Pamela J. Hutul

Partner

phutul@davisfriedman.com
vCard

"People often arrive here in a maelstrom of emotion," Pamela Hutul explains. "Getting a divorce also can be a fresh beginning-when a person starts writing the next chapter of his or her life." Hutul wants her clients to imagine themselves whole again. In her view, the sooner she and her client can start looking at a new path-setting a goal, a place where they can visualize themselves in next two to five years-the better. "Where do you want to be?" she asks.

She finds that people get caught up in the emotions of the moment. "Some wonder if they are taking too much responsibility. Others deny or avoid accepting it. Some are angry and may want vengeance. I offer to help them get out of where they might be stuck at that moment. Chances are they have no idea where they want to be in the next five years."

But, she notes, "Once someone starts thinking about his or her future, I can help take them out of the acrimony. Then, together we can get past assigning or accepting blame because it's not productive when that dynamic is a determinative factor during a divorce."

Usually her client speaks first during the initial meeting with Hutul. "That is where I learn his or her version of what happened in the marriage to cause it dissolve." That conversation soon turns into an analysis. Empathetic thinking and working heart-to-heart with her clients can become a strategic advantage, Hutul has learned, not only from practicing family law for many years, but also as a scholar of religious literature and cultural studies.

"I try to understand where my clients are coming from and how I can meet their needs. I can only do this if I really look at matters from their point of view. I have the privilege of being with people during a period of pain that also can become a platform for growth. I participate in their process of dealing with an important failure in their life," Hutul explains. "When any of us are emotional, we often run into walls. I want my clients to find or construct a door in that wall so they can go through it and build a happy future. If there are children, there's a family going forward, and they are going to have to get along."

With the well-being of everyone in the family in mind, Pam and her husband, Bill, established in 2012 the William D. and Pamela Hutul Ross Clinic for Sexual Health. The Ross Clinic is a program within NorthShore University HealthSystem's new John and Carol Walter Center for Urological Health and adds a much needed service to its comprehensive care.

Hutul recalls that when she was licensed, in April 1975, marital misconduct was a factor in custody, maintenance and support. "Now, the court is not allowed to consider it. Jury trials used to be more common. Then, our culture believed that fathers weren't interested in their children. Today, that belief has changed, and kids' welfare has become paramount. Another big change is that during the last thirty-five years many women have become significant wage-earners and more important to the economic prosperity of the whole family."

Thus, Hutul observes, family law attorneys need to understand real estate, trust estates and business. "And we also have learned to make psychological evaluations. It's never ever the same case."

When she encounters exceptional situations, Hutul can rely on her colleagues at Davis Friedman as her "support group." If she sends out a question to her partners and associates, she is likely to get eight answers immediately. "There is careful, thoughtful, mindful participation among our group of lawyers here. Partnership meetings? I love them here. There is truly a sense of commitment to a higher purpose."

Admitted to the Bar

Illinois, 1975

Education

Lake Forest College, B.A., with Honors, 1970

The John Marshal Law School, J.D., with Honors, The Order of John Marshall, 1975

Northwestern University, M.A., 1990, History and Literature of Religion

Northwestern University, Ph.D., A.B.D., History and Literature of Religion

Harvard Negotiation Institute at Harvard Law School, certificate, 2011

Accomplishments

Partnering with NorthShore University HealthSystem's Division of Urology, Pam and her husband, Bill, have funded the launch of The William D. and Pamela Hutul Ross Clinic for Sexual Health. The Ross Clinic is a program within NorthShore's John and Carol Walter Center for Urological Health.

Listed in Best Lawyers in America

2011 Chairman, Dalai Lama's Visit to Chicago