Moline Probate Lawyers

Ray recieved his J.D. at Northwestern University in 1974 and M.B.A. at Northwestern University in 1972 with a B.A. at California State, L.A. in 1968. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and Rock Island County Bar Association.

Former Public Administrator of Rock Island County

Former Public Guardian of Rock Island County

HUD Foreclosure Commissioner

Estate Planning: James has conducted estate planning matters including creation of wills (last will and testament), trusts, special needs trusts, irrevocable creditor protection trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, beneficiary planning and beneficiary designation, corporate succession planning, tax planning, and transfer on death instruments. Litigation: James has litigated matters including probate disputes, elder abuse claims, debt collection issues, contract disputes, and conducted other litigation as required by his clients. James has practiced across Iowa and Illinois.

Bill was born and raised in Peoria, IL. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. degree in Government. He received his law degree (JD) at the University of Iowa graduating with honors. He has been practicing law in Central Illinois since his graduation and admission into the Illinois Bar. Legal ability and ethical standards ratings are published each year by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.Bill has the highest possible rating of AV. The legal ability rating is "A" which means he is rated as very high to preeminent. The "V" rating means that he embraces faithful adherence...

Jennifer Bunker Skerston has worked in the Illinois Valley legal community for the past seven years handling many litigation related matters including will contests, property tax appeals, breach of contract, and personal injury claims.

Jennifer Bunker Skerston is actively involved in the Illinois State Bar Association Trusts and Estates Section Council. She is the Editor of the Council’s monthly publication distributed to members throughout Illinois. She also assists the Council in providing continuing legal education to attorneys, determining the need for new legislation, and reviewing and suggesting changes to current legislative proposals affecting wills, trusts and estates....

Since entering private practice, Attorney Smith has maintained a general practice with a concentration in family law. He has been a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and Winnebago County Bar Association for over forty years each. Attorney Smith is currently a member of the family law section of each of these associations. He is currently on an advisory panel for the American Bar Association. He has been a presenter to other attorneys locally on family law and child related topics.

For over forty years Attorney Michael J. Smith has provided experienced family law representation. Family law...

Attorney Robert (Bob) Canfield was born and raised in Rockford, IL. He graduated from Guilford High School in 1965. After joining the Army in February of 1968, he went on to Army flight school and graduated 2nd in his flight class. He spent a year in Vietnam flying CH-47 Chinook helicopters for the 101st Airborne Division and then returned to Fort Rucker, Alabama, as an Instrument Flight Instructor.

Following active Duty, he attended the University of Minnesota where he received his BA in psychology in 1976 and his Law degree in 1978. After taking and passing both the...

Richard Schmack was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Berwyn, Illinois. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois in 1977 with double majors in Political Science and History. In 1980 he received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Upon graduation from law school in 1980, Richard was admitted to the Illinois Bar and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. He is a member of the Federal Trial Bar. Richard has made DeKalb County his home since1985. He, his wife, Jackie, who is his office manager, and...

Ralph Elliott has been engaged in the practice of law in Freeport, Illinois since 1981. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a Bachelor of Science Degree, Summa Cum Laude, earning Phi Beta Kappa recognition in 1978.He graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1981. Ralph is admitted to the practice of law in the state of Illinois, the federal courts for the Northern District of Illinois (including the Trial Bar), the Central District of Illinois, and the Federal Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Andrewe W. Johnson was born in 1970, in Canton, Illinois. Andrewe graduated from Lewistown Community High School in Lewistown, Illinois. He attended Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, from 1988 to 1990, before transferring to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Rhetoric. Andrewe attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receiving his Juris Doctor degree with Honors in 1995. During law school, Andrewe served on the staff of the North Carolina Law Review and worked with the University of...

Noah Benckendorf was born and raised in Morton, Illinois. He graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN in 2018 with a degree in history and economics. Noah went on to study law at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where he was a member of the Business Law Association. While in law school, Noah worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance as a law clerk doing insurance defense work. Noah also spent time with Protective Insurance as a law clerk in their corporate legal team. Noah went on to work at first American Title Insurance as a post-closing agent. In...

Christina Willman earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2018. She received a degree in Agribusiness, Cum Laude, upon graduating from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in 2015. While in law school, Christina was a member of the Jessup International Moot Court team. In addition, Christina was a student attorney in the Clinical Law program, focusing on estate planning and general litigation. She also has completed legal internships at Vermeer Corporation, a manufacturer of industrial and agricultural equipment in Pella, Iowa, and the Michigan Farm Bureau.

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David R. Freriks, JD, MLIS

Mr. Freriks is a graduate of the University of Illinois and the Chicago-Kent School of Law. He was admitted to the Illinois and Federal Bars in 1980. During law school, he clerked for the late Honorable Brian B. Duff (1930-2016), United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

In addition to his law practice, he has held administrative and management positions with the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State; Baker & McKenzie, the largest law firm in the world; the Association of Legal Administrators; the Thomson Reuters...

Attorney Faye M. Lyon P.C., divorce attorney Rockford IL. Faye was born in and has been a life-long resident of Rockford Illinois. She has been practicing law since 1987, focusing and specializing in the area of family law, which not only encompasses dissolution of marriage or divorce work, custody and child support, but also includes wills, trusts, estates, juvenile, paternity, guardianships, collection matters and real estate. Attorney Lyon is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Winnebago County Bar Association, and the Women’s Bar Association, having served as President from 1991-1993. As a member of the Winnebago...

Alex was born in Galesburg, Ill., and has lived in rural western and central Illinois throughout his life. He attended Knox College in Galesburg, graduating in 2011 with a double major in History/Political Science. Prior to law school, Alex worked as a special education aide at West Central High School in Biggsville, Ill., where he coached the football and track teams.Alex earned his J.D., cum laude, in 2016 from the Saint Louis University School of Law. Alex married his wife Joni in October 2021. They live in the Groveland area along with their two dachshunds and two cats. They welcomed...

