Law Firm Overview

I began my legal career as a Law Clerk for Judge Joseph Barr in the late 1970's. From there, I worked at Dunham, Bowman & Leskera as their Law clerk till January of 1981 when I became an Assistant States Attorney for Madison County Illinois. My tour of duty there lasted 4 years. From January 1985 through December 1996, my legal career had been with both Attorney Ben Allen and Doug Mendenhall. Effective January 1, 1997 I am a solo practitioner, and handle all sorts of legal matters, specializing in Plaintiffs Personal Injury and Criminal Defense. I provide full service legal representation, and can handle most every legal matter you will face in an expert manner. I have been in practice in Madison County, Illinois for over 23 years now, and am well versed in different diverse and overlapping fields of law. Concentrating in State & Federal Criminal Defense work, and am a Public Defender for both our Local State & Federal Courts.

The office generally is open from 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday thru Friday.

As I am often in court I ask you call first, and I always return phone calls. For general misdemeanor and traffic matters fees range from $150 for a simple speeding ticket, to $400 for most simple first time misdemeanors like battery or assault, and $1,000 to $3,000 for first time DUI's or other more serious misdemeanors, this is a general fee base.

The Bankruptcy Laws changed drastically on October 17, 2005! For chapter 7 Bankruptcy's my fees due to the change in the law & my services after that date as a Debt Relief Agency under that statute will start at $1,000.00 Attorney's fee, with the court fee of $300.00. There will be a Credit Counseling Course, you must take before and after the bankruptcy being filed and you are responsible for paying that. Lastly, we can run a credit report if you request, $30 for individuals, $50 for a married couple. More complicated cases in Bankruptcy of course require more than the $1,000.00 Attorney's fee for the new Chapter 7 cases after October 17, 2005. As required by statute "We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankrupty relief under the Bankrupty Code."

For most divorce and family matters, as well as civil defense I charge at the rate of $200 per hour, plus expenses, and generally require a minimum cash retainer of $750, and depending on the case, more. For State Felonies, the fees are $1,000.00 to $2,5000 for simple first time non-violent felonies, on up, and the fee is negotiable, based upon the accused's record and the severity of the charge.

For Federal Felonies, the fees start at $2500 for simple first time non-violent felonies, on up, and the fee is negotiable, based upon the accused's record and the severity of the charge.

Areas of Practice

• Bankruptcy Law
• Discrimination
• Criminal Law
• DUI/DWI
• Traffic Violations
• White Collar Crimes
• Employment Law -- Employee
• Estate Planning
• Trusts
• Wills
• Family Law
• Child Support
• Custody & Visitation
• Divorce
• Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
• Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff
• Medical Malpractice
• Workers' Compensation Law

Honors and Awards

• Outstanding Young Men of America, 1983

Classes and Seminars

• Asst. Professor, Lewis & Clark Community College, Godfrey, IL, 1985 - Present

Representative Clients

• Madison County, Special Public Defender Since 1997
• Panel Attorney, CJA, Southern District of Illinois, 1997

References

• Bob Means, Madison County Merit Commission
• Wood River Ford, Inc.
• Dr. E. J. Diestelkamp, DMD

West Practice Categories

Bankruptcy Law, Discrimination, Criminal Law, DUI/DWI, Traffic Violations, White Collar Crimes, Employment Law -- Employee, Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills, Family Law, Child Support, Custody & Visitation, Divorce, Personal Injury -- Plaintiff, Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff, Medical Malpractice, Workers' Compensation Law