William S. Frankel, IV

William S. Frankel, IV

Senior Member

Biography

Will is a Senior Member of The Cavanagh Law Firm. He has been solving challenging family law problems for people for more than 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 nearly two dozen 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. Now, Will is recruit in the Phoenix Police Academy, and upon graduation from the Academy, he will join the ranks of the Phoenix Police Department as a sworn police officer in the Department's Reserve Division.

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

Practice Areas

  • Family law

  • Divorce

  • Custody

  • Adoption

  • Guardianships

  • Qualified Domestic Relations Orders

Education

  • Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis, 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

    • Honors: Received letter of commendation - Department of Economics

    • Major: Business, emphasis in Economics, Finance, and Risk Management

    • Minor: Economics

Bar Admissions

  • Arizona

  • Indiana

  • Illinois

  • U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana

  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana

Certified Legal Specialties

  • Certified in Trial Advocacy Skills, National Institute for Trial Advocacy

Professional Associations

  • American Bar Association

  • Maricopa County 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)

Schedule An

Appointment

Phoenix Office

1850 North Central Avenue

Suite 1900

Phoenix, AZ 85004

Phoenix Office

1850 North Central Avenue

Suite 1900

Phoenix, AZ 85004

Sun City Office

13250 North Del Webb Blvd

Suite B

Sun City, AZ 85351