SK Walker Law, LLC in Marion, IL, is a Marine Corps Combat Veteran owned law firm with SIU School of Law Alum, attorney Scott Walker, who focuses his practice to the area of Personal Injury, Probate, Wills, Trust, Estates, Contract, Real Estate, Business and Mass Tort law. I use my military and mechanic background and training to troubleshoot, diagnose, and resolve our issues. I listen and relate to my clients through my real-world experience, which includes 14 years of military service, with combat tours during Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom, and over twenty years of managerial experience in the maintenance, mining, and...

I am a lifelong Chicagoland resident with a passion for helping families plan their estates so their loved ones are cared for upon their passing. I utilize wills, trusts, powers of attorney for property and healthcare, with the goal of both ensuring that assets pass to your intended loved ones and to make sure that the right people are acting on your behalf if you are unable to make decisions. For families with a recently deceased loved one, I will represent the appointed fiduciaries in administering the estate, be it probate administration or trust administration. I am licensed to practice in...

I have been practicing law for over 35 years. I graduated 3rd in my class from law school, so I had the opportunity to work at one of Chicago's largest law firms on Michigan Avenue, Ross & Hardies, right out of law school. At that time my experience was mostly in the area of personal injury law having clerked during law school for one of the nations top personal injury lawyers, Leonard M. Ring & Associates. In April of 1991 I started my own firm that has continued to prosper under the philosophy of providing, "Quality,...

Over 30 years ago, Bill Wilson began his legal career along side his dad, James T. Wilson and practiced with him until his passing in 2008. Bill carries on the legacy of compassionate, expert legal counsel concentrating in the areas of Elder Law, Estate Planning, Business Succession, Medicaid Planning and Estate Planning for Families that have Children with Disabilities.

Bill feels a “profound obligation to provide counsel that ensures the safety of the hard earned assets of families.”

He extends that obligation outside of his practice too. Currently, he serves as President of Aging Care Connections Board, a not-for-profit agency in La...

Jonathan Anderson is the owner and founder of Anderson Attorneys, PC. For more than 35 years, Jon Anderson owned Anderson & Associates, P.C. which grew to be a leading law firm with 12 attorneys in four offices who represented clients in divorce, family law, estate planning, probate, bankruptcy, and debtor/creditor relations and other matters. In June 2022, he sold Anderson & Associates, P.C. In 2023, he founded Anderson Attorneys, PC, a smaller, high-quality, specialized, boutique law firm that focuses on financially sophisticated divorce litigation and estate planning, and probate matters. For over 35 years, Jonathan Anderson...

Lisa A. Copland has significant experience in several areas of the law including domestic relations, civil litigation, probate, breach of contract and real estate law. She represents men and women in divorce cases, which includes division of property, allocation of parental responsibilities, child support and parenting time. Lisa routinely represents buyers and sellers in residential and commercial real estate transactions. Through the firm's full service approach, attorneys also assist clients in estate planning and civil litigation.

Philip M. Fornaro is the managing attorney at Fornaro Law. Adopting a “never give up” attitude, Philip has become known for his ability to succeed where others fail for the last 20 years. His decision to diversify his practice in 2004 has resulted in the creation of a full service law firm which provides quality representation in a variety of legal areas. Philip follows the rule that positive energy will yield positive results. This energy is the driving force behind the success of Fornaro Law. He has become adept at creating a network and team between clients,...

Nick Nelson was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2008. Since then he has focused on serving his clients and offering practical legal advice that accomplishes the goals of his clients and serves their best interest. Nick's personality, knowledge, and skills have proven beneficial for clients in legal disputes ranging from divorce, civil litigation, business guidance, and negotiations. Nick has won numerous awards and recognition from the legal community, including AVVO Excellent Rating, AVVO Featured Attorney Divorce, AVVO Top Contributor, AVVO Clients' Choice, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys 10 Best for Client Satisfaction, The National Advocates Top 40 Under...

Ms. Sexauer focuses her practice on probate matters, including: elder law, guardianship, estate planning, wills, trusts, and will contests. She is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. Stephanie speaks Spanish fluently and is regularly selected by Cook County judges to serve as a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem for disabled adults. Stephanie also serves on the Judicial Evaluation Committee of the Chicago Bar Association.

Services We Provide Include: • Probate & Estate Planning: Estate Administration, Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills; • Business Formation & Transactional Matters: Creation of Business Entities (i.e. LLC, Corp., Partnerships) & Other Business Agreements including Mergers & Acquisitions; • Income Tax Returns: Planning & Preparation (Individuals, Partnerships, Corp., Trusts, Gift & Estate Tax, Tax-Exempt Org., Payroll & Others); and • Audits & Appeals: Representation in Problematic Tax & Regulatory Matters.

Founder of Front Door Legal LLC, Justin Strane focuses his practice primarily on commercial and residential real estate transactions, and estate planning. His firm is located in Chicago, and he provides representation to people and businesses throughout the greater metropolitan area. In addition to his real estate practice, Justin handles a variety of other types of business matters for his clients, and he is admitted to practice in Illinois and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Justin attended the University of Michigan, where he studied political science and music and received a Bachelor of Arts in...

I have been practicing law since 1988. I have served as a legal services attorney representing clients in orders of protection, divorce, and parentage matters. Next I served as a public defender for 4 years, handling criminal law, juvenile law and mental health commitment cases. I have been in private practice on my own since 1999 representing people in a variety of cases, mostly family law, juvenile law, criminal law, guardianships, powers of attorney and wills. I do a smattering of other things in general. I also hold a master's degree in social work, so...