$150,000,000.00+ POTENTIAL WILL CONTEST, ESTATE AND TRUST LITIGATION LAW FIRM AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM THE CARLINVILLE, MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS AREA, WE WERE CONTACTED BY AN HEIR WHO WAS BASICALLY PROVIDED FOR AS A ONE-THIRD (1/3) BENEFICIARY IN REGARD TO AN ESTATE PROJECTED TO BE IN EXCESS OF $150,000,000.00 BEFORE A NEW WILL WAS SIGNED ABOUT A YEAR PRIOR TO THE DEATH OF THE DECEDENT. THE SURVIVING SPOUSE MADE SURE THE EXISTENCE OF THE NEW PURPORTED WILL WAS NOT KNOWN TO THE HEIR PRIOR TO THE DATE OF DEATH AND IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE DATE OF DEATH THAT THE HEIR WAS INFORMED OF THE NEW WILL BEING MADE. IT APPEARED THAT THERE MAY BE ISSUES IN REGARD TO DURESS, UNDER INFLUENCE, TORTIOUS INTERFERENCE WITH AN INHERITANCE EXPECTANCY AND/OR LACK OF MENTAL CAPACITY IN REGARD TO THE PURPORTED NEW WILL.
THIS MATTER INVOLVED A SECOND SPOUSE MARRIED TO THE DECEDENT FOR APPROXIMATELY TWENTY (20) YEARS BEFORE HIS DEATH. DURING THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF TIME THE DECEDENT AND THE SURVIVING SPOUSE KNEW OF AN INHERITANCE PROVISION FOR THE HEIR THAT MAY HAVE AMOUNTED TO $50,000,000.00 OR MORE IF A NEW WILL HAD NOT BEEN CREATED. IT APPEARED TO US THAT BASED ON THE EXPLANATION RECEIVED, THAT THERE WAS AN INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO ALIENATE THE HEIR FROM THE DECEDENT INCLUDING TO PROTECT THE FINANCIAL INTERESTS OF THE SURVIVING SPOUSE AND THOSE THAT THE SURVIVING SPOUSE WISHED TO RECEIVE UPON THE DEATH OF THE DECEDENT. IT APPEARED THAT THE DECEDENT MAY HAVE BEEN VULNERABLE BECAUSE OF LONGTIME MEDICAL ISSUES THAT WORSENED WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME. WE THOUGHT THAT IN A WEAKENED STATE THE DECEDENT MAY HAVE BEEN EXPLOITED, INCLUDING BY THE SURVIVING SPOUSE, SUCH THAT THE INTENTS AND DESIRES OF THE SURVIVING SPOUSE WERE BASICALLY SUBSTITUTED AS THE INTENTS AND DESIRES OF THE DECEDENT IN REGARD TO THE NEWLY CREATED PURPORTED WILL IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO DEATH.
Blake Behme Gilbreth Links, P.C.
