Sometimes, as we go through life, our relationships with others important to us crumble or are shattered.  Sometimes we may have contributed to this circumstance; sometimes the downfall appears entirely another person’s fault.  When the relationship is with someone we are married to, or have a child with, or a business partner, the breakdown of the relationship can involve many complicated issues.  The breakdown can mean loss of financial support, fear and uncertainty about changes to come, withdrawal of emotional support from a life partner, anger and a sense of betrayal, feelings of worthlessness, as well as a host of legal issues.

At such times, it can be important to take legal action to protect valuable legal rights.  But what are the appropriate legal steps to take?  It is important to consult with an attorney as a trusted advisor for important legal assistance, but to use the legal system only as necessary to resolve the legal aspects of the problem.

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Practice Areas

Adoption
Families come in all shapes and sizes. Each family is different, and there is no “ideal” family size or makeup. Sometimes an individual or a couple will want to expand the size of their family through adoption.

Learn More about Adoptions

Elder Law & Estate
The purpose of “estate planning” is to put a plan in place that will increase the long-term security for your family and those important to you.

Learn More about Elder Law and Estates

Probate
Probate is the legal process that determines who should legally receive a deceased person’s property, and what bills that were unpaid at the time of the person’s death must legally be paid.

Learn More about Probate

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About John T. Brady

If you are going to entrust an important legal matter to me, you should know something about me.

Attorney John T. Brady I was born in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1945, the son of a drugstore owner and a grade school teacher. When I was in eighth grade, my parents, my younger brother and I moved to Peoria, Illinois, where I finished grade school and attended high school (Spalding Institute, 1963).

After high school, I went away to college, and returned to Peoria in 1968 to teach grade school and high school students. Here, I met my wife, Mary Ellen, and we had our daughter.

After teaching school for five years, I decided to change careers, and my wife and our young daughter moved to Champaign-Urbana Illinois, where I enrolled in the University of Illinois College of Law.

I graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1977, and returned to Peoria to practice law. Early in my legal career, I served as an Assistant State’s Attorney, Assistant Public Defender, Assistant City Attorney, and Village Attorney. For over 35 years, I have been engaged in the private practice of law in central Illinois.

I am admitted to practice in all Illinois courts, the Federal District Court for the Central District of Illinois, and the United States Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

While I was teaching, I acquired a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling from Bradley University.   In 1990, I participated in a program in Columbus, Ohio, sponsored by the Ohio Bar Association, and designed to train attorneys in the special skills needed to effectively mediate family issues. Later, I received additional mediation training at conferences sponsored by the Academy of Family Mediators in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and by the Mediation Council of Illinois in Bloomington, Champaign, Chicago, Urbana, and Lake Forest, Illinois.  I was an instructor in the “Family Mediation” training program sponsored by Bradley University, and used to train mediators for certification by the Circuit Court of the Tenth Judicial Circuit of Illinois. Additionally, I served on the faculty of the Tenth Judicial Circuit training for Guardians ad Litem under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 900.

In addition to teaching these mediation and Guardian ad Litem courses, I have served on various Bar Association committees, lectured at several legal seminars, and served on the boards of various community organizations (Peoria Downtown Kiwanis, Tri-County WomenStrength [now the Center for the Prevention of Abuse], the Friends of the Children of Haiti, and the West Peoria Fire Protection District Board of Trustees.  I was one of the founders of Heart of Illinois Big Brothers / Big Sisters.

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Legal Updates

THE 2017 “TAX REFORM ACT”, AND SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ITS IMPACT ON ESTATE PLANNING IN ILLINOIS

THE 2017 “TAX REFORM ACT”, AND SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ITS IMPACT ON ESTATE PLANNING IN ILLINOIS INTRODUCTION: Attorneys always recommend to their clients that wills and other estate planning documents need to be reviewed whenever there are changes in life circumstances (like a birth or a death, or job change, such as retirement),… Read More →

Why the sun?

Is the sun rising, or is it setting? Either way, the image represents both an end and a beginning. The sun sets on one stage, and brings new light to another. Nothing in life stays completely static and unchanging. Hopefully as you visit this site, you’ll find thoughts and ideas that will help you along your journey as you… Read More →

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Contact Us

JOHN T. BRADY
Chase Bank Building
411 Hamilton Boulevard, Suite 1928
Peoria, Illinois 61602
309-676-0415