only one spouse’s name, then the other has no rights/obligation to it. This is wrong. It does not matter if your assets and/or debts are titled individually– if the assets and/or debts were acquired during the marriage, then it is presumed marital regardless of how it is titled.
What do you like to do to unwind after a long day in court or at the office?
Ordering food in, binging a show on Netflix, and comfy clothes.
If you weren’t working in the legal world, what career would you want to try?
Professor.
What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
Both sets of my grandparents immigrated here with nothing and I’m first generation on one of those sides!
