ABOUT: GERALD F. CHEFALO

BIOGRAPHY

Gerald F. Chefalo is a Traverse City attorney who represents clients in criminal defense, OWI and drunk-driving defense, divorce, custody, mediation, driver’s license matters, and contested trial-court cases throughout Northern Michigan.

Mr. Chefalo has practiced law since 1997 and has represented clients in Northern Michigan since 1999. For nearly three decades, he has helped clients navigate some of the most stressful moments of their lives: criminal charges, drunk-driving arrests, family-law disputes, custody conflicts, license problems, mediation, and courtroom litigation.

His approach is direct, practical, and grounded in preparation. Clients come to Mr. Chefalo for straight answers, careful legal analysis, and a lawyer who understands both the courtroom and the real-life consequences of legal disputes.

Call 231-929-7744 to contact The Law Offices of Gerald F. Chefalo.

Quick Facts

• Practicing law since 1997
• Serving Northern Michigan clients since 1999
• Juris Doctor, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 1997
• Former law clerk to the Honorable Thomas L. Brown, 30th Judicial Circuit Court and Court of Claims
• Court-approved mediator since 2008
• 13th Circuit Court Mediator of the Year, 2020
• Has handled a substantial mediation docket, including as many as 145 mediations in a year
• Michigan State University, Eli Broad College of Business, B.A. in Marketing, 1994
• Based in Traverse City, serving courts throughout Northern Michigan

Representative Practice Areas

Mr. Chefalo’s practice includes:

• OWI, DUI, drunk-driving, high-BAC, and implied-consent defense
• Boating-under-the-influence defense
• Felony and misdemeanor criminal defense
• Domestic violence, assault, drug, theft, and probation-violation cases
• Divorce, custody, parenting time, support, and property division
• Mediation and court-referred dispute resolution
• Driver’s license restoration and license-related matters
• Civil litigation and contested trial-court matters

Approach to Client Representation

Mr. Chefalo believes clients deserve straight answers, careful preparation, and a realistic understanding of their options.

Some cases require negotiation. Some require mediation. Some require motions, hearings, or trial. The right strategy depends on the facts, the law, the evidence, the client’s goals, and the risks involved.

His role is to help clients understand their options, protect their rights, and make informed decisions at each stage of the case.

Early Legal Career

After receiving his Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1997, Mr. Chefalo began his legal career in Lansing, Michigan, serving as a law clerk for the Honorable Thomas L. Brown of the 30th Judicial Circuit Court and Court of Claims.

As a judicial law clerk, he researched complex legal issues and drafted proposed opinions in civil and criminal matters before the court. That experience gave him an early and valuable view of how judges analyze evidence, evaluate legal arguments, and decide contested cases.

Building a Practice in Traverse City

In 1999, Mr. Chefalo moved to Traverse City to begin private practice. When asked why he chose Traverse City, he has often said:

“I came to Traverse City to build a law practice, but I stayed because I fell in love with Northern Michigan — the people, the water, the woods, and the quality of life. It became the place I wanted to build a career, raise a family, and serve this community.”

What began as a practical decision quickly became something more. Mr. Chefalo fell in love with Northern Michigan-The water, woods, seasons, small towns, local businesses, working families, and close-knit communities that make this region unique.

Traverse City offered more than a place to open an office. It offered a place to build a career, raise a family, become involved in the community, and serve people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives

More than twenty-five years later, that choice has become a long-term commitment to the people, families, courts, and communities of Northern Michigan.

Mr. Chefalo’s goal was to build a law office that provided high-quality legal representation at a cost working people and families could afford. Since then, he has represented clients throughout Northern Michigan in criminal, OWI, family law, civil, mediation, license restoration, and trial court matters.

Clients have long known Mr. Chefalo for his direct, persistent approach to protecting their rights and helping them make sound decisions during difficult legal situations.

Criminal Defense and OWI Defense

Criminal defense and OWI defense are central parts of Mr. Chefalo’s practice.

He represents clients charged with misdemeanors, felonies, drunk driving, drugged driving, high-BAC offenses, domestic violence, assault, drug crimes, theft offenses, probation violations, traffic misdemeanors, and serious felony allegations.

In OWI and drunk-driving cases, Mr. Chefalo focuses on the details that often matter most: the traffic stop, field sobriety testing, preliminary breath testing, breath or blood testing, implied-consent issues, driver’s license consequences, video evidence, police procedure, and whether the prosecution can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Because Northern Michigan includes significant boating, lake, marina, and summer-tourism activity, Mr. Chefalo also handles boating-under-the-influence and alcohol-related operation cases where appropriate.

Trial and Courtroom Experience

Mr. Chefalo was tested early in his career when he tried his first open-murder case in Antrim County in April 2002. Since then, he has handled a broad range of contested criminal, civil, and domestic-relations matters in courts throughout Northern Michigan.

His courtroom experience includes matters in Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Antrim, Benzie, Kalkaska, Charlevoix, Emmet, Manistee, Wexford, Crawford, and Otsego Counties.

Mr. Chefalo’s work often involves high-stakes decisions for clients: whether to challenge evidence, negotiate, mediate, proceed to hearing, prepare for trial, or resolve a case in a way that protects the client’s future. He approaches those decisions with the benefit of decades of courtroom experience and a practical understanding of Northern Michigan courts.

