Marshall Auerbach 1932-2019

Marshall J. Auerbach, 86, died Aug. 13, 2019, after a courageous battle with pulmonary fibrosis.

Marshall was born Sept. 5, 1932, to the late Sadie and Sam Auerbach of Chicago.

Marshall was a prominent matrimonial attorney in Illinois, winning all five appearances before the Illinois Supreme Court. He was the principal author of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act in 1977 allowing for no-fault divorce. This was the state's first major revision of matrimonial law in more than a century. Marshall was a partner at Jenner & Block and subsequently founded his own law firm, Marshall J. Auerbach & Associates. He authored hundreds of articles, was a frequent lecturer, and was a former chair of the Illinois Bar Association’s Family Law Section.

Marshall was featured in a number of articles over the years, including Money and People. Known by his colleagues as the "Dean of Divorce," he was often sought after for advice on difficult matters. In 2005, the city of Chicago honored him for his contribution to Illinois law with an honorary street named after him at Dearborn and Randolph, across from the Daley Center.

Marshall, an avid Bears fan, is survived by his wife, Carole (nee Landsberg), his sons Keith and Michael, his daughter-in-law Nicole, his grandsons Max, Zach and Simon, his nieces and nephews Barabara (Tom) Venn and Marilyn (Mike) Tarasievich and his cousin Bruce (Nancy) Miller. Marshall and Carole recently celebrated 59 wonderful years of marriage. He was the beloved brother of the late H. Steven Auerbach.