Mark Douglas Brent

Mark D. Brent is a native of Aurora. He graduated with honors (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Illinois in 1988, and the University of Illinois College Of Law in 1991. Mark spent several years doing major tort and insurance litigation with Williams and Montgomery in Chicago.

He began his focus on Domestic Relations and Family Law in 1997 in Aurora. Mark is well-versed in all areas of family law, and family law is Mark’s primary focus.  Mark is an aggressive advocate for family law clients, handling all types of cases, with a focus on high-conflict issues, custody and removal of children to other states.

Mark was a partner in the firm of Goldsmith, Thelin, Dickson and Brown until 2002, at which time he established The Law Office of Mark D. Brent. In order to expand our range of services and better serve our clients, Drendel and Jansons Law Group and The Law Office of Mark D. Brent merged on December 1, 2009.

Mark is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Kane County Bar Association, Du Page County Bar Association, and Kendall County Bar Association. He has twice been the Chair of the Kane County Bar Association’s Solo and Small Firm Committee. He is a member of the Kane County Bar Association’s Family Law Committee.

He has been admitted to practice in front of all Illinois State Courts, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and has been granted temporary (pro hac vice) admission to practice in several states.

Mark has several publications to his credit. Among the publications is a book aimed at attorneys to which he contributed as a co-author: Strategies for Family Law in Illinois: Leading Lawyers on Leveraging Alternative Dispute Resolution, Negotiating Alimony and Child Support, and Managing Client Expectations (Inside the Minds) [Paperback] by Aspatore / West Publishing. Mark also published a practical, plain-language guide and introduction to the complicated issue of divorce in Illinois: Divorce Proceedings in Illinois: What You Need to Know [Paperback] by Aspatore / West Publishing.

Mark has always been a trial attorney, and is available to litigate any sort of matter for the firm’s clients. The focus of his practice, however, is on Family Law and Domestic Relations. He is an active member of the family law Bar in Kane, Kendall, Du Page, Will and DeKalb counties. He also takes cases outside this region, and has been retained in divorces out of the State of Illinois.

Mark received the Pro Bono Award for 2015 given out by the Kane County Bar Foundation for his ongoing pro bono work with Prairie State Legal Services. Mark has always helped the underprivileged with legal services throughout his career, but two years ago he announced a goal to accept at least one pro bono client every month. Mark not only kept that commitment, he continues the commitment today. He was nominated by Prairie State Legal Services as a result of this exemplary dedication to people in need.

Mark was recently chosen for membership in the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. Association is an organization dedicated to promoting the highest standards of legal excellence. Less than 1% of practicing attorneys in the United States are recognized as one of the “Nation’s Top Attorneys” exhibiting the highest ideals of the legal profession.

Mark Brent has also been recognized by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys as one of the top 10 family law attorneys in his area. According to the AIFLA, they they recognize the attorneys who have excelled, as noted by clients and peers. The aim is to recognize the attorneys who are most likely to have satisfied clients.