I retained Melissa Ann Bruett as my attorney during a parenting time allocation dispute with my ex-husband this past year. Here's a little background on my situation: I'd been a stay at home mother to my only child most of her young life. Sadly, her father I divorced 2 years ago but at the time, reached a very amicable agreement. During that time I used a different attorney that would classify as 'okay' - specifically that attorney just didn't have the bedside manner I wanted/ needed.

So fast forward 2 years to this year and I am served with papers that my ex now wants to be the full time custodial parent for school and have my daughter Sun- Thurs overnight. I was panic stricken. The thought of not seeing my daughter 5 days in a row made me absolutely sick. To say I was devastated is an understatement. This time around I wanted an attorney that I could not only trust, but one that would explain things in a way I could understand.

This brings me to Mel... she was incredible. She is not only intelligent and extremely knowledgeable but she actually cared! She was clearly invested in my case and it was evident every time I talked with her. She's a mother herself so I knew she understood my feelings. The other thing I appreciated was how she went out of her way to explain things and answer all my questions. She never made me feel like a burden for calling or emailing and she made sure i understood all my options.

This was by far one of the most stressful times in my life, but having Mel and her team in my corner made me feel strong enough to fight the fight. She was always timely in her responses and never left me waiting to hear what happened in court. I knew Mel had MY back and half way through the case I stopped constantly worrying. I was literally thinking about losing my child 24/7. Ultimately, my ex and I came to an amicable agreement, and avoided a lengthy trial.

As for the financial aspect it adds up as all legal services do, however they've been more than willing to work with me by extending a payment plan to me. I am, and always will be eternally grateful for everything this team has done for me. They deserve every penny.

Bruning and Associates have always lived up to their reputation, especially working with Nate Reyes and Teresa Manion. They have always shown great customer care and a very pragmatic and thoughtful approach to every client I have referred them over the years. I can highly recommend them and the whole team at Bruning and Associates.

Phone attendent was rude and obnoxious.

I want to thank Bruning & Associates for providing superior legal representation and bringing successful resolutions to corporate and personal cases. Dealing with Kevin, his team of high quality attorneys, and his top notch staff has been a pleasure.

Joe Tarzian

I recently worked with Mary Sump for my divorce and she is extremely knowledgeable, prompt, and professional, but yet relatable. She always made me feel comfortable through a difficult situation. I would highly recommend her to anyone going through this. She is very efficient and thorough! I’m very happy how the divorce turned out!

Bruning and Associates took great care of me and helped me resolve my issues quickly.

I've been working with Bruning & Associates and I highly recommend Kevin. He's going above and beyond in working with my case and researching issues for us. He's been friendly, prompt, and professional. I can't say enough good things and appreciate his help very much!

Jonathan Thornton has the highest level of professionalism, a wealth of knowledge and great expert advice. In working with us on our trusts and estate planning, he explained everything in a way that was easily understood. He takes the time to answer all your questions. Jonathan is helpful and most importantly responsive. He truly values your time and business. The support staff at Bruning and Associates are also extremely friendly as well as efficient.

Mary Sump recently represented me in a Family Law case. I engaged her as my attorney because I received great feedback from a friend that she had represented.

Working with Mary, I found her to be very professional, ethical and extremely knowledgeable of the law as it applied to my situation. She took time to understand the facts of my case; thoroughly explained my options; proposed strategies and then executed those strategies flawlessly in court.

Also, Mary responded to all of my emails and phone call on a timely basis and I always felt like I was her only client.

Finally, I had Mary establish my Trust, Living Will and Power of Attorney documents. She did an excellent job. She really got to know me my financial goals and was able to structure these documents to protect my Estate.

Finally, and most importantly, Mary did her best to minimize the amount of fees that I had to pay. I know that I received the best value for the services that she provided.

I personally think that Mary is one of the BEST attorneys in McHenry County and Bruning and Associates are fortunate to have her on their team!

