About Nichole
Nichole Waltz began her legal path at the University of Iowa, where she earned a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science in 1993. She continued her studies at DePaul University College of Law and received her J.D. in 1998. Those years set the groundwork for a practice centered on family matters and collaborative approaches to dispute resolution.
Her early career included a steady climb through private practice. By 2008 she was a partner at Waltz, Palmer & Dawson, LLC, a role that expanded her courtroom and settlement experience. In 2021 she left that structure to found Divorce Solutions, where she serves as Principal. The move shifted her practice toward structured, team-based divorce processes while retaining the skills honed in contested matters.
Waltz has been active in collaborative law circles for more than a decade. She became a Fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, Collaborative Divorce Illinois, and the International Association of Collaborative Professionals in 2012, and she maintains those fellowships. Her leadership roles include President of Collaborative Divorce Illinois in 2020 and Immediate Past President in 2021. She was President Elect of the Collaborative Law Institute Illinois in 2019. These positions reflect a long-running involvement in writing standards, training peers, and promoting alternatives to adversarial litigation.
Her work in local bar governance runs in parallel. Waltz has been a member of the Northwest Suburban Bar Association since 2002 and served on its Board of Governors from 2008 to 2017. She held the association’s Secretary and Treasurer posts in successive years, moved through the vice presidencies, and was President of the Northwest Suburban Bar Association from 2016 to 2017. Those roles required managing programs for lawyers, coordinating continuing legal education, and addressing local legal community needs.
In practice, Waltz combines negotiation and structured settlement planning with skills in mediation and collaborative practice. She represents clients through joint planning sessions and formal collaborative processes. Her approach emphasizes clear communication, thorough financial and parenting planning, and avoiding prolonged court battles when possible.
At Divorce Solutions, Waltz directs a practice that builds teams around families and uses collaborative tools to resolve divorce matters. She continues to participate in professional education and in the collaborative law organizations where she holds fellowship status. Her current practice centers on collaborative divorce and family law.
