I devote my practice to assisting individuals, families and small businesses in transition and conflict.  Personal, family, professional and business transitions and conflicts can take many forms which the civil practice and alternative dispute resolution areas of law are aimed at addressing.   Life transitions needing the attention of a legal professional  can range from encountering adversity in primary relations (i.e. husband/wife, life partners, business partners, parent/child) to deciding to sell one home and buy another.

My diverse legal experience allows me to help you in those times of  change, turmoil or distress.   Because of my diverse practice orientation (spanning the gamut from family law litigation to counseling residential developers to mediation of employment disputes to collaboraitve family practice),  I can more fully understand the breadth of my clients' challenges and assist them in making good judgments and smoother transitions. My aim is to help clients develop solid strategies for fashioning sustainable solutions to their legal problems.  I am passionate in my belief that the law can be used as tool to guide and heal relationships between individuals, in families and in institutions.

I have been an attorney for the last 16 years in the civil practice arena.   I have, however, worked full time in Chicago's legal community for over 25 years  in various capacities including legal researcher, paralegal, and law librarian.

I have been a mediator since 1994 after receiving my training from the Center for Conflict Resolution in Chicago.  I am also a trained collaborative practitioner, a Fellow in the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois (CLII), and a member of the Internationl Academy of Collaborative Professionals.  CLII  is a not-for-profit volunteer organization whose vision is to transform the culture of conflict in Illinois.  In 2004 I was invited to serve on its Board of Directors and I currently co-chair its Membership Committee.  I frequently speak and write on the issues of the nature of conflict, its resolution and the role lawyers play in our society as peacemakers.

I devote my volunteer time to committees whose focus is on legal issues of particular concern to families and small businesses.   I sit on the Illinois State Bar Associations's (ISBA's) Judicial Evlauation Committee for Cook County, whose goal is to promote excellence in our judiciary.  I am the legislative sub-chair of  ISBA's Women in the Law Committee and a frequent contributor to that committee's newsletter.   I am a Mentor with the ISBA's Mentor Center for new lawyers.  I am an active member of the Chicago Bar Association's Matrimonial Law Committee, which frequently fashions, reviews and comments on legislation in the areas of families, children, spousal and child support, and domestic violence.   I am also an active member of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois and a member of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association.

Sandra Crawford is also a title agent for Ticor Title.  Please view this link http://www.illinois.ticortitle.com/sections/index.asp to view mechanic lien documents such a Section 5, Sworn Statements and Waiver of Lien Forms.

Areas of Practice

• Business Law
• Child Support
• Collaborative Law
• Custody & Visitation
• 30% Divorce
• Estate Law
• Family Law
• Mediation
• Real Estate Law

Education

• John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois
  
  
• DePaul University, Chicago, Illlinois
  
  

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Collaborative Law Insitute of Illinois
  Member