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Schedule a Consultation 309-673-0069
309-673-0069
Schedule a Consultation 309-673-0069

We Haven’t Left Our Roots. We Just Grew New Branches. 

As natives, this law firm has been connected to the Peoria community for many decades. When we go to the coffee shop or grocery store, we see our clients out there, living their lives. Our firm understands its position in the community. That is something we take incredibly seriously. When we agree to represent a client, we understand how our guidance will impact their life as well as our community.

Over many decades, we have gotten to know a fair amount of Peorians. We have often guided the same families as they encounter different crises over those years. That is the best compliment our law firm can get: repeat trust in our ability to walk with a client through a difficult time. Multiple generations of clients call and find that the continuity is also true of their lawyers. 

Always small, this law firm has believed that size is the enemy of excellence, as Warren Buffett says. You also don’t need 12 lawyers to win a case – you just need one smart one with a good track record. Always small and focused as true trial lawyers, the firm continues today with the same nimbleness and personal touch. 

Highly-Ranked, Highly-Regarded 

We’re proud that our attorneys have continuously ranked in the top 5% of Illinois Attorneys. Parker & Parker has set records for nursing home cases in three Illinois counties. Recently Drew was ranked #2 among all downstate attorneys specifically for handling divorces, while Robert was ranked #9 among all under-40 attorneys generally.

Both Robert and Theresa are proud to be included among the 470 Fellows of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys throughout the United States and the world. Each attorney has contributed in different years to practice guides that teach other attorneys how to do adoptions, known as Illinois Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) guides.

Recently, both Drew Parker and Robert Parker are ranked in the Top 10 among all downstate attorneys. They were ranked by their peers, other attorneys, as well as judges. And our 4.9 Google Rating shows that our clients share in this confidence.

The Story of Us 

Many firms will claim that what they do is personal. At Parker & Parker, the areas of law that we specialize in are directly selected due to personal experience. 

Our firm is a family business. Drew and Theresa were married once. They divorced, and their son, Robert, also became a lawyer. Robert was fortunate to grow up in a post-divorce environment that was kept extremely friendly and cooperative between Drew and Theresa. Everyone gained an intimate appreciation for the fragile responsibility that every divorce brings. When we walk a couple through the divorce process, particularly those with children, we understand that this is not merely a legal proceeding for you–this is a major life event. 

Building up to her retirement in approximately 2012, Theresa merged her law practice into Parker & Parker, which Robert took over following years of her mentoring. In 2014, one of Drew’s neighbors had a parent who suffered extreme neglect in a nursing home. The parent actually died as a result of the neglect. Around this same time, Drew’s parent and Robert’s grandparent struggled to locate a safe, quality nursing home in Central Illinois. The law firm quickly realized both an interest in and a need for nursing home injury litigation in the area.

Ultimately, these are just areas of law we have chosen because of our personal experiences in our lives, while the recognition is a measure, hopefully, of the difference we make in people’s lives. Good work is reflected by its impact.

Our Attorneys

For information about each lawyer’s unique background and qualifications in personal injury and family law, follow these links:

  • Drew Parker: In 1996, and again each year thereafter, Drew has been selected as one of Illinois’ top legal counsel by the publication “Leading Illinois Attorneys.” It identifies the leading attorneys in the state. He has served on several law committees for both Peoria County Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association and chaired the State Judicial Polling Committee.
  • Robert R. Parker: Rob is an adoption expert. He has been named a Fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, which now numbers only 470 in total around the world. Rob has also helped author the legal guide for other attorneys in the area of adoption, called Illinois Continuing Legal Education (ICLE).
  • Theresa Hardesty: Theresa practiced law since 1977. From 1986 on, her practice was squarely focused on adoption. Theresa authored the chapter on Open Adoption for the 2002 IICLE Practice Handbook on Illinois Adoption Law. Her son, Robert, has expanded her adoption practice to its current iteration. She practiced for over 35 years.

A Legacy That Hasn’t Changed

As natives, the law firm has been connected to the Peoria community for many decades, guiding often the same families as they encounter different crises over those years. Multiple generations of clients call and find that the continuity is also true of their lawyers. Always small, the law firm has believed that size is the enemy of excellence, as Warren Buffett says. You also don’t need 12 lawyers to win a case – you just need one smart one with a good track record. Always small and focused as true trial lawyers, the firm continues today with the same nimbleness and personal touch. 

Parker & Parker emphasizes nursing home injuries and routinely handles personal injury and wrongful death. The firm has been selectively narrowing its divorce work to a handful at a time of the largest and most complex cases, while Robert also expands the adoption practice first begun by his mother, Theresa Hardesty. Both Robert and Theresa are proud to be included among the 470 Fellows of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys throughout the United States and world. Each attorney has contributed in different years to practice guides that teach other attorneys how to do adoptions, known as Illinois Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) guides.

The law firm is known as the place to contact for complicated adoption situations between I-72 and Chicago. Parker & Parker has set records for nursing home cases in three Illinois counties. Recently Drew was ranked #2 among all downstate attorneys specifically for handling divorces, while Robert was ranked #9 among all under-40 attorneys generally.

Ultimately, these are just areas of law we have chosen because of our personal experiences in our lives, while the recognition is a measure, hopefully, of the difference we make in people’s lives. Good work is reflected by its impact.

We Hear You

Ultimately our office door is open to hear your story. We hope we can turn a complicated situation into clear, practical advice. Most of all, when you first come, and for every step of the way, our goal is that you feel reassured that you’re understood and headed in the right direction. Making our clients feel at ease is just as important to us as preparing compelling final arguments for the courtroom.

How We Will Serve You 

We don’t do it all, but what we do, we do very well. You will see that we have assisted clients in many types of matters. At our heart, Parker & Parker is a firm of personal injury and family lawyers. We help families and individuals get through challenging parts of their lives so they can walk out the other side.

We are a go-to resource for adoptions, particularly those with challenging facts. Our firm emphasizes nursing home injuries and routinely handles personal injury and wrongful death cases. The firm has been selectively narrowing its divorce work to a handful at a time of the largest and most complex cases. 

We have served a multitude of clients in a variety of cases over the decades. Here is just a sampling of the types of matters we represent clients on, as well as some of the associated issues:

  • Divorce
    • High-Net Worth
    • Custody/Childcare Arrangements
    • Asset Valuation
    • Property Division
    • Post Divorce Modification 
  •  Adoption
    • Interstate Adoption
    • Contested Adoption
    • Agency Adoption
    • Private Adoption
    • International Adoption
    • Foster Care Adoption
    • Second Parent Adoption 
  • Medical Malpractice
    • Birth Injuries
    • Wrong Diagnosis
    • Improper Treatment
    • Using Defective Equipment
    • Surgical Errors
  • Wrongful Death
    • Vehicle Accidents
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Nursing Home Injury

If your issue is not listed here, we still may be able to assist you. Please get in contact with us so we can review the facts of your particular case. Your confidence is assured.

Let’s Talk

Learn more about car and truck accidents, nursing home injuries, divorce, and adoption: call 309-673-0069, send an email to schedule a consultation, or use our online schedule link through this website to book an appointment online. 

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