“ARTICLE OF EDWARD J. BLAKE, JR., BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS WILL CONTEST, TRUST DISPUTE, ESTATE SETTLEMENT ATTORNEYS”. WE WERE RETAINED BY SISTERS FROM NEW YORK AND SOUTH CAROLINA THAT HAD BEEN PART OF A FAMILY ENGAGED IN FARMING IN THE JERSEYVILLE, JERSEY COUNTY, ILLINOIS AREA. THEY ALSO HAD A BROTHER WHO WAS ACTIVELY FARMING THE FAMILY FARM. OUR CLIENTS’ FATHER PREDECEASED THEIR MOTHER. OUR CLIENTS THOUGHT THAT WHEN THEIR MOTHER DIED THAT OUR CLIENTS WOULD SHARE EQUALLY, ONE-THIRD (1/3) TO EACH OF OUR CLIENTS AND ONE-THIRD (1/3) TO THEIR BROTHER IN REGARD TO THE FAMILY FARM. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THEIR MOTHER PASSED AWAY THAT OUR CLIENTS DISCOVERED WHAT HAD OCCURRED BEFORE THEIR MOTHER PASSED AWAY. PRIOR TO THE DEATH OF THEIR MOTHER, THEIR BROTHER WAS INVOLVED IN ACTIVITY THAT RESULTED IN THE FAMILY FARM, WORTH MORE THAN $1,000,000.00, BEING TRANSFERRED TO THEIR BROTHER, WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR CLIENTS, BEFORE THEIR MOTHER PASSED AWAY. THERE WERE ISSUES RAISED REGARDING DURESS, UNDUE INFLUENCE, LACK OF MENTAL CAPACITY AND TORTIOUS INTERFERENCE WITH AN INHERITANCE EXPECTANCY. AFTER A LAWSUIT WAS FILED AGAINST THE BROTHER IN JERSEY COUNTY A SETTLEMENT WAS REACHED WHEREBY THE BROTHER AGREED TO PAY HIS SISTERS THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF THE SHARES OF THE FARM THAT THEY WOULD HAVE RECEIVED IF THE FAMILY FARM WAS STILL IN THEIR MOTHER’S NAME WHEN SHE PASSED AWAY. EDWARD J. BLAKE, JR., IS A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION (ABA) AND IS A MEMBER OF THE ILLINOIS STATE BAR ASSOCIATION (ISBA). MR. BLAKE AND HIS LAW FIRM HAVE MORE THAN FORTY (40) YEARS HANDLING ISSUES INVOLVING WILLS AND CODICILS, CONTROVERSIES INVOLVING TRUSTS AND AMENDMENTS, ESTATE CLAIMS AND PROBATE CONTROVERSIES, MEDIATED SETTLEMENTS, DISPUTES AMONG FAMILY MEMBERS AND OTHERS, CONTROVERSIES INVOLVING MULTI-GENERATIONAL ISSUES WITH RESPECT TO FARM FAMILIES AND AGRICULTURAL DISPUTES. AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM WHITE COUNTY, CARMI, GRAYVILLE AND NORRIS CITY, JACKSON COUNTY, AVA, CARBONDALE AND MURPHYSBORO, WILLIAMSON COUNTY, HERRIN, MARION AND CARTERVILLE, ILLINOIS.
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ILLINOIS WILL AND TRUST CONTEST LAW FIRM, METRO EAST, BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS, ESTATE ADMINISTRATION AND TRUST SETTLEMENT, EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY, A RESIDENT OF COLORADO HIRED US TO REPRESENT HER IN REGARD TO A TRUST CASE IN DU QUOIN, ILLINOIS. THE CLIENT’S FATHER PASSED AWAY HAVING A TRUST IN EXCESS OF A MILLION DOLLARS AND INSTEAD OF LEAVING EVERYTHING TO HIS ONLY CHILD, HE GAVE HER AN INCOME INTEREST OF $500.00 PER MONTH DURING HER LIFETIME AND UPON HER DEATH, ANY ACCRUED BUT UNDISTRIBUTED INTEREST AND PRINCIPAL, WAS TO BE RECEIVED BY OUR CLIENT’S TWO (2) CHILDREN. OUR CLIENT’S FATHER APPOINTED A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN IN DU QUOIN, ILLINOIS AS THE TRUSTEE. SOON AFTER THE DEATH OF OUR CLIENT’S FATHER, THE TRUSTEE, WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT OF THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE TRUST, PAID HIMSELF A LUMP SUM $50,000.00 FEE. AFTER THAT, BECAUSE THE TRUSTEE WAS A LIFE INSURANCE SALES MAN, HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO SELL LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES TO THE TRUST AND/OR THE BENEFICIARIES IN ORDER TO EXTRACT MORE MONEY FROM THE TRUST. ONCE WE WERE HIRED, WE FILED SUIT IN PERRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS. SOON AFTER THE LAWSUIT WAS FILED, WE TOOK THE DISCOVERY DEPOSITION OF THE ROGUE TRUSTEE. AFTER THAT, ONCE WE HAD HIM PINNED DOWN, WE SETTLED THE CASE. OUR CLIENT HAD THE COOPERATION OF HER TWO (2) ADULT CHILDREN. THE SETTLEMENT OF THE CASE WAS