Merel Family Law has announced that Jody Meyer Yazici, author of "The Illinois Practice of Family Law," has joined the firm as a partner. With more than 30 years of experience in Illinois family law and authorship of the state's definitive treatise, Meyer Yazici brings unparalleled expertise to the firm.
Meyer Yazici is the author of "The Illinois Practice of Family Law," widely known as the "Red Book," a reference that Illinois judges and practitioners consult daily. She has written all 25 editions since 1995, with the most recent published in March 2026, continuing a project she began as a law student alongside the late Muller Davis. The treatise is part of Thomson Reuters' Illinois Practice Series and covers the full scope of state and federal law affecting family law practice.
Her practice has focused on financially complex matters, working with accountants, business valuators, and other financial experts from her earliest years. This foundation shaped an approach she applies consistently across all cases, regardless of size. Meyer Yazici views the treatise not merely as a side project but as integral to a larger mission shared with Merel Family Law: raising the standard of the family law profession.
"Once you get beyond the very superficial level of almost any case, even simple cases have complex issues that need to be addressed," Meyer Yazici said. "It's important that lawyers see this field as something deserving of that attention and level of professionalism."
This conviction drew her to Merel Family Law, which she describes as forward-looking and aligned with her commitment to elevating practice standards. Jonathan Merel, founder of Merel Family Law, stated, "Jody has shaped how family law is practiced and understood in Illinois. For more than 30 years she has written the reference that judges and attorneys across the state rely on, and she has done it while holding every case to an exacting standard. Raising the level of this field is exactly what we set out to do when we built this firm, and we are proud to welcome her as a partner."
Beyond the treatise, Meyer Yazici has contributed to the Illinois Bar Journal and the ISBA Family Law Section Newsletter, assisted in "Strategies for Family Law in Illinois," and reviewed "The Lawyer's Guide to the Cost of Capital" by Shannon Pratt and Roger Grabowski. She has been named repeatedly to the Leading Lawyers Network and served on the Chicago Council of Lawyers' judicial evaluation committee. She earned her law degree from Cornell Law School and her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, and has practiced in all aspects of family law since her Illinois bar admission in 1994.
The addition of Meyer Yazici signals Merel Family Law's continued growth and commitment to excellence. Founded in 2009 by Jonathan Merel, the firm handles divorce, high net worth divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, property division, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, LGBTQ family law, domestic violence, and mediation. With more than 20 attorneys across four offices, the firm serves clients in the Chicago area and metropolitan Detroit, guided by its philosophy "Your Family In Family Law®."
