Adam Onkels

Since he began practicing law, Adam has worked primarily in the realm of family law, including divorce/separation, annulment, paternity, post-judgment modification (custody/placement, child support, and maintenance), interstate relocation, and marital property agreements. While Adam’s work is focused primarily on litigation, he also enjoys advising and counseling clients as to their options and interests while navigating family law matters outside of court. Additionally, Adam has experience as a guardian ad litem, involving advocacy of children’s best interests in custody/placement litigation. This experience has developed Adam’s ability to view situations from multiple perspectives, enabling his clients to make decisions with greater information and insight.

Adam joined Forward Legal Services in July of 2022, after working as a litigator for a nationally-based family law firm. While Adam is based in Dane County, he enjoys serving clients across southwest and south-central Wisconsin, including the counties of Green, Rock, Jefferson, Dodge, Lafayette, Richland, Iowa, Marquette, Columbia, and Sauk. Because of his work in these counties, Adam has experience with judges, court commissioners, and local practitioners throughout the area.

While Adam’s focus is on family law, he recognizes that the trials and tribulations his clients face are not always restricted to one area of law. Many issues that arise in the context of family law have implications in other areas of civil and criminal court. In addition to his work in family law, Adam has experience in criminal defense, civil litigation (contract, small claims, landlord/tenant, and temporary restraining orders/injunctions), guardianships (minor and adult), and Children in Need of Protection or Services. Here too, Adam uses these experiences to help his clients understand what choices they have in family law litigation, with an eye toward what implications those choices may have in other areas of law. Adam is also happy to assist clients with representation in these areas of law.

In family practice, Adam views the attorney-client relationship as a partnership. Adam works together with his clients to achieve the best possible outcome in a given situation. Adam believes it is essential for his clients to be fully informed of the status of their cases at all times. Further, Adam strives to counsel his clients as to the full menu of options available to them at every juncture in their work together. Adam values preparedness, which really begins with the first meeting with a client. Adam takes a goal-oriented approach to his work, ending every client contact by reviewing an action list that includes tasks to keep cases, and families, moving forward.

Outside of Adam’s dedication to the law, he enjoys much of what Dane County and southern Wisconsin have to offer, including live music, hiking in area state parks, being on or near any one of the wonderful local lakes, visiting the Dane County Farmers’ Market, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers.