Areas of Practice for Jacob J. Frost
Jacob J. Frost has represented clients in the Illinois Valley since 2006 and moved his law office to Spring Valley, Illinois in 2009 to be more accessible to clients within Putnam, Bureau, and LaSalle Counties. The decision to base his legal practice in Spring Valley grew from his desire to serve a community he knew and respected. For this same reason, Jacob J. Frost focuses his legal practice on areas of law that can positively affect the lives of the people in the Illinois Valley.
With a focus on areas of law related to businesses, real estate, banking, and agricultural
property, our office is able to address some of the greatest legal hurdles that prevent individuals in Putnam, Bureau, and LaSalle Counties, Illinois from reaching professional, financial, and personal success. Jacob J. Frost can help you address the legal questions that have held you back, intimidated you, or frustrated your growth.
Below you can find the areas of law where we provide legal representation and assistance.
Practice Areas
Business and Associations Law
At Jacob J. Frost we believe in your business and are excited to support your success and growth. We feel it is important a business and associations lawyer learns and understands the inner workings of your company, and tailors legal advice to the specific needs of a business. Our legal team can assist with the legal issues that interfere with your focus and take time away from your core business. We are committed to building an in-depth and lasting relationship with your company.
Our firm has experience advising clients on a number of legal questions within business and associations law, including:
- Business formation and organization
- Startups and entrepreneurship
- Drafting organizational documents
- Organization of non-profit corporations
- Corporate governance
- Limiting liability and protecting company assets
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Dissolution
- Contract drafting and negotiations, and
- Employment and succession planning.
Construction Law
The number of legal issues involved in construction and development surprises many contractors and developers. Commercial contracts, planning law, environmental requirements, employment law, and property law all affect the when, where, and how of construction. As well, local laws and ordinances require compliance with building codes and zoning.
A lawyer that understands the nature of the legal issues and the local laws in Putnam, Bureau, and LaSalle Counties can be an advantage for any business undertaking construction in the Illinois Valley. Jacob J. Frost and his administrative team are experienced in handling the issues that most frustrate construction and development. We represent owners, general contractors, subcontractors, designers, developers, material suppliers, architects, and engineers in a variety of construction contracts and legal processes.
Our experience extends to:
- Drafting and reviewing contracts
- Negotiating contractual terms
- Scheduling and budgeting
- Following regulatory guidelines
- Compliance with building codes
- Zoning, and
- Advice on onsite risk management.
Commercial & Agricultural Real Estate
The transfer, ownership, and maintenance of commercial real estate involve a large amount of risk and financial commitment. Without past experience with Illinois real estate laws and familiarity with the local government, it is nearly impossible to manage this risk. Jacob J. Frost provides knowledgeable commercial real estate advice throughout the Illinois Valley. This advice is based on handling past transactions in the area, and a willingness to recognize that your real estate transaction will have unique questions and concerns.
Our office focuses on these aspects of commercial real estate:
- Purchase and sale of commercial property
- Due diligence and inspections
- Closing
- Lease of commercial property
- Landlord and tenant disputes
- Improvements on commercial property
- Building code compliance and zoning, and
- Mixed-use development.
Farm property and agricultural real estate involves specific and complex laws. What seems to be a simple sale or lease issue can negatively impact your farming business and cause serious complications. The involvement of an experienced agricultural real estate lawyer can help avoid frustrations and interference on your farm.
As with commercial real estate, Jacob J. Frost has experience with a number of agricultural real estate issues:
- Purchase and sale of farm property
- Farm lease for tenants and landlords
- Auction of agricultural land
- Zoning and easements
- Questions of title and deed
- 1031 property exchanges
- Encroachment and drainage issues
- Mineral and water rights
- Transfer of farm property through estate planning
- Issues with probate and decedents’ estates, and
- Settlement of noise or other nuisance claims.
Credit, Debt & Collections Law
The collection of bad debt can be a frustrating process. Creditors rely on the timely payments of their debtors, and when payment is not received it can cause substantial issues for a business or individual. An Illinois law firm that is focused on creditors rights and the collection of accounts receivable can provide a strategy for successfully collecting unpaid debt. While based in Spring Valley, Illinois, our firm can assist with the collection of bad debt throughout Bureau, La Salle and Putnam Counties in Illinois.
Our firm is not a collection agency, but we vehemently pursue other creditors’ rights, such as bad debt receivables and, if necessary, any related litigation. As part of this practice area, Jacob J. Frost handles debt collection, creditors’ rights, and related consumer and commercial litigation. This work has earned Jacob a reputation as one of the top creditors’ rights lawyers in the Illinois Valley.
Our firm handles credit, debt, and collections law cases that involve:
- Debt collection lawsuits
- Pre-Judgment Collection
- Post-Judgment Enforcement
- Bank Garnishment
- Wage Deduction
- Lien Foreclosure, and
- Other creditors’ rights.
Title Services
Title companies in Illinois provide insurance plans for both commercial and residential properties. The purpose of this insurance coverage, and the risks it covers are often confusing and inadequately explained during the purchasing process. At Jacob J. Frost Attorney and Counselor at Law, we are an agent of Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. (ATGF). Our team provides title and closing services to buyers and sellers of commercial and residential property, and we begin with explaining the purpose of title insurance.
Title is the legal rights to a piece of real property. Title insurance is designed to protect a property owner from financial loss due to specific issues with how the property was transferred in the past, known as title defects. These title defects can include an encumbrance, lien, mistake, fraud, forgery or other issue with holding title ownership to a particular piece of property. If a title defect does exist it can be costly for a property owner.
Jacob J. Frost thoroughly explains the process of obtaining title insurance and, as an agent of ATGF provides reliable insurance coverage. We provide title services to Putnam County, Bureau County, and LaSalle County in the Illinois Valley. As an agent of a title company, our office can handle all services offered by a title company, including review of survey and assistance at closing.
Municipal Law
Within the Illinois Valley, Jacob J. Frost has a reputation as one of the premier municipal law attorneys in the area. His practice has included frequent representation of municipal bodies, municipal administrators, public agencies, educational institutions, and other municipal employees. In this role, he assists these local governments and public servants to best provide for their communities and constituents.
Unlike many other areas of law, municipal law demands a familiarity with the local community. To be effective, a municipal law attorney must know the public officials and local government, but also the wants and needs of the community.
Our legal capabilities in municipal law cover a variety of issues, including:
- Ordinance drafting and negotiation
- Guidance on municipal legislation
- Zoning and land use
- Property taxes and taxation changes
- Municipal finance, including special assessments
- Litigation involving municipal administrators or actions
- Contracts and operating policies
- Intergovernmental contracts and negotiation
- Special Districts (fire, drainage, park and sanitary districts), and
- Labor relations and employment by municipal governments.
Banking Law
The financial services industry is heavily regulated at the federal level. These laws are often complex, detailed, and difficult to read and interpret. Individuals managing financial institutions in Spring Valley, Illinois and the surrounding areas can be overwhelmed trying to understand these laws and ensure their businesses are in compliance. As well, keeping up with regulatory changes can encompass a significant amount of time better spent focused on the business.
As a banking law attorney, Jacob J. Frost has a firm grasp on these complex regulations and extensive prior experience reading, reviewing, and interpreting these laws. His practice includes past experience advising financial institutions on how to navigate these regulations in a way that is safe, satisfactory, and advantageous.
Our banking law experience in central Illinois extends to the following areas:
- Commercial lending
- Debt collection and mortgage foreclosure
- Secured Interests
- Advice on regulatory framework
- Updates on changes to laws and regulations, and
- Consumer lending.
