Principled Advocacy For Families And Individuals With Disabilities And The Professionals Who Serve Them
Biography
Ms. Reed concentrates her practice in adoption, guardianship and probate matters, child welfare and juvenile law. Ms. Reed is a skilled trial attorney with experience handling complex matters. She regularly appears before the adoption court and probate court of the Circuit Court of Cook County and surrounding counties.
Ms. Reed routinely represents adoptive parents, foster parents, and birth parents in adoption proceedings. She offers a unique insight into helping clients build their families through adoption due to her years of litigation experience at the Cook County Public Guardians Office in the Child Protection Division of Juvenile Court.
Ms. Reed is also routinely appointed by the Cook County Court to serve as Guardian Ad Litem in adoption proceedings, where she represents the best interest of the minors. Her knowledge of probate, adoption and juvenile law make her uniquely qualified to work with clients in both adoption and guardianship matters.
Ms. Reed focuses a significant portion of her practice on minor guardianship matters, representing parents, proposed guardians, and other interested parties in both routine and highly contested proceedings. She has extensive experience navigating the legal and procedural complexities of minor guardianship cases, including emergency petitions, temporary and plenary guardianships, and disputes involving parental fitness, relocation, and third-party custody claims. Ashley is skilled in presenting evidence, examining witnesses, and advocating effectively in emotionally charged cases where the best interests of the child are paramount. Her thorough preparation, strategic approach, and steady courtroom presence enable her to guide clients confidently through even the most complex and contentious guardianship litigation.
Ms. Reed is routinely court appointed to serve as Guardian ad litem in minor and adult guardianships, where she represents the best interests of minors and disabled adults.
Prior to joining the firm Ms. Reed worked as an attorney at Greenlight Family Services, a non-profit organization focusing on adoption and guardianship cases. Here she handled adoption and guardianship matters across the state of Illinois. Prior to her work at Greenlight she was an Assistant Public Guardian (GAL) in the Cook County Child Protection Division. While in Child Protection, she skillfully litigated contested abuse and neglect trials, DCFS administrative appeals, and mediations.
In addition to her litigation skills, Ms. Reed has volunteered her time serving both the legal community and community at large. She served as the chair of the Chicago Bar Association Adoption Law Committee, having previously served as the vice-chair of the committee. She volunteers through CVLS as a Guardian ad litem and she continues to volunteer her time in the community as a CASA advocate in the Cook County Juvenile Court and at Cradles for Crayons.