22+ Years Experience
Former Cook County Prosecutor
Bilingual English / Español
No Judgment. Just Results.
WHERE ARE WE
Hernandez Law Office maintains its principal office in Elgin, Illinois, the community Caroline has called home for her entire career. We also serve clients from our satellite location in Arlington Heights, making us accessible to clients across the northwest suburbs. Wherever you are, we are not far.
Elgin: 112 N. Spring Street, Elgin, IL · 847-468-1200
WHO WE ARE
For over two decades, Hernandez Law Office has been part of this community — not just as a law firm, but as a neighbor, an advocate, and a voice for people who deserve to be heard. Since opening our doors in Elgin in 2004, we have stood alongside individuals and families navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Criminal charges. DUI arrests. Debt that feels impossible to escape. Family matters that need a steady hand. Whatever brought you here, you are not alone, and you are not judged.
We are here, and we are on your side.
WHAT WE DO
Hernandez Law Office handles criminal defense, DUI and traffic defense, Secretary of State hearings, Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and family law mediation. We serve clients across Kane County, Cook County, DuPage County, and McHenry County. We are fluent in English and Spanish. We return phone calls. We show up. And we fight.
We help good people get through the worst moments of their lives. No judgment. Just results.
Attorney Caroline Hernandez is a Latina lawyer, a long-time Elgin community member, a civil rights advocate, and a former Cook County prosecutor who chose to come home and fight for her neighbors. She serves on the board of the YWCA of Elgin, has spent years advocating for civil rights and immigrant rights across Kane County, and believes with everything she has. that quality legal representation should be available to everyone, not just those who can pay the highest price. That belief is baked into everything this office does.
I had a great experience with Hernandez Law Office during my bankruptcy process. Caroline, the lawyer, was fantastic—knowledgeable, supportive, and efficient. A special shoutout to Denise, her assistant, who was absolutely excellent! She handled so much of the paperwork and was always communicative and helpful. Denise truly made the entire process smooth and stress-free. I highly recommend this office to anyone looking for professional and compassionate legal assistance. Thank you for making a challenging situation manageable!
Andres.N
I was not happy when I was sent for mediation in my divorce. I just felt like no one was listening to me. In mediation Caroline helped me and my ex learn how to communicate better. She said she would show us how to talk things through. She gave us some questions to ask when we get stuck. When we start to argue my ex will say get the list before we shut down. We don't need anyone to tell us how to parent now. We decide what is best.
Concepcion S.
I did not have a license for 17 years. I kept going to the Secretary of State in order to get a driving permit. And would get denied. Came to see Attorney Hernandez and she prepared me to doing my hearing before the Secetary of State. She made clear the questions I had to answer and how to explain what I learned in treatment. She made the complex process easier. She was honest. I had to be prepared. With her help I got my permit and now I have my license back.
Javier G.
Family Law Mediation
Divorce is painful enough. Let's find a better way through it.
When a marriage ends, you still have to make decisions, about your kids, your home, your finances, your future. Those decisions do not have to be made in a courtroom with a judge who does not know your family. Mediation gives you and your spouse the space to work through those decisions with a trained, neutral professional guiding the process. Less conflict. Less cost. More control over your own outcome.
Bankruptcy — Chapter 7
Debt does not make you a failure. It makes you someone who
needs a fresh start.
Medical bills from an illness you did not choose. A job that disappeared. A divorce that wiped out everything you built. Credit cards that kept the lights on when nothing else would. Debt accumulates for real reasons, and none of those reasons make you less deserving of a way out. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a legal, legitimate tool designed specifically for moments like this. We help you use it.
Secretary of State Hearings
Lost your license? You need someone who knows how to get it back.
Losing your driving privileges can cost you your job, your independence, and your livelihood. After a DUI conviction, your license is not automatically reinstated when the suspension period ends. You have to fight for it back, before a Secretary of State hearing officer, with the State's Attorney's office sending a representative to argue against you. Walking in without an attorney prepared to advocate for you is a serious mistake.
DUI & Major Traffic
Got a DUI? Don't panic. Call us first.
Here is what most people do not know: a DUI arrest is not the same as a DUI conviction. What happens in the hours and days after your arrest matters enormously. The wrong move, or no move at all, can cost you your license before you ever set foot in a courtroom. Call us first.
Criminal Defense
One charge should not follow you for the rest of your life.
A criminal charge — whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony, can shake your entire world. Your job. Your family. Your reputation. Your future. We know that. And we also know that being charged is not the same as being guilty. You have rights. You have options. And you have an attorney in Caroline Hernandez who will make sure neither of those things gets overlooked.
We help good people get through the worst moments of their lives.
Good legal help should not be a luxury. Caroline built this practice on that belief. Since 2004, she has provided serious, experienced representation to working people, immigrant families, and anyone who walks through our door, at fees that reflect the community she serves. You will never be surprised by your bill, and you will always know exactly where your case stands.
Call now for a free consultation