Attorney Renee Read

11/03/2026

Thank you to Jackie Pilossoph and Divorced Girl Smiling for the kind words and support!

Divorced Girl Smiling provides valuable information, resources, and connections to trusted professionals for people facing divorce and rebuilding their lives afterward. I'm grateful to be part of their network of trusted professionals and appreciate the work Jackie does to help people move forward with confidence.

Congratulations, Attorney Renee Read on opening your new practice! Renee spent over 20 years working at a large firm and now she's offering that expertise but with so much more hands-on, personalized relationships! Learn more about Renee and Beacon Family Law here!

11/02/2026

Meet Heidi Richter | Paralegal at Beacon Family Law, LLC

Although Beacon Family Law is a new firm, the professional collaboration between Paralegal Heidi Richter and firm founder Atty. Read spans 14 years. Heidi has been an integral part of Atty. Read's family law practice throughout that time, bringing extensive experience, sound judgment, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to the clients they serve. At Beacon, she also takes a leadership role in training and overseeing office personnel, helping ensure that the high standards of service and individualized attention she and Atty. Read have established over the years continue to define their work at the new firm.

Heidi holds the State Bar of Wisconsin Certified Paralegal credential, a voluntary certification recognizing paralegals who meet established standards for education, professional experience, and ethics, as well as ongoing continuing education requirements. She graduated with highest honors from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College's Paralegal Program in 2008. She also completes continuing legal education annually to stay current with developments in family law and maintain her professional knowledge and skills.

In family law, the details matter, but so does the way clients are treated throughout the process. Heidi understands both. Her knowledge, attention to detail, and compassionate approach are particularly valuable when clients are facing difficult personal and financial circumstances.

Beacon Family Law, LLC
Clarity for What Lies Ahead.

Graphic design credit - OpenAI

10/27/2026

Beacon Family Law, LLC is a new chapter in my professional career and the realization of my vision for a boutique family law practice.

After more than two decades practicing family law, I’ve established Beacon to provide sophisticated legal representation, thoughtful strategies, and individualized attention to clients facing complex family and financial decisions.

The name Beacon was chosen with intention. A beacon represents a source of light, direction, and reassurance when the path forward is uncertain. That symbolism reflects my approach to family law: providing sound legal counsel, helping clients understand their options, and developing strategies that account for their individual circumstances and priorities.

I'm excited about this new path forward and what the future holds.

Beacon Family Law, LLC - Clarity for What Lies Ahead.

10/21/2026

I didn't take a single photo, which is uncharacteristic for me. Instead, I lived purely in the moment and soaked it all in.

It was truly an evening I won't forget. I never anticipated that I would find myself speaking as President of the WLF Fellows Board of Trustees before an audience that included sitting and retired Wisconsin Supreme Court justices (including former Chief Justice Ann Walsh Bradley), several appellate and circuit court judges, State Bar leadership, and accomplished attorneys from across the state.

It was a privilege to welcome this year's Fellows inductees. Congratulations to each of you!

Next year's goal: One good photo of me with some of the amazing people I've met along the way.

10/18/2026

Divorce can be difficult for children, even when parents are doing their best to help them through the transition.

Children may respond differently depending on their ages, personalities, and circumstances. Maintaining routines, offering reassurance, and minimizing their exposure to parental conflict can make a meaningful difference.

This article from the Child Mind Institute offers some helpful insights into understanding and supporting children during divorce.

How to support kids during a divorce, from how to listen to their feelings to how to respond to anxiety, disruptive behavior and more.

10/09/2026

Sometimes the view is reason enough to stop for a minute.

It’s easy to get caught up in the noise of everyday life. I recently had a moment to quiet my mind and take in the views of Lake Michigan.

And perhaps my favorite part of this photo is that it’s exactly as I saw it - no Photoshop, no filters, no edits. Just beautiful, raw nature (and one perfectly timed bird).

10/06/2026

Divorce usually involves financial decision-making with long-term consequences. For example, as indicated in this NerdWallet article, two assets with the same value on paper may not leave you in the same financial position once taxes, liquidity, and future growth are considered.

The article offers a helpful overview of when it may make sense to involve a divorce financial professional and the types of issues that can benefit from careful financial planning. Understanding the long-term impact of a financial decision can be just as important as resolving the immediate issue.

A certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) can help locate income sources, evaluate assets to keep, select asset mixes, analyze spousal support and weigh insurance.

10/02/2026

You don’t need to wait.
An early consultation with a divorce attorney can be valuable even if you aren’t ready to file, or haven’t decided whether divorce is ultimately the right path for you.

This can be particularly useful when there are significant assets, a business, retirement benefits, complex compensation, or other financial issues to understand.

Learning how Wisconsin divorce law may apply to your circumstances can help you identify information to gather, avoid decisions that may complicate matters later, and think through the timing and practical considerations involved.

Sometimes the most valuable first step isn’t taking legal action. It’s understanding your options so that, if you decide to move forward, you can do so thoughtfully and strategically.

09/27/2026

“Why is my divorce taking so long?”

It’s a question I hear often, and an understandable one. Once someone has made the decision to move forward with a divorce, it can be frustrating when the legal process doesn’t seem to move nearly as quickly.

The reality is that some causes of delay are outside of your control. Others aren’t.

In my latest article for Divorced Girl Smiling, I discuss some of the things that can slow a divorce down, including obtaining financial information, completing discovery, addressing valuation issues and unnecessary conflict.

Just as importantly, I discuss some of the things you can do to help keep your own divorce moving forward.

If you’re going through a divorce, or considering one, I hope this provides some useful perspective on why the process sometimes takes longer than expected and where you may have more control than you realize.

https://www.divorcedgirlsmiling.com/why-does-divorce-take-so-long/

Attorney Renee Read, such a great article, which answers this question that almost everyone getting divorced asks. Plus, if you're going through a divorce, there are things in your control that can speed up the process! Article link is in comments section of this post.

09/23/2026

There is something about the changing seasons that reminds us that change can be uncomfortable and promising at the same time. As summer gives way to fall and the leaves begin to turn, we can appreciate what lies ahead even while recognizing what is being left behind.

The seasons of life can be much the same. Divorce is a significant change, and turning the page isn’t always easy. But change can also bring new opportunities, unexpected growth and a different perspective on the future.

Sometimes we don’t recognize the beauty in a new season until we’ve had a little time to live in it.