Belleville, IL
Probate Lawyer at Belleville, IL
Practice Areas: Probate, Family ... +4 more
OUTCOME:
We represented sisters from South Carolina and New York in regard to a case involving their deceased mother, before she passed away, but at a time when her brother had power of attorney, unknowingly co ... nveyed the family farm to her brother thereby depriving our clients in their share of the family farm upon the death of their mother pursuant to the estate plan of their mother.
OUTCOME:
We have experience representing pharmacies in regard to audits or other action by the Illinois Department of Public Aid. Our work has included representation during the audit stage and negotiating res ... olutions, issues regarding proposed fines, issues regarding proposed license, issues regarding license and other matters. In some situations there have been allegations that physicians have leased to pharmacies basically creating a revolving door between the physician and the pharmacist.
OUTCOME:
We represented an accountant in St. Clair County, Illinois that was charged with criminal tax fraud in regard to a scheme whereby a group of dentists that had dental offices throughout the Metro-East a ... rea were making payments to a dental lab and taking deductions but the dental lab was secretly owned by the dentists and was not paying income taxes. The dentists all hired attorneys and singled out our client, the accountant, as the mastermind. Our client had never been in trouble with the law previously and we were able to work out a resolution that did not involve any incarceration or a substantial fine.
OUTCOME:
We recovered in excess of $1,000,000.00 for a Colorado resident whose father passed away in Southern Illinois and whose trust was being managed by basically a rogue trustee. The trustee had prematurely ... helped themself to excessive trustee’s fees not to mention attempting to have the beneficiaries agree to take out unnecessary life insurance thereby resulting in additional profits to the trustee, who sold life insurance. Instead of our client receiving a lifetime monthly benefit of about $500.00 per month after lawsuits were filed, a settlement was reached whereby the trust was dissolved and our client walked away with an excess of $1,000,000.00 recovery.
OUTCOME:
We represented the father of a child who was charged with throwing his minor son to the ground and hitting the natural mother in the minor’s presence. The stakes were high. The future of our client dep ... ended on the result. After taking over representation and working diligently in preparation for the hearing, we were able to present witnesses and other evidence that resulted in a victory for our client. The Administrative Law Judge listened to the testimony and reviewed the facts of the case and determined that the “indicated finding” had not been supported by a preponderance of the evidence. Furthermore, the Administrative Law Judge made specific findings of facts and conclusions of the law, including the Administrative Law Judge recommending that our client’s request for expunction of the record be granted. We won and there was no appeal taken and our client was overwhelmingly grateful for the great legal work and the fabulous result obtained for him.
OUTCOME:
An elderly individual, subject to financial manipulation, made a will and trust not giving her bounty to her family, but to a person who cleaned her residence. It turned out that the elderly person, wh ... en she made her will and trust, suffered from numerous infirmities, some of which may have prevented her from exercising her own free will. After arguing issues of lack of mental capacity, undue influence and/or duress, we were able to recover in excess of $200,000.00 on behalf of our clients.
OUTCOME:
We represented a taxpayer that owned two residences near Lebanon, Illinois. The notes and mortgages were in default. However, the lender failed to pay the real estate taxes for a period of years. As ... a result a tax buyer purchased the taxes and then took title to the real estate. The net effect to our client was that even though the notes were in default, the subject real estate was not available to be sold to offset amounts owed in regard to the note. After filing suit, we were able to show that the real estate tax buyer failed to give proper notice to the lender. As a result, the lender was able to pay the real estate taxes late thereby enabling our client to offset the net sales proceeds for the sale of the residences against his contractual obligations under the note to substantially reduce any deficiency still due and owing.
OUTCOME:
We were contacted by a tenant farmer who farmed for about a dozen owners. Given the economy, commodity prices and other factors, the landlord wished to increase to cash rent paid by our client. Our c ... lient believed that the landlord had already tentatively worked out an arrangement with an undisclosed new tenant farmer. We researched the matter and determined that there was no written lease but there was an oral agreement that had been in effect for years. We took the position that the written notice of termination was improper and did not comply with the applicable statute. Pursuant to discussions with our client, we filed a Complaint for Declaratory Judgement in St. Clair County Circuit Court, claiming that our client should be allowed to continue to farm the property, including so as not to loose in excess of $12, 000.00 in fertilizer already in the field.
OUTCOME:
We were contacted by a Jackson County, Illinois resident who claimed that there was professional negligence in regard to the handling of business taxes. The claim of our clients was that the Certified ... Public Accountant had not performed the work for which he had been hired and, as a result, our client incurred substantial damages
OUTCOME:
We were retained by a client on behalf of his three adult children. The children’s mother, our client’s ex-wife, had remarried. After the marriage, the children’s mother was killed in a tragic motorc ... ycle accident. She did not have a last will and testament. As a result, her second husband, the surviving spouse, petitioned the court for letters of office and same were issued to him. He immediately tried to settle the wrongful death case against the motorcycle company and the company that manufactured the motorcycle tires. We were retained to represent the three children. After investigation by our office, it turned out that the surviving spouse had been convicted of murdering a man, basically to obtain his monthly social security checks, and then covered up the murder by mutilating and storing body parts in a self-storage unit in a different city. Although the crime was not discovered for years, eventually he was prosecuted and was incarcerated for many years. We do not know if he ever fully disclosed his past to our clients’ mother prior to or after the marriage. However, upon learning what occurred, we immediately filed pleadings with the court, taking the position that this convicted felon, should not have been allowed to serve as administrator. The court agreed with our position and the surviving spouse/convicted murderer was removed as administrator by the Clinton County Circuit Court.