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BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, METRO EAST, ILLINOIS ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING CLIENTS FROM OTHER COUNTIES AND CITIES THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS REGIONS IN REGARD TO WHICH CLIENTS BELIEVE LOCAL ATTORNEYS COULD HAVE ISSUES IN REGARD TO CONFLICTS OR APPEARANCE OF CONFLICTS IN REGARD TO LEGAL MATTERS, AVVO 10.0 RATING, LEADING LAWYER, MILLION DOLLAR ADVOCATES FORUM, BEST ATTORNEYS OF AMERICA, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LEGAL ADVOCATES TOP 100 FAMILY LAWYERS IN ILLINOIS, NATIONAL ACADEMY OF FAMILY LAW ATTORNEYS, MARTINDALE HUBBELL AV PREEMINENT RATED, SUPER LAWYERS, AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM PERRY COUNTY, DU QUOIN, PINCKNEYVILLE AND TAMAROA, FRANKLIN COUNTY, BENTON, CHRISTOPHER AND WEST FRANKFORT, HAMILTON COUNTY, MCLEANSBORO, BELLE PRAIRIE CITY AND DAHLGREN.- $5,000,000.00+ EXTRAORDINARY RESULT! BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS, WILL, GUARDIANSHIP, TRUST, GUARDIANSHIP LAW FIRM, OVER FORTY (40) YEARS OF EXPERIENCE HANDLING SERIOUS WILL, TRUST AND ESTATE ISSUES, INCLUDING RELATING TO TRUST COMPANIES MISINTERPRETING DOCUMENTS AND TAKING POSITIONS CONTRARY TO THE INTERESTS OF CLIENTS OR FAMILY MEMBERS. WE WERE HIRED BY FAMILY MEMBERS IN REGARD TO A TRUST THAT EXISTED FOR APPROXIMATELY THIRTY (30) YEARS. AFTER THE LAST TO DIE OF THE SETTLORS, WHO WERE HUSBAND AND WIFE, THE CORPORATE FIDUCIARY DID NOT WISH TO RELEASE FUNDS TO THE ADULT BENEFICIARIES. THE CORPORATE FIDUCIARY TOOK THE POSITION THAT THE SETTLOR, THE SURVIVING WIFE BEFORE SHE DIED, DID NOT PROPERLY EXECUTE A SPECIAL POWER OF APPOINTMENT BEFORE SHE PASSED AWAY. IF THE TRUST COMPANY WAS RIGHT, THEY WISHED TO CONTINUE TO ADMINISTER THE TRUST FOR THE REMAINING LIFETIMES OF THE SURVIVING CHILDREN OF THE PREDECEASED SETTLORS, WHICH WOULD HAVE MEANT IN EXCESS OF $5,000,000.00 WOULD HAVE REMAINED IN TRUST FOR AN ESTIMATED ANOTHER TWENTY (20) YEARS OR MORE, WITH THE CORPORATE FIDUCIARY CONTINUING TO RECEIVE FEES IN EXCESS OF $100,000.00 EACH YEAR, FOR APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER $2,000,000.00+ OVER THE COURSE OF ANOTHER TWENTY (20) YEARS OR MORE OF EXISTENCE OF THE TRUST. A RESOLUTION WAS REACHED WITH AN ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROCEEDING IN ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS WHEREBY THE CORPORATE FIDUCIARY AGREED WITH THE POSITION AND/OR REQUESTS OF OUR CLIENTS AND AN ORDER WAS ENTERED IN FAVOR OF OUR CLIENTS WHICH ALLOW FOR THE ESTATE ADMINISTRATION TO PROCEED TO CONCLUSION WHICH ALLOWED FOR THE TRUST ADMINISTRATION TO PROCEED TO CONCLUSION WITH EACH OF THE CHILDREN TO RECEIVE IN EXCESS OF $1,400,000.00 EACH INCOME TAX FREE INCLUDING BECAUSE OF A STEP UP IN TAX BASIS AS OF THE DATE OF DEATH OF THE LAST TO DIE OF THE SETTLORS OF THE TRUST. AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM MACOUPIN COUNTY, CARLINVILLE, GILLESPIE AND STAUNTON, JERSEY COUNTY, GRAFTON, JERSEYVILLE AND BRIGHTON, MADISON COUNTY, GRANITE CITY, COLLINSVILLE AND HIGHLAND, ILLINOIS.
- FAMILY LAW AND ORDER OF PROTECTION LAW FIRM PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES FOR CLIENTS IN THE GODFREY, MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS AREA, METRO EAST, BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS LAW FIRM WITH FORTY (40) YEARS PLUS EXPERIENCE, AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM PIATT COUNTY, MONTICELLO, BEMENT AND CERRO GORDO, MENARD COUNTY, ATHENS, PETERSBURG AND GREENVIEW, ADAMS COUNTY, QUINCY AND CAMP POINT, ILLINOIS.