Mel Bruett is hands down the best attorney in Chicagoland. I’ve hired her and her associates to represent me and my business in a contractual dispute. As well as recommending her to my mother for her divorce and my best friend for hers! She is incredibly knowledgeable in her field, and if she doesn’t know it, there is always someone on there team to assist! I respect her honesty and her ability to clearly explain the situation when my emotions got the best of me. Hire her if you want to WIN.

I have nothing but great things to say about Bruning & Associates. I've worked with Jonathan Thornton on multiple estate planning and probate cases and he is nothing short of amazing. He is very patient, informative and takes the time to explain everything in great detail to both myself and all of the clients I've referred to him. Jonathan and the other members of the firm provide top notch legal representation and I would never hesitate to refer them.

Mary Sump is an outstanding attorney! She helped with a family issue that is nothing short of miraculous. She is very informative and explains all the details of the process. I would highly recommend Ms. Sump for any of your legal needs.

I was very impressed at the way attorney Nathan Reyes handled my civil litigation case. He was honest, straightforward, and receptive when discussing my options at all stages of the case. He is incredibly knowledgeable in the area of civil law. I would certainly use him again in the future if I needed legal representation in a civil matter.

I don't really remember so it couldn't be that good

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Bruning & Associates. Mary Sump is second to none. She helped my family with a custody issue and was both professional and caring. She is very open and straightforward and gives great advice so you know your money is well spent doing what is necessary for results. It was so wonderful working with an attorney that you can trust and feel comfortable with. You can tell Mary truly cares and works with integrity. Additionally, Johnathan Thornton went above and beyond to fit me in for a last minute Will before I left for an international trip which put my mind at ease in case the unthinkable were to happen. I so appreciate his friendly, professional demeanor and am happy to know whatever legal issues arise I can look to Bruning & Associates for help. I highly recommend meeting with any of the attorneys at Bruning!

Nathan Reyes did a superb job representing my case to a win in the appeals court then a win at the Illinois Supreme court--I really appreciate his work and will be forever grateful

I have been using Bruning and Associates for a number of years now and always with great results. I honestly feel Kevin and his team care about me on a personal level. Kevin is one of the most professional down to earth lawyers I have ever met and his associates, Mary Sump and Melissa Bruett were outstanding with responsiveness and professional handling of some rather difficult Child custody and Divorce case matters which resulted in my favor. I would recommend Bruning and Associates to anyone reading this.

About 5 years ago I used Mary Sump, from Bruning and Associates, for my divorce. She was able to deliver the results I was hoping for and more. I was so thoroughly satisfied with the service I received that when I was in need of an order of protection for my son and modification of the original custody agreement, I did not hesitate to use Mary again. I truly believe she cares about her clients and I never felt like I was being taken advantage of. She is always extremely prompt in getting back to me and is nothing less than a professional. Her knowledge and effectiveness is unprecedented. The outcome of the more recent case was, once again, everything I had been hoping for and more. If I ever need representation in the future there is no question that I will be using Bruning and Associates again.

I happily recommend Bruning & Associates for all facets of legal representation. We have hired them repeatedly & we have always been satisfied with the outcome. I have worked with multiple attorneys there & across the board they have always asked the right questions to ascertain what is our ultimate goal. They are experts at laying out options & giving valuable guidance & insights. The support staff is also strong in responsiveness & communication.

Bruning & Associates is one of the most professional, caring group of people I have had the pleasure to work with. They did some work for me over the past couple of years, and I was never disappointed. In fact I was always impressed with the way they all went above and beyond to take care of my needs. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for good people who do quality legal work.

They handled my divorce and did not finish the necessary paperwork for the QDRO I was entitled to. I was told it was done. When I called to tell them the mistake they made the owner would not return my messages and take no responsibility for their mistake. I now have to hire another lawyer to finish the process they did not. This law firm is not professional and I would never recommend them to anyone.

The staff is friendly and professional. I felt like I was strung along on my divorce case. I have as simple as a divorce as you could possibly get. No children involved, no fighting, etc... All Details laid out going into it. 2 extensions for no reason leading to court visits. $5,276.52 bill which should have been half.