
Practice areas: Family Law; view more
Licensed in Illinois since: 1994
Education: Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Details
With nearly 30 years of experience practicing law, Raiford Palmer has cemented a national reputation as one of the leading divorce attorneys who not only provides judicious legal representation to his clients in their tumultuous legal issues but also works hard to educate the general public about the many pitfalls and related matters pertaining to his field. A managing shareholder at STG Divorce Law in Naperville, Illinois, he is well-equipped to handle myriad family law issues, including divorce, property division, high net worth divorce, modifications and many more.
Mr. Palmer completed his undergraduate studies in 1991, graduating with his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and prelaw from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He went on to attend the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he clerked for a prominent Chicago law firm and gained immense exposure to what to expect when practicing law. He received his Juris Doctor in 1994, and in the same year, he obtained his license to practice law in Illinois.
Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Palmer’s eminent, client-centric practice has been lauded for emphasizing personalized attention, meticulous focus and providing his clients with the support and confidence that their legal matters will be handled gracefully and with poise. He has been rated AV Preeminent* through Martindale-Hubbell, the organization’s highest rating, and holds a perfect “10.0” rating on Avvo, along with being the recipient of the site’s Clients’ Choice Award.
Furthermore, Mr. Palmer was awarded the Pro Bono Service Award by the DuPage Legal Assistance Foundation and has been named a Leading Lawyer in family law by the Leading Lawyers Network, as well as acknowledgment as one of the Top Attorneys in the Western Suburbs by the West Suburban Magazine.
Within his legal community, Mr. Palmer holds memberships in the Illinois State Bar Association, the Trial Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Chicago Bar Association, the Will County Bar Association and the DuPage County Bar Association (Family Law Committee), as well as the Collaborative Institute of Illinois.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Family LawFocus areas
Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Custody & Visitation, Dissolution, Divorce, Father's Rights, Marital Property, Mediation & Collaborative Law, Name Change, Prenuptial Agreements, Same Sex Family Law
- 100% Family Law
First Admitted: 1994, Illinois
Professional Webpage: https://www.stglawfirm.com/attorneys/raiford-d-palmer/
- Chicago Bar Association - Member
- Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois - Fellow
- DuPage County Bar Association - Member
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) - Fellow
- Illinois State Bar Association - Member
- Illinois, 1994
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2007
- Informational divorce law channel for Illinois residents., STG Divorce Law YouTube Channel, Divorce, Family Law, 2023
- I Just Want This Done Divorce Podcast - a podcast dealing with divorce, relationships, dating, and more. , I Just Want This Done Divorce Podcast, Divorce, Family Law, 2023
- Due to confidentiality restrictions, we only describe generally the types of clients represented by Mr. Palmer here: Business owners, C-suite executives, investors, physicians, professionals, and their spouses with substantial assets and/or income., 2018
- Leading Lawyer - Family Law, Leading Lawyers Network, 2025
- SuperLawyer - Family Law, SuperLawyers, 2025
- Super Lawyer - Family Law, Super Lawyers “Super Lawyer”, 2023, 2024
- Recipient of the site’s Clients’ Choice Award
- Perfect “10.0” rating on Avvo
- Rated AV Preeminent* through Martindale-Hubbell
- Top attorney in family law, as selected by peers., Super Lawyer - Family Law, Super Lawyers, 2023
- Top attorney in family law, as selected by peers., Super Lawyer - Family Law, Super Lawyers, 2022
- Top attorney in family law, as selected by peers., Super Lawyer - Family Law, Super Lawyers, 2021
- Leading Lawyer - Family Law, Leading Lawyers Network, 2021
- Top attorney in Family Law, Illinois, as selected by Super Lawyers., Super Lawyer - Family Law, Super Lawyers, 2020
- Peer selected as a top attorney in Family Law in Illinois., Super Lawyer - Family Law, Super Lawyers, 2019
- Peer selected as a top attorney in Illinois in Family Law., Super Lawyer - Family Law, Super Lawyers, 2018
- Peer selected as a top attorney in family law in Illinois., Super Lawyer - Family Law, Super Lawyers, 2017
- Peer selected as a top attorney in family law in Illinois., Super Lawyer - Family Law, Super Lawyers, 2016
- Peer selected as a top attorney in Illinois in Family Law., Leading Lawyer - Family Law, Leading Lawyers Network, 2020
