About
@
beckerhickey
Margaret Wrenn Hickey practices in the areas of divorce, family law, and elder law including trusts for the disabled, title 19 and guardianship. She is a shareholder in the law firm of Becker, Hickey & Poster, S.C., Milwaukee, and received her B.A. from Marquette University (1982,
summa cum laude
), where she was
Phi Beta Kappa
, and her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School (1986,
cum laude
).
Margaret is a past Chair of the State Bar of Wisconsin Elder Law Section Board of Directors and a past Chair of the Family Law Section Board of Directors. She is a past President of the Milwaukee Bar Association (President 2004-05) and served on the Board of Directors from 1999-2005. Margaret currently serves on the State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors (District 2, 2005-09, Chair 2006-07) and will serve as Treasurer of the Board from 2009-11.
Margaret also serves on the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society and public radio station WUWM. Margaret lectures frequently at local, state and national bar meetings and to community groups and other professionals on elder law and family law topics. She has served on the board of Aurora Family Service, Rosalie Manor and the Village of Shorewood.
Margaret is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and the Association for Women Lawyers and she is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (President for the Wisconsin Chapter, 2005-06.) She is named in the Best Lawyers in America for family and elder law and has been named as a "Super Lawyer" in elder law. She was also named in the top ten lawyers in Wisconsin by Super Lawyers (2012).
Recognition & Involvement
Awards
MYLA/Law Volunteer Lawyers Award for Outstanding Service, 1987, 1982 | West Publishing Hornbook Award, highest average in second year law school class, University of Wisconsin Law School, 1982 | Super Lawyers, named in all issues in Elder Law. Named in top 25 women lawyers in Wisconsin in several issues, 1982 | University of Wisconsin Law School Honor Roll, fall and spring semesters, 1985, 1982 | University of Wisconsin Law School Honor Roll, fall and spring semesters, 1985 | Best Lawyers in America, named in Family and Elder Law | Duane Mowry Award, 1985, highest-ranking student in second year law school class, University of Wisconsin Law School | Women in the Law, Honoree 2011 | Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, University of Wisconsin Law School, 1986
Associations
American Bar Association, 1986 - Present (Member) | Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1986 - 1992 (Associate) | American Immigration Lawyers Association, 1992 - 1993 (Member) | National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, 1993 - Present (Member) | State Bar of Wisconsin, 1986 - Present (Member Elder Law, Family Law Sections) | Milwaukee Bar Association, 1986 - Present (Member) | Association of Women Lawyers, 1989 - Present (Member) | American Bar Association, Member (Tort and Insurance Practice, Family Law and Litigation Sections) | State Bar of Wisconsin (Member, Elder Law, Family Law and Litigation Sections) | Milwaukee Bar Association, 1987 - 1988 (Committee Member, Legal Services for the Indigent) | Milwaukee Bar Association, 1987 - 1989 (Member, Lawyer Referral Service) | Milwaukee Bar Association, 1993 - 1995 (Committee Member, Professionalism Committee) | Milwaukee Young Lawyers (Member) | Milwaukee Bar Association, 1996 - 1999 (Vice Chair Elder Law Section) | Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, 2004 - Present (Director) | Collaborative Family Law Council of Wisconsin , 2003 - Present | Inns of Court, Leander Foley Chapter, 1999 - 2007 (Barrister) | Milwaukee Bar Foundation Board of Directors, 2005 - Present (Director) | Wisconsin National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, 2008 - Present (Director) | Wisconsin National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, 2011 - Present (Vice Chair) | Elder Law Section Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin, 1996 - 2000 (Director) | Elder Law Section Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin, 1997 - 1998 (Program Chair) | Elder Law Section Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin, 1998 - 1999 (Chair) | Elder Law Section Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin, 2000 - Present (Advisor) | Family Law Section Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin, 1995 - 2004 (Director) | Family Law Section Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin , - 1996 (Co-Chair Legislation Committee ) | Family Law Section Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin , 1999 - 2000 (Secretary ) | Family Law Section Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin , 2000 - 2001 (Treasurer ) | Family Law Section Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin , 2001 - 2002 (Vice Chair ) | Family Law Section Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin , 2002 - 2003 (Chair) | Milwaukee Bar Association Board of Directors , 1999 - 2006 | Milwaukee Bar Association Board of Directors , 2002 - 2003 (Vice President ) | Milwaukee Bar Association Board of Directors , 2003 - 2004 (President-Elect ) | Milwaukee Bar Association Board of Directors , 2004 - 2005 (President ) | Milwaukee Bar Association Board of Directors , 2005 - 2006 (Past President ) | American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Fellow, 1999 - Present | American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Secretary of the Wisconsin Chapter, 2003 | American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Treasurer, 2004 | American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, President-Elect, 2005 | American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, President, 2006 - 2007 | State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors, 2005 - 2007 (Governor elected for District 2 (Milwaukee area)) | State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors, 2007 - 2009 (Governor elected for District 2 (Milwaukee area)) | State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors, 2006 - 2007 (Chair) | State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors, 2009 - 2011 (Treasurer ) | State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors, 2011 - 2013 (served on Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Strategic Planning Committee)
Speaking
Speaker, Avoidance in Bankruptcy of Liens Created in Divorce Action, Milwaukee Bar Association, April 1989 | Speaker, Tax Aspects of Divorce, LAW/Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association, December 1989 | Moderator, Defense Research Institute | Speaker, Annual Convention, Annual Case Law Update, State Bar of Wisconsin, Family Law Section, June 1992 | Speaker, What's New in '92, Case Law Update, State Bar of Wisconsin, 11th Annual Family Law Workshop, August 1992 | Speaker, Update II: Proposed Legislation and Bibliography, State Bar of Wisconsin, Family Law Section, January 1993 | Speaker, 12th Annual Family Law Workshop, Child Support and Child Tax in the 21st Century, State Bar of Wisconsin, August 1993 | Speaker, Navigating the Medical Assistance Maze, Planning After October, 1993, Association for Women Lawyers, Estate Planning Group, 1993 | Speaker, Divorce Taxation, State Bar of Wisconsin, February 1994 | Planner and Moderator, Ethics Presentation, Milwaukee Bar Association Professionalism Committee Seminar, 1994 | Evidence Trial Preparation and Presentation For the Family Lawyer (yes, Rules of Evidence Do Apply), 36th Annual Family Law Workshop, State Bar of Wisconsin, speakers, M. Hickey and E. Gittings, August 2018. | Participating in Divorce Negotiations When your Client has Special Needs, 2019 NAELA Summit, speakers M. Hickey and E. Rosner, November 2019, Washington D.C. | Advanced Evidentiary Issues, “Advanced Skills and Techniques for Family Law Practice,” State Bar of Wisconsin, speakers, M. Hickey and A. Krueger and Hon David Wilk, October 2019 | Estate Planning and Divorce, “Navigating the Intersection of Estate Planning, Divorce and Business Law,” State Bar of Wisconsin, speakers, M. Hickey and M. Rogers, January 2020 | Ways the Title 19 Pandemic Has Impacted the Practice of Law Including Execution of Estate Planning Documents, “Legal Issues of the Aging” Seminar, State Bar of Wisconsin, Speakers, T. Cambpell and M. Hickey, September 2020 | Business Valuations: the Nitty Gritty, Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys, Divorce Wisconsin Style, speaker, M. Hickey, March 2021, M. Hickey, T. Lindsey and M. Murray | Ethical Issues in Complex Family Law Matters, Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys, Divorce Wisconsin Style, November 2021, speaker, L. Balisle, M. Hickey and A. Kaiser