Areas of Practice

Whether you are selling or buying a home, it is one of the biggest transactions you will participate in. Luckily, representation in real estate matters is typically the least costly form of representation. Even though most attorneys have similar rates for routine real estate transactions, quality of representation is still important. Here is a small snapshot of all the areas of real estate we participate in:

• • Purchase and Sale of Residences
• • Commercials/Farm Sales and Purchases
• • Contract Sales, Leases and FSBOs
• • Title Insurance and Title Disputes
• • Deeds, Easements/Licenses and Surveys
• • Estate Planning for Real Estate/Land Trusts

We have the ability to meet the needs of clients seeking routine estate planning (Simple Will and Powers of Attorney) and clients addressing more complex priorities like avoiding probate, liability protection/Medicaid planning, estate tax avoidance and business sucession planning. In either case, the goal is the same – that our legal work ensures your wishes are carried out as you envisioned.  We can help you with:

• • Health Care and Financial Powers of Attorney
• • Simple Wills
• • Living/Revocable Trusts and Trust Administration
• • Estate Tax Avoidance: QTIP Trusts, Generation-Skipping Trusts, Life Insurance Trusts, Totten Trusts, etc.
• • Medicaid Planning: Specials Needs Trusts, Medicaid Spenddowns, Exempt Transfers, etc.
• • Business Succession Plans and Buy-Sell Agreements
• • Transfer On Death Instruments ( Real Estate-only Estates)

Our firm is perfectly positioned to meet the needs of small to mid-sized businesses through our legal and consulting practices.  As your business grows and changes, our professional relationships with accountants, human resource companies, and consultants can allow us to be your trusted, local advisor.  We offer the following business and corporate services:

• • Startup – Incorporation or Formation
• • Corporate By-Laws, LLC Operating Agreements and Partnership Agreements
• • Annual Corporate Documents (Minutes, Resolutions, etc.)
• • Document Review/Compliance
• • Mergers and Acquisitions – Buy-Sell Agreements
• • Employee Handbooks
• • Contract and General Negotiations
• • Corporate Litigation
• • Strategic and Marketing Consulting
• • Crisis Management

Once someone passes away, their estate planning and other legal documents become “frozen in time”.  While we’ll turn every stone trying to avoid court, sometimes it is necessary to handle the estate (Probate) or trust (Trust Administration).  Guardianships occur when a court determines a child or adult is incapable of handling their affairs.  We can help you with any of these matters and have extensive experience doing so – not only as a lawyer, but as a non-lawyer – I serve as the Guardian or Executor for Whiteside County residents who do not have someone to serve in that role.  We offer the following Probate/Guardianship/Trust Administration services in Northwest Illinois:

• • Estate Administration in Court (with or without Will)
• • Establishing or Challenging Guardianships
• • Preparing Annual Reports/Accountings for Guardians
• • Contested Estates/Trusts Litigation
• • Trust Construction Litigation
• • Estate/Trust Real Estate matters

Employees are exposed to violations of Illinois and federal law on a regular basis. It is important to hire an attorney who is experienced with handling employment issues and state agency procedures.  We can help you with the following issues through consultation or litigation in State or Federal courts:

• • Unpaid Minimum Wages and Overtime
• • Discrimination and Retaliation (Whistleblower)
• • Sexual Harassment
• • Severance Packages and Executive Compensation
• • Wrongful Discharge and Unemploymment
• • Civil Rights Violations