- Peer selected as a top attorney in Family Law in Illinois., Leading Lawyer - Family Law, Leading Lawyers Network, 2019
- Peer selected as a top attorney in Illinois in Family Law., Leading Lawyer - Family Law, Leading Lawyers Network, 2018
- Peer selected as a top attorney in Family Law in Illinois., Leading Lawyer - Family Law, Leading Lawyers Network, 2017
- Peer selected as a top attorney in family law in Illinois., Leading Lawyer - Family Law, Leading Lawyers Network, 2016
- Peer selected as a top attorney in Illinois in family law., Leading Lawyer - Family Law, Leading Lawyers Network, 2015
- University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, B.A., Major- Political Science / Prelaw, 1991
- Divorce is the intersection of everything we hold dear in life: love, sex, money, and children. When those are threatened, people get angry. Logical and reasoned decision-making spirals to power plays and finger-pointing, and potentially open warfare. Without a clear head, divorce is a lose-lose for everyone except the lawyers. It doesn't have to be that way. Family law attorney Raiford Palmer has helped clients find a faster, more peaceful, less costly alternative to "World War III" divorce cases. Unfortunately, some divorce lawyers (and their clients who don't know better) fight it out, at great expense to the divorcing spouses. Worse, divorcing parties fail to consider the all-important cost-benefit analysis to assess their chances in a case, so they end up chasing legal strategies that are not worth the trouble. In I Just Want This Done, Raif guides the reader through the divorce process, from filing through resolution. With step-by-step advice, practical tips, and never-do-at-any-cost warnings, I Just Want This Done teaches: What matters and what doesn't in divorce How to know if reconciliation is possible or not How typical legal advice risks everything How to choose the right divorce lawyer How to be a smart client The 22 myths most people believe about divorce Your four case resolution options What the "meta case" is and how to win it The four true costs of divorce and how to minimize them How to protect your business and career during divorce The do's and don'ts of child custody How (and why) to hire a divorce coach How to handle new significant others How to not be painted as a jerk If you want to avoid the divorce swamp, regain control of your future, and keep your kids, money, mind, and happiness, this book is for you., Author, I Just Want This Done: How Smart, Successful People Get Divorced Without Losing Their Kids, Money, and Minds, Amazon.com, Divorce And Family Law Clients, 2021
- This was an all day workshop program where students went through 9 important parts of drafting a marital settlement agreement. The students worked in small groups with each knowledgeable faculty member to get personalized advice on a variety of topics., Instructor, Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education and American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Family Law And Divorce Attorneys, 2022
- Seminar regarding the legal standards related to relocation of children, including a discussion of the relevant state laws and applicable case law in Illinois., Presenter, Relocation of Children in Illinois, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers/Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Attorneys, 2020
- NBI Seminar, “Resolving Disputes and Speeding Up the Process,” and “Ethical Dilemmas,” September 2013
- Civil Law Trial Advocacy Program, DuPage County Bar Association, Spring 2012
- Guardian Ad Litem Training, DuPage County Bar Association, Fall 2011
- The New Rules of Evidence, Presentation to DuPage County Bar Association Family Law Committee, Spring 2011
- Pitfalls in Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements, DuPage County Bar Association Mega Meeting, 2011
- Divorce Law Basics, "Navigating the Storm of Divorce," The Oasis Experience, 2009
- Introduction to Divorce Law, 2008
- Presenter, "Temporary Relief: The All-Important Changes" AAML Columbus Day Seminar, October 12, 2015, Speaker, American Academy Of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2015
- Tax Issues for the Non-Traditional Couple, DCBA Brief, May 2009
- Valuation and Division of Business Assets in Divorce, DCBA Brief, April 2008
- Grandparent Visitation: A Practitioner's Approach Family Law, December 2007
- NBI Seminars, “Failure to Obtain and Interpret Financial Documents” and “Avoiding Inaccurate Asset Valuation,” March 2014
- Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois Seminar, “Complex Financial Cases and the Role of Financial Professionals,”, 2013
- American Academy Of Matrimonial Lawyers
- Chicago Bar Assn
- Collaborative Law Institute Of Illinois
- DuPage County Bar Assn
- Illinois State Bar Assn
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2016 - 2025