William S. Frankel

The Cavanagh Law Firm - Phoenix Office
The Cavanagh Law Firm - Phoenix Office
1850 North Central Avenue Suite 1900, Phoenix, AZ 85004 United States

SENIOR MEMBER


Will is a Senior Member of The Cavanagh Law Firm. He has been solving challenging family law problems for people for 20 years. Whether it be complex, large-asset divorces, hotly contested custody battles or disputed adoptions, he has the experience, determination and drive it takes to get the job done. Will’s aggressive yet no-nonsense, professional courtroom advocacy has earned him the respect of his clients, opposing counsel and judges alike. He is an experienced litigator, having represented people and companies in countless bench trials and numerous jury trials over the course of his career, a rare attribute of a family law attorney.  


While Will thrives on battling for his clients in the courtroom, just the same, he gets tremendous satisfaction from helping clients negotiate settlements of their cases and avoid the stress of going to court when that’s what they need. His level-headed, compassionate approach to case resolution inspires confidence and comfort in the most difficult times.  


Will earned his juris doctor degree with honors from Indiana University School of Law. He earned his bachelor's degree with highest honors in business, with an emphasis in economics, finance, and risk management. That education, and his entrepreneurial spirit, serve as a foundation for his practical problem-solving approach to the business and financial aspects of his clients’ cases.


Will takes great pride in helping people in the most trying times. He served his community as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical responder from 1996 to 2023. As a fire department battalion chief for more than 14 years, he was responsible for commanding emergency incidents, ensuring the safety of responding crews, and mitigating dangers at fire and accident scenes.  


When he’s not busy helping people resolve their divorce, custody, and adoption cases, he enjoys home improvement projects, cycling and off-roading.


EDUCATION

Indiana University School of Law, South Bend, Indiana

Juris Doctor - 2004

Honors: cum laude

Honors: Moot Court Order of the Barristers

Honors: Dean’s Tutorial Society Fellow- Civil Procedure

Indiana State University

Bachelor of Science - 2001

Honors: summa cum laude

Honors: Awarded Distinguished Scholar

Honors: Management Science Student Award

Honors: Member of Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society

Honors: Member of Golden Key National Honor Society

Honors: Member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

Honors: Outstanding Business Statistics Student

Major: Business, Emphasis in Economics, Finance, and Risk Management

Minor: Economics


BAR ADMISSIONS

Arizona

Indiana

Illinois

U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana

U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana


HONORS

Received letter of commendation for superior performance from Department of Economics


CERTIFIED LEGAL SPECIALTIES

Certified in Trial Advocacy Skills by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy


PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Maricopa County Bar Association

American Bar Association

State Bar of Arizona

Indiana Bar Association

Illinois Bar Association


REPRESENTATIVE CASES

City of Terre Haute v. Pairsh, 883 N.E.2d 1203 (Ind. Ct. App. 2008), trans. Denied

M.W. v. Ind. Dep’t of Child Servs., 900 N.E.2d 83, 2008 WL 5238688 (Ind. Ct. App. 2008)

D.R., Jr. v. State, 894 N.E.2d 1106, 2008 WL 4408269 (Ind. Ct. App. 2008)

In the Matter of J.F. v. Vigo Co. Div. of Family and Children, 895 N.E.2d 743, 2008 WL 4762329 (Ind. Ct. App. 2008)

SCI Indiana Funeral Service, L.P. v. Musgrave, 880 N.E.2d 338, 2008 WL 252975 (Ind. Ct. App. 2008)

In Re: J.S. v. Ind. Dep’t of Child Servs., 906 N.E.2d 226 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009)

Jones v. Heilman, Warrick County Sheriff, 2010 WL 11652024 (S.D. of Ind., 2010)

Clokey v. Clokey, 957 N.E.2d 1288 2011 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011)

Clokey v. Bosley Clokey, 956 N.E.2d 714 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011)

Sims v. State, 954 N.E.2d 1113 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011)

Sharkey v. State, 967 N.E.2d 1074 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012)

Bass v. State, 974 N.E.2d 482 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012)

Harlan v. State, 971 N.E.2d 163 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012)

Mitten v. Mitten, 44 N.E.3d 695 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015)

In re Paternity of G.S., 31 N.E.3d 38, 2015 WL 1289827 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015)


PRACTICE AREAS

Family law

Divorce

Custody

Adoption


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