Practice Areas

Litigation and Appeals-Our firm represents and advises clients who are or might become involved in a lawsuit or appeal as a result of such things as business conflicts, personal injuries, or real estate disputes. We are skilled negotiators but we are always prepared to go all the way through the legal process to a jury verdict when it is our client's best interest. We have successfully represented clients in the areas of law listed below.

Family/Divorce Law-We help our client with a full range of Family Law issues on the trial and appellate level. We provide representation for:

• Divorce
• Child Custody, Visitation and Support
• Adoption
• Alimony and Spousal Maintenance
• Modification of Previous Orders and Awards
• Prenuptial/Premarital Agreements
• Paternity
• Restraining and Protective Orders.

We believe that all of these matters should be handled quickly, painlessly, and economically.

Medical Malpractice and Healthcare Negligence Law-Medical negligence or "malpractice" occurs when a physician or healthcare provider either fails to do something that should have been done or does something that should not have been done which results in injury or death. Doctors and other health-care providers must follow certain standards when caring for patients. While a simple mistake is not enough to constitute negligence, a death or injury caused by the failure to provide reasonably appropriate or common standards of care or the failure to diagnose an easily detectable illness may be malpractice.

Our attorneys at The Chawla Group in Hinsdale, Illinois aggressively investigate and pursue claims for catastrophic injuries and death arising out of:

• Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
• Birth Trauma
• Failure to Diagnose Cancer and Other Diseases
• Inappropriate or Negligently Performed Surgery
• Disfigurement
• Inappropriate or Dangerous Treatment Practices
• Pharmaceutical Injuries and Prescription Drug Errors.

We are experienced in health care and medical malpractice law and can help clients determine whether or not malpractice has occurred where someone is injured as a result of negligence or misconduct of individuals in the dental, medical, podiatry, chiropractory and other health professional fields.

Plaintiff Personal Injury and Wrongful Death-We represent individuals and the families of individuals who have been seriously injured or killed as a result of the negligent or wrongful conduct of others. We understand how insurance companies and lawyers on the other side think. Insurance companies are interested in minimizing their economic exposure when a serious injury or death has occurred. They hire attorneys whose job it is to aggressively undermine each aspect of your claim. We know their tactics. We take each case on as if it will proceed to trial and we are not afraid to take a case all the way to jury verdict if that is what is necessary to produce the best possible result. Our firm represents individuals injured in all types of situations including industrial, construction, and equipment-related accidents.

Motor Vehicle Accidents-Serious car and other motor vehicle accidents require the guidance of an experienced attorney. We have years of practice and an impressive track record representing people who have suffered significant injuries in motor vehicle accidents (commercial and personal). We work with physicians and other health care providers to assess and review all the short and long-term medical aspects of your case. Our detailed understanding of Illinois' automobile, insurance and liability laws means we understand the different sources of recovery available to car accident victims and their families as well as the various theories of liability that enable those victims to collect from the parties who caused them harm.

Premises Liability-Premises liability is a rather broad term which serves as a catchall for many types of events including those involving structural design flaws, unsafe conditions, environmental hazards, improper traffic patterns and a wide range of other issues unrelated to security per se. In many cases, security related premises liability matters involve issues such as physical security standards and generally accepted security practices. In addition to any existing standards, crime statistics, event history, community standards, and specific risk considerations play a part in determining whether an adverse event was foreseeable.

Business and Commercial Law including Litigation and Appeals-We provide a wide variety of services to our business clients from assisting in selecting the type of organizational entity under which to operate, preparation of agreements, sale and purchase of businesses, obtaining financing and funding for business operations, negotiating real estate and software contracts, advising on employee relations policy, and dissolution. We have a great deal of experience representing developers and construction companies as well as many other types of large and small businesses.

Business Organizations-The form of business chosen for a business entity potentially affects every aspect of its operations. Our firm assists our clients in formation and business planning in deciding whether they want to operate as a closely held business, limited liability company, partnership, or corporation. We advise our clients about directors' and officers' liability, dissolution, franchising, reorganization, trade association membership and activity, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, business successions, shareholder's agreements, and shareholders' rights.

Corporate Law-As attorneys and advisors, we help our business clients to deal with the various legal implications of their corporate activities. We represent clients in a wide array of traditional and creative financing and business transactions. Among the transactional matters we handle are banking and lending, corporate finance, franchising, joint ventures and strategic alliances, and mergers and acquisitions. Our clients are in a variety of industries and include publicly- traded companies, local privately-owned businesses, executives, and commercial and savings banks.

