After shoving Ted Grant down an elevator shaft, crooked district attorney Austin Johnson framed Nancy's father Joe Pollock for the crime, then promptly indicted him for murder. Joe hired Mike to defend him at the trial. Working with Bill, Mike exposed Johnson's crimes, leading to his political downfall. With Joe free, Mike and Nancy finally married in an extravagant ceremony attended by all of their family and friends.

Sam Haven, a henchman in the Scofield Kilborn racket, was released from prison and secretly returned to Monticello. Haven contacted Lyn Warren, sister to the natural mother of Phil and Louise adopted daughter Sara-Louise. Lyn's ambitious husband Emory saw lots of dollar signs when Haven suggested that they blackmail the Grimsleys and Capices over the black market adoption.

Mike agreed to defend school teacher Beth Moon, a young woman accused of bludegeoning the wife of her employer Professor Albert Simms. Mike proved that Professor Simms, involved in an extramarital affair with his secretary, used Beth's umbrella to bludgeon his disabled wife Vera. Beth's life was complicated by the arrival of her ex-husband John Paul Anderson.

Lyn lied that she was the natural mother of Sara-Louise. She and Emory contacted the Capices and threatened to sue for custody of the child unless they received a substantial payoff. Lyn blindly followed the directions of her husband and Sam Haven, unaware that Emory was involved in a steamy affair with his secretary Carol Kramer. Emory's sultry sister Marie tempted Lee, which resulted in the end of his relationship with Betsy Brown. Later, Lee became involved with Beth Anderson.

His his family gone from Monticello, a lonely Bill Marceau turned his attention to his new assistant Martha Spears, a newcomer to Monticello.

Mike, disbelieving Lyn's story, convinced Phil and Louise to petition the court for legal custody of Sara-Louise, but the judge believed Lyn's story and awarded custody to the Warrens. Emory discovered that Lyn's sister was actually Sara-Louise's mother, but didn't confront his wife since he planned to bilk a half million dollars from the Grimsleys and leave the country with Carol Kramer. Sam told Emory about a secret passageway between Mercy Hospital and the adjacent Acme Warehouse. Finding Sam expendable, Emory allowed him to die from a heart attack and then dumped his body in the Monticello River.

Mike and private detective Oakley Reynolds searched for Sam, as Mike was certain that if he re-opened the custody case and could get Haven on the witness stand, he would crack and reveal that Lyn isn't Sara-Louise's mother. Emory purchased plane tickets to fly himself, Carol, Sara-Louise, and Lyn to Mexico, though he planned to leave Lyn behind. To delay the Warrens from leaving Monticello, Winston offered to pay $2500 on a quit claim to property they once owned. Lyn agreed to meet Winston at the Lakeview Inn, a hotel in a small town nearby. As Lyn prepared for the trip, Emory took amphe