THAT THE TRUST WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE DISSOLVED WITH THE ENTIRETY OF THE ACCRUED BUT UNDISTRIBUTED INCOME, AND PRINCIPAL, BEING IMMEDIATELY PAID TO OUR CLIENT. OUT CLIENT THEN MADE GIFTS TO HER TWO (2) CHILDREN, AND THEN UPDATED HER ESTATE PLAN SO THAT HER TWO (2) CHILDREN WOULD RECEIVE HER ESTATE, WHICH THEN INCLUDED THE RECOVERY OF MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS, UPON HER DEATH. AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM SALINE COUNTY, ELDORADO, HARRISBURG AND GALATIA, GALLATIN COUNTY, SHAWNEETOWN, RIDGWAY AND JUNCTION, UNION COUNTY, ANNA, JONESBORO AND COBDEN, ILLINOIS.- CLIENTS SEEKING OUT OF TOWN OR OUT OF THE AREA REPRESENTATION INCLUDING TO AVOID CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OR THE APPEARANCE OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN REGARD TO DCFS LAW FIRM, METRO EAST, BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS FOID CARD LAW FIRM, AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM PETERSBURG, MENARD COUNTY, LINCOLN, LOGAN COUNTY, CLINTON, DE WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
- METRO EAST, BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS FAMILY LAW CONCENTRATION, CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT AND MODIFICATION, SPOUSAL SUPPORT, COLLEGE EXPENSE CONTRIBUTION CASES FOLLOWING DIVORCE OR IN PARENTAGE CASES, OUT-OF-STATE CHILD REMOVAL CASES, DIVORCE, GRANDPARENTS AND CUSTODY VISITATION, PARENTAGE AND CHILD CUSTODY, CHILD SUPPORT, PARENTING RIGHTS, BELLEVILLE FAMILY LAW GROUP, FAMILY LAW MEDIATION, REASONS TO GET MARRIED, TRADITIONAL PERMANENT RESIDENCE, IMPROPER BEHAVIOR IN THE CONTEXT OF A DIVORCE PROCEEDING, BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS FAMILY LAW GROUP, AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM JACKSONVILLE, MORGAN COUNTY, SPRINGFIELD, SANGAMON COUNTY, DECATUR, MACON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
- WILL AND TRUST CONTEST LAW FIRM PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES FOR CLIENTS IN THE CHESTER, RANDOLPH COUNTY, ILLINOIS AREA, METRO EAST, BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS LAW FIRM WITH FORTY (40) YEARS PLUS EXPERIENCE, AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM JASPER COUNTY, NEWTON, WHEELER AND WILLOW HILL, CRAWFORD COUNTY, ROBINSON, OBLONG AND PALESTINE, LAWRENCE COUNTY, LAWRENCEVILLE, SUMNER AND BRIDGEPORT, ILLINOIS.
- $8,000,000.00 WILL AND TRUST CONTEST SETTLEMENT, BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS LAW FIRM HANDLING PROBATE AND ESTATE LITIGATION, AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM JACKONSVILLE, MORGAN COUNTY, SPRINGFIELD, SANGAMON COUNTY, DECATUR, MACON COUNTY, WE REPRESENTED A SURVIVING SPOUSE WITH RESPECT TO HER PREDECEASED HUSBAND WHO BASICALLY ATTEMPTED TO DISINHERIT HER EVEN THOUGH SHE WORKED IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS FOR MORE THAN SIXTY (60) YEARS. THE COUPLE HAD NO CHILDREN. THE HUSBAND WAS CONCERNED THAT IF HE LEFT ASSETS TO HIS WIFE SHE WOULD THEN LEAVE THOSE ASSETS TO HER SIDE OF THE FAMILY ONCE SHE PASSED AWAY WHICH THE HUSBAND DID NOT WISH TO OCCUR. THERE WAS AN ALL-DAY MEDIATED SETTLEMENT IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI THAT INVOLVED NUMEROUS LAW FIRMS REPRESENTING VARIOUS PARTIES. THE RECOVERY, IN EXCESS OF $8,000,000.00, EXCEEDED THE EXPECTATIONS OF OUR CLIENT. OUR CLIENT WAS THEN ABLE TO LEAVE HER ESTATE, UPON HER DEATH, TO HER SIDE OF THE FAMILY, INCLUDING NIECES AND NEPHEWS, NOT TO MENTION OTHERS.
- CHILD CUSTODY BATTLE AND PARENTAL ALLOCATION LAW FIRM, AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM BREESE, CARLYLE, TRENTON, CLINTON COUNTY, ILLINOIS, METRO EAST, BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS, ESTATE ADMINISTRATION, PROBATE, WILL AND TRUST CONTEST LAW FIRM.