Health Care Law-Our attorneys are available to represent a broad spectrum of health care providers and affiliated entities, including hospital systems, freestanding hospitals, physicians and physician organizations, physician practice management companies and consulting companies, joint venture entities, home health agencies, nursing homes, medical equipment manufacturers and suppliers, psychiatric providers, and ambulance service providers. Attorneys who handle Health Care related cases have extensive expertise in representation of health care clients and the unique legal issues that they confront.

Estate Planning-Clients can control the allocation of accumulated assets both before and after death through careful planning for the distribution of property to family members. We deal with the complex network of laws governing gifts, estates and trusts and we use that knowledge to help clients fulfill their short and long-term goals. Available areas of representation include:

• Simple and Complex Will Creation
• Establishment of Revocable, Irrevocable and Charitable Trusts
• Structure of Family Limited Partnerships
• Estate and Probate Administration.

For clients interested in maintaining management and control of their estate, while at the same time avoiding probate, protecting family members, ensuring their financial privacy, and obtaining peace of mind, we offer basic estate plans which include revocable living trusts, pour-over wills, powers of attorney for property management, advance health care directives, children's trusts, and community property agreements.

For clients interested in minimizing the impact of transfer taxes on their estate, we offer simple estate tax savings and asset protection strategies, such as credit shelter trusts and qualified terminal interest property (QTIP) trusts, to more sophisticated transfer tax savings and asset protection strategies, including the use of family limited partnerships, family limited liability companies, buy-sell agreements, qualified personal residence trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, dynasty trusts, and grantor retained income trusts, among others.

Probate & Estate Administration-We handle all aspects of Probate and Estate Administration for estates. Probate is the legal process by which a person's will is allowed by the Probate Court. The provisions of the will dictate how the individual's debts are paid and assets are distributed upon death. Estate Administration includes the probate process as well as non-probate transfers of the deceased's assets, such as life insurance, annuities, qualified plans, and trust assets and compliance with applicable estate tax requirements. We assist the personal representative of the estate in the gathering, valuation, accounting and distribution of the decedent's assets. We prepare federal and state estate tax returns as well as the appropriate documents in order to release liens on a decedent's real estate. It is our responsibility to assure that all steps are properly taken in order to carry out the decedent's intent in accordance with the law.

Real Estate Transactions-Our firm performs real estate transactional work for a number of mortgage lenders, title companies, builders, real estate brokers, and private individuals throughout Illinois. We assist with the purchase and sale of real estate, including negotiating and drafting purchase agreements and other documents, ensuring good title, and closings. Our experienced attorneys also assist our clients with the legal aspects of financing, re-financing, and foreclosures.

Immigration & Naturalization Law-We represent clients before the Immigration and Naturalization Service and provide guidance in matters relating to immigration and naturalization, visas, citizenship, asylum, employment, and deportation. We have extensive experience in interpretation and compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act and the Immigration and Naturalization Act.

Criminal Defense-We have extensive experience defending the rights of people arrested and accused of criminal offenses at every stage of the case starting with the arrest. From the time we are retained as your legal representative, we begin preparing for trial. Our firm has years of experience dealing with arraignments, discovery, and preliminary hearings. We keep abreast of current legal developments so that we can draft persuasive motions to suppress evidence and other pre-trial motions. We are skilled negotiators who will plea-bargain if it is in your best interest and after we obtain your informed consent. But, we are prepared to go to trial and vigorously defend you when that is in your best interest. We represent clients in the following areas:

Criminal Defense Violent Offenses including assault, battery, burglary, domestic violence, murder, vehicular manslaughter, stalking, manslaughter, kidnapping, robbery, arson, carjacking, and hit and run.

Criminal Defense Sex Offenses including rape, child molestation, indecent exposure, possession of child pornography, sexual battery, rape, lewd conduct, spousal rape, statutory rape, internet sex offenses, and sex offender registration.

Criminal Defense Drug/Controlled Substance Offenses including trafficking, distribution, possession, transportation, possession for sale, marijuana cultivation, and manufacturing.

Criminal Defense Felony and Misdemeanor Traffic Offenses including Drunk Driving (DUI) and Driving Under the Influence of Narcotics.

The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.

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