A country general practice.
For real life and real people.
Strike a string.
Watch what else rings.
Start with the matter on your mind.
Four areas of law. Pull on any one.
Four strings. One practice. Since 1968.
Open the files“For most individuals, various aspects of their lives are intimately connected.”
From Cave-In-Rock, Illinois
to Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
A family matter can become a property matter. A house can raise questions about debt or an estate. Tom’s practice follows those connections.
“Decisions that affect your family, your finances and your future.”
An interstate family needs advice about jurisdiction early. “Do you really want your case decided in Wisconsin when you, your husband and your children are all in Kankakee?”
Read More: Family Law“Country real estate poses its own set of issues: well tests, septic function, and lot and line issues are just a few.”
The work often calls for allies: title companies, surveyors and environmental consultants in Lake County and Kenosha County. “No attorney can guarantee your home will be saved unless, say, you qualify for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.”
Read More: Real Estate“If you line up 100 lawyers, there is only one thing on which they will agree: failure to plan is a mistake.”
“Simple wills do not avoid probate, they only simplify it.” Tom’s estate planning page describes probate retainers in the “low-medium four figures.” Planning starts with the facts of your family.
Read More: Trusts & Estates“Only a bankruptcy attorney can stop garnishments and give you options.”
Many clients arrive “the week before a sheriff’s sale, or with a garnishment already in place against their wages.” Early advice leaves time for the required counseling and a careful review of the options.
Read More: BankruptcyThomas C. O’Brien · Antioch, Illinois
In my third year of engineering school, I took a Business Law course taught by country lawyer, Northcutt Coyle, from Hillsboro, Mo... His stories moved me, and made me realize what I was put on earth to do.
Tom O’Brien, from the firm profile
Tom earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, followed by his law degree. After law school came two years on the road as a professional musician, playing banjo with Your Father’s Mustache in nightclubs across the country. He still plays occasional dates with Antioch’s Dixie Dudes.
He passed the Illinois bar in 1968 and joined the Wisconsin bar in 1980. His firm describes him as “one of just a few attorneys practicing daily in two different states.” In 1994, admission to the federal bar in Michigan took him to the Embrace Systems bankruptcy trial in Grand Rapids. The opinion runs 42 pages.
“he helped me save a home that has been in my family for generations - I am forever grateful because I know it was a very challenging case.”
Traci TeelGoogle review · excerpt
“We sold our home by owner and moved out of state right after the home went under contract. Tom represented us from the beginning to the end. … A year before this, we used his law office to draw up our wills. Again, a great experience!”
Mary NogleGoogle review · excerpt
“He works with his clients, almost like an country doctor. He’s seen it all and because of this experience, he gives great advice, and even better, he tells you the truth whether you want to hear it or not.”
Darrel C. (Salem, WI)Firm testimonials page · excerpt
Google aggregate as published: 4.3 out of 5, across all 15 reviews. Selected excerpts above; individual results differ.
Your family, your home, your next decision. Call the office to arrange an in-person consultation.
Call (847) 838-1100The Law Office of Tom O’Brien does not provide any legal advice through its web site. Visitors to this web site should schedule an in-person consultation for legal advice.
