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Currently, Graham|Benson, P.C. (“Graham|Benson”) consists of 4 law offices strategically located in Southern Illinois to closely help those seeking protection from creditors via bankruptcy laws—Fairview Heights, Edwardsville, Mt. Vernon and Carbondale. Our firm focuses solely on assisting individuals (single or married) in filing bankruptcy to eliminate or modify their existing debts to make life and its financial hardships more manageable…a second chance! We also assist small business owners. In representing our clients, we have adopted the simple, yet comprehensive, Golden Rule to our firm mission and goal: Represent and care for our clients, the way we wish to be cared for and represented!
In 1992, Mr. Graham started his own law firm practicing in the areas of bankruptcy, real estate, family and business law. About ten years later he recognized that filing a bankruptcy is not accompanied by the stigma of 10-20 years ago, and that oftentimes bankruptcy alleviates or even eliminates many issues and costly litigation faced when he practiced real estate, family and business law. At this time Mr. Graham decided to focus all of his energy and his entire law practice solely to assisting individuals navigate the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, when appropriate, to receive the relief they deserve faster and less expensive than traditional litigation.
In 2004, Mr. Benson established his own law practice focusing his efforts on divorce law, family mediation and estate planning. Mr. Benson desired to provide legal counseling to the numerous couples suffering from divorce and minimize its impact on their children. Mr. Benson offered mediation as an alternative to so-called divorce wars before Illinois enacted law requiring mediation for those filing for divorce with children.
In 2007, after years of friendship, Mr. Benson began assisting Mr. Graham with his Southern Illinois bankruptcy practice while continuing to offer an alternative to ugly and costly litigation for those filing for divorce, similar to Mr. Graham’s philosophy. While assisting Mr. Graham, Mr. Benson recognized that bankruptcy can not only greatly alleviate the financial stresses on couples filing for divorce and often eliminate costly and protracted divorces, but oftentimes a bankruptcy can alleviate the insurmountable financial burdens that often cause couples to divorce, and therefore hopefully prevent divorce. Mr. Graham and Mr. Benson merged together to form Graham|Benson, P.C. in an effort to provide clients what they both believe in: a no-nonsense, efficient and cost-effective approach to solving a myriad of financial issues that unnecessarily strain individuals, marriages and businesses… a second chance!