Real Estate Law · DuPage County, Illinois
Residential and commercial closings handled with care from contract to keys, so the details are covered before you sign.
Clouds on title, old judgments, missing heirs, boundary disputes, a deed that never got recorded right. A title problem can freeze a sale or a refinance overnight, and it almost never fixes itself. We find the defect, trace it to its source, and clear it, whether that takes a few demand letters or a quiet title action in court.
We have cleared title for DuPage County owners, buyers, and lenders for more than thirty years, and we handle it as part of our full real estate practice, from the closing table to the courtroom. The same office that spots the problem can also litigate it, and when a title fight has to be tried, our real estate litigation team takes it there, keeping your sale or refinance moving the whole way.
We address the full range of issues in this area.
Clearing title starts with a careful read of the chain of title and the specific defect, because the fix for an unreleased mortgage is nothing like the fix for a missing heir or a disputed boundary. We pull the recorded documents, identify exactly what is clouding the title, and tell you whether it can be cleared with releases and affidavits or whether it needs a court order.
When it needs a court, we file a quiet title action and prove your ownership in the DuPage or Cook County courts. Most matters resolve without a trial once the record is straight and the right parties are served, and we push for that outcome while keeping your closing or refinance on track. You get a clear read on the timeline and cost before we start, because a title problem on a pending sale is a clock you cannot ignore.
30+ years in DuPage and Cook County courts and recorder offices.
Chris or John handles your file personally.
Real estate, litigation, and estate planning under one roof.
We’ll tell you realistic outcomes, including when settlement is better than litigation.
Flat fees where possible, clear hourly rates where flat doesn’t fit.
Your calls returned, your questions answered.
From our Villa Park office, we represent clients across DuPage County and the western suburbs of Chicago.
Any document, claim, or encumbrance in the chain of title that could affect ownership, old liens that should have been released, judgments against prior owners, gaps in the chain of title, missing heirs, etc. Title companies require these resolved before issuing insurance.
A lawsuit to establish clear title against any claimant or potential claimant. Used when title problems can’t be resolved through curative work, typically because the adverse party can’t be found or refuses to release their interest. Court order vests title in the plaintiff.
Owner’s title insurance covers defects existing at the time of purchase that you didn’t know about. If a defect existed and wasn’t disclosed, claim against your insurer. If you discovered the problem before purchase and waived it, you bought it.
Simple curative (filing a missing release) might take 30-60 days. Quiet title actions take 6-12 months minimum due to court process and required notification periods.
Curative work is typically flat-fee. Quiet title litigation is hourly. We give a realistic projection at consultation after reviewing the title commitment.
Usually not without resolving it first. Most buyers’ lenders require clear, marketable title, and the title company will flag the defect at closing. The good news is that many clouds, like an old paid-off mortgage that was never released, can be cleared quickly once we know they exist. The sooner we start, the less likely it derails your sale.
It depends on the defect and whether anyone contests it, but many uncontested actions resolve in a few months once the right parties are served. We give you a realistic timeline up front and look for faster routes, like negotiated releases, whenever they will hold up.
A free consultation tells you whether you have a viable matter and what the realistic process looks like.