Practice Areas
Steele Law Offices, LLC provides legal services to Illinois and Missouri clients in a wide range of transactional and litigation matters. As a lifelong resident of Illinois' Madison County with over 20 years of legal experience, firm founder Randall P. Steele has the skills and expertise to help clients throughout the region in any of the following areas:
- Bankruptcy
- Divorce & Family Law
- Personal Injury
- Workers' Compensation
- Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning
- Probate & Guardianships
- Traffic Violations
- Business Organizations
- Landlord-Tenant Law
- Real Estate Transactions
Bankruptcy
With decades of bankruptcy experience, we are well-equipped to handle all aspects of your bankruptcy in federal court. While the public may hold a negative perception of filing for bankruptcy, there are many situations when such a filing is in your best financial interests. Under Chapter 7, individuals can often discharge their unsecured debts, resolve obligations with other creditors, and achieve financial stability. There are many ways we can help; for example, if you qualify to keep your car in bankruptcy, we may be able to work with creditors to lower your car payments. With timely legal advice and prompt action, Steele Law Offices helps clients eliminate financial pressure and build a better future.
Divorce & Family Law
At Steele Law Offices, we regularly help clients involved in divorce proceedings. While simple, uncontested divorces may be relatively straightforward, many divorces are not so easy, requiring an experienced family lawyer to assist with complex issues involving property division, spousal support, as well as disputes concerning child custody, visitation, or support.
Divorce is often a stressful experience, and an effective attorney can help ease the emotional burden of the process. We appreciate the delicate nature of these disputes and continually seek amicable solutions that will be favorable to the family as a whole. We also handle adoptions, modifications, and paternity matters. In addition, if you have a domestic dispute threatening you or your child's safety, we can help you obtain a protective order.
Personal Injury
Our personal injury practice rests on decades of courtroom experience helping clients involved in auto and trucking accidents recover for their serious injuries and, in especially tragic situations, the wrongful death of a loved one. We also handle dog bites, slip and fall accidents, and other injuries arising under premises liability law. If your insurance provider has denied coverage or rejected a legitimate claim for benefits, we can help you bring a negligence or bad faith claim against the provider.
Workers' Compensation
If your injuries are the result of a workplace or construction-related accident, you may be eligible for workers' compensation. Under Illinois law, employers are required to have workers' compensation insurance and contribute to a no-fault benefits system. Nonetheless, these cases often require arbitration, and the assistance of an experienced attorney can be invaluable to ensuring that you obtain adequate compensation for your injuries. We have experience assisting clients at proceedings under the Missouri Department of Labor as well.
Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning
For clients needing legal assistance in establishing wills, living wills, or powers of attorney, we can help draft the requisite clear, concise documents that serve your intent. Steele Law Offices also regularly handles the establishment of trusts, including revocable trusts and irrevocable life insurance trusts. Your assets should be distributed according to your wishes, and we can help you ensure a distribution that is consistent with these intentions.
Probate & Guardianships
Should a family estate enter probate, we have the experience to litigate any disputes and will contests that may arise. While we emphasize clarity at the drafting stage of any estate planning document, there are times when a client will not consult us until a will or trust created by other counsel has led to a legal dispute. We have the probate and guardianship experience needed to resolve your dispute promptly and protect your property interests.
Traffic Violations
The penalties for many traffic violations, including speeding and careless driving, are largely within the presiding judge's discretion to determine. Our courtroom experience and established reputation in Madison County allows us to consistently obtain reduced fines and other alternative penalties. If your ticket was the result of officer error, we can help you contest the violation in court. We also help clients arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) retain their licenses at administrative hearings, or apply for a temporary work permit if a suspension is unavoidable.
Business Organizations
For entrepreneurs looking to start a business, one of the most difficult steps is deciding which type of entity will be the most advantageous and profitable. We can advise you on the benefits, restrictions, liabilities, and tax implications of the various formation options that are available, including corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies. Once clients decide which type of business organization best suits their needs, we help them draft and file the appropriate documents to get their business up and running.
Landlord-Tenant Law
While many attorneys who practice landlord-tenant law focus on representing one side over the other, we are experienced in representing both landlords and tenants in a number of transactional matters and related disputes. We can help you prepare a lease or advise you on the best language for your rental agreement. In the event of a dispute, we have experience providing legal counsel for evictions, rent collection, and other landlord-tenant disputes.
Real Estate Transactions
Buying or selling a home is a complex process that requires thorough preparation and compliance with contractual requirements. We assist our clients by drafting contracts for deeds, while ensuring that all inspection and title search procedures are properly performed. We understand the importance of having a smooth transition on the date of your closing, and approach every client's land sale contract with a philosophy of comprehensive attention to detail.
Experienced Legal Counsel
Do you have a civil matter that requires an experienced legal representative, whether you have a transactional issue or a dispute likely to reach litigation? Contact the Steele Law Offices, LLC today for a free initial telephone consultation. We also offer flexible office appointments and in-person consultations starting at $75.