Family Law, Divorce, Custody, and Mediation

Mr. Chefalo also represents clients in divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, spousal support, property division, and post-judgment family law matters.

Family-law cases require both legal skill and practical judgment. Clients are often making decisions that affect their children, finances, home, retirement, business interests, and long-term stability. Mr. Chefalo works to help clients understand their options, protect their rights, and make informed decisions during difficult transitions.

Mediation is also a central part of his practice. Mr. Chefalo has served as a court-approved mediator since 2008 and is included on court-approved mediation rosters used in Northern Michigan. In 2020, he was recognized as the 13th Circuit Court Mediator of the Year.

As both a litigator and mediator, he understands the value of resolving disputes when possible — and the importance of being prepared for court when resolution is not possible.

Practice Focus Since 2020

In recent years, Mr. Chefalo’s practice has focused heavily on mediation, criminal defense, OWI and drunk-driving defense, divorce and custody matters, driver’s license restoration, and contested trial-court litigation.

That work reflects the practical needs of clients in Northern Michigan. Many clients come to the office during stressful and high-stakes moments: after an arrest, during a divorce, when parenting time is disputed, after a driver’s license revocation, or when a case needs to be resolved through mediation.

Since 2020, mediation has become an especially significant part of Mr. Chefalo’s practice. He has served as a court-approved mediator since 2008, was recognized as the 13th Circuit Court Mediator of the Year in 2020, and has handled a substantial annual mediation docket, including as many as 145 mediations in a year.

His current practice is built around preparation, referrals, courtroom experience, mediation work, client service, and long-standing professional relationships throughout Northern Michigan.

Driver’s License Restoration and License Matters

Driver’s license restoration is another important part of Mr. Chefalo’s practice.

Many clients come to the office after multiple alcohol-related driving convictions, implied-consent issues, license revocation, ignition-interlock problems, or other Secretary of State license consequences. These matters often connect directly with OWI defense, sobriety court, criminal sentencing, and long-term recovery documentation.

Mr. Chefalo helps clients understand the legal, practical, and evidentiary requirements of license restoration and related matters. These cases often require careful preparation, documentation, and a realistic understanding of what must be proven before driving privileges can be restored.

Education

Thomas M. Cooley Law School

Juris Doctor, 1997

Michigan State University

Eli Broad College of Business
Bachelor of Arts in Marketing, 1994

Court Admissions, Professional Memberships, and Legal Community

Gerald F. Chefalo is admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and has also been admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

He has also been admitted to practice before the courts of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.

Mr. Chefalo is a member of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association and has been involved with local and professional legal organizations throughout his career, including practice-related groups involving criminal law, general practice, probate, divorce, and family law.

He has represented clients in courts throughout Northern Michigan for more than two decades and has long been associated with the criminal defense, family law, mediation, and trial court practice communities in the region.

Community Leadership and Service

Mr. Chefalo has also been involved in community service and civic leadership in Northern Michigan.

He has served as President of the Long Lake Association and has served on the Long Lake Foundation Board. He has also served as Vice President of the Board for Addiction Treatment Services and has been on the Grand Traverse Economic Development Corporation Board.

Mr. Chefalo and his staff have also supported and volunteered with the Traverse City National Cherry Festival, one of Northern Michigan’s signature community events.

That community involvement reflects a long-term commitment to the Traverse City area and the Northern Michigan communities where Mr. Chefalo lives, works, practices law, and mediates disputes.

Community Recognition and Professional Service

Over the course of his career, Gerald F. Chefalo and his office have received local recognition for legal service, community presence, and dispute-resolution work in Northern Michigan.

Selected recognition includes:

• 13th Circuit Court Mediator of the Year, 2020
• Traverse City Business News “40 Under 40” recognition, 2007, 2008, and 2010
• Grand Traverse Insider People’s Choice Award for Best Law Firm in Traverse City, 2008–2012
• Record-Eagle Best Law Firm recognition, Hot 100 edition, 2009

These recognitions are part of Mr. Chefalo’s professional history. They reflect earlier stages of a long Northern Michigan legal career and a period when the office maintained a more substantial public advertising presence.

Today, the practice is focused primarily on client service, mediation, criminal defense, OWI defense, divorce and custody matters, driver’s license restoration, litigation, and referrals from clients, attorneys, and community relationships.

No award or past recognition guarantees a result in any future case. The value of the representation depends on the facts, the law, the evidence, preparation, judgment, and the work required in the individual matter.

Life in Northern Michigan

Mr. Chefalo enjoys living and working in Northern Michigan. Outside the office, he especially enjoys the summer months and spending time boating, fishing, hiking, golfing, and being with his family.

For Mr. Chefalo, practicing law in Traverse City is not simply a professional choice. It is part of a long-term commitment to serving individuals, families, courts, and communities in the Northern Michigan region he calls home.

If you need legal advice about a criminal charge, OWI arrest, divorce, custody dispute, mediation, license issue, or contested legal matter in Northern Michigan, contact The Law Offices of Gerald F. Chefalo.

Call 231-929-7744 to discuss your situation.