- BREESE, ILLINOIS REAL ESTATE LAWYERS, CLINTON COUNTY We have decades of experience representing clients in regard to bad house cases, including failure to disclose issues with water, seepage and mold and failure to disclose, attempting to induce buyers to purchase. We also have achieved successful results for years in regard to boundary line disputes, in regard to farms including relating to adverse possession, prescriptive easements, and trespass. Sometimes these disputes have to do with neighbors, sometimes adjoining farms, and sometimes there are issues between family members, such as brothers and sisters, in regard to how to divide farmland. We are often contacted to prepare real estate contracts and closing documents, so that clients can save on real estate commissions. We also provide experienced representation in regard to contract for deed arrangements whereby real estate may be sold over a period of years without a financial institution being involved.
- SETTING ASIDE JOINT TENANCIES, OBJECTING TO BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS, CHALLENGES TO BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS REGARDING LIFE INSURANCE, ASSETS SYPHONED OFF FROM THE ESTATE, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AN ELDERLY OR VULNERABLE PERSON, BELLEVILLE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS LAW FIRM INVOLVED IN ISSUES CONCERNING EXPLOITATION OF THE ELDERLY, ELDER ABUSE, CIVIL AND CRIMINAL ACTIONS RELATING TO THE ELDERLY, WILL DISPUTES, TRUST CONTEST, ESTATE CLAIMS AND LITIGATION, A FREQUENT FACT PATTERN CAN BE THE FOLLOWING. AN ELDERLY PERSON MAKE WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE THEIR LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OR TRUST EITHER ATTEMPTING TO AVOID PROBATE OR AN IRREVOCABLE TRUST SOMETIMES TO TREAT MULTIPLE CHILDREN IN THE SAME MANNER, THAT IS, IN REGARD TO ESTATE PLANNING DOCUMENTS EACH CHILD RECEIVES AN IDENTICAL SHARE. HOWEVER, SOMETIMES AFTER ESTATE PLANNING DOCUMENTS ARE IN PLACE, THEN JOINT TENANCIES ARE ESTABLISHED, OR BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS ARE MADE OR CHANGED, WITH THE RESULT BEING THAT CERTAIN ASSETS BYPASS THE ESTATE PLAN THAT WAS ESTABLISHED AND CERTAIN ASSETS MAY FLOW IN DISPORPORTIONATE PORTIONS TO CERTAIN CHILDREN OR BENEFICIARIES, BUT NOT OTHERS. SOMETIMES THE RESULT IS EXACTLY WHAT THE ELDERLY PERSON INTENDED. SOMETIMES THE RESULT IS NOT EXACTLY WHAT THE ELDERLY PERSON INTENDED. SOMETIMES THERE ARE CLAIMS OR DURESS, UNDUE INFLUENCE, LACK OF MENTAL CAPACITY OR TORTIOUS INTERFERENCE WITH AN INHERITANCE EXPECTANCY WITH THE CLAIM BEING BUT FOR WRONGFULLY CONDUCT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE IN THE ESTATE FOR PURPOSES OF DISTRIBUTION PURSUANT TO THE ESTATE PLANNING DOCUMENTS OF THE DECEDENT. AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM MOULTRIE COUNTY, SULLIVAN, LOVINGTON AND BETHANY, CALHOUN COUNTY, BRUSSELS, HAMBURG AND HARDIN, GREENE COUNTY, CARROLLTON, WHITE HALL AND GREENFIELD, ILLINOIS.
- HOMETOWN VALUES LAW FIRM, TRADITIONAL ETHICS, A LAW FIRM YOU CAN TRUST, FOCUSING ON HARD WORK AND LOYALTY, BELLEVILLE, METRO EAST, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS LAW FIRM HANDLING WILL AND TRUSTS, REAL ESTATE, TAX, ESTATE PLANNING, BUSINESS, FAMILY LAW AND OTHER MATTERS, AVAILABLE TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM DE WITT COUNTY, CLINTON, FARMER CITY AND WAPELLA, VERMILION COUNTY, DANVILLE, HOOPESTON AND GEORGETOWN, CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, CHAMPAIGN, URBANA AND RANTOUL, ILLINOIS.
