Areas of Practice
Estate Planning
Putting in writing how you want your assets distributed, who speaks for you if you cannot speak for yourself, and how your family avoids the cost and delay of probate.
Why It Matters
Protect What Matters Most
Estate planning is crucial for ensuring the management and distribution of your assets according to your wishes after your death, and for protecting you while you're living. Without a plan, Illinois law and the probate courts decide who manages your affairs and who inherits your property, often at significant cost and delay to your family.
The cornerstones of any solid estate plan are a Last Will and Testament, Powers of Attorney for both Property and Healthcare, and a Revocable Living Trust. Together, these documents put in writing how you want your assets distributed, who should make financial and healthcare decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated, and provide you with important tax and probate avoidance benefits.
A comprehensive estate plan provides peace of mind and protects your family's future.
Schedule a Free ConsultationThe Cornerstones
Four Documents Every Plan Should Consider
Last Will & Testament
The foundation of your plan. Your will names who inherits your property, appoints a guardian for minor children, and selects the executor who manages your estate. Without one, the court decides these questions for you.
Revocable Living Trust
A trust lets you manage and protect your assets for your own benefit during your lifetime, then passes them directly to your beneficiaries at death, no probate court, no public record, and potential estate tax savings. You stay in control and can change it at any time.
Powers of Attorney
A Power of Attorney for Property authorizes someone you trust to handle your finances and legal affairs; a Power of Attorney for Healthcare names who makes medical decisions for you. Both remain effective if you become incapacitated, so the people you choose, not a court, act for you.
Transfer on Death Instrument (TODI)
An Illinois Transfer on Death Instrument passes your home directly to the beneficiaries you name when you die, bypassing probate entirely. You keep full ownership and control during your lifetime, and you can revoke or change it whenever you wish.
A Complete Plan
Beyond the Cornerstones
Depending on your family and your assets, a thorough estate plan may also include:
Beneficiary Designations
Life insurance, retirement, and payable-on-death accounts pass by designation, so they should be current and aligned with your plan.
HIPAA Release
Authorizes doctors to share your medical information with the people you designate, so they can make informed decisions.
Guardianship Designations
Names the person you trust to care for minor children, or adult dependents, if you no longer can.
Letter of Intent
Practical guidance for your executor and family, funeral wishes, personal messages, and instructions that don't belong in the will.
Asset Inventory
A working list of accounts, real estate, property, and debts that helps your executor locate and manage everything efficiently.
DNR Directives
States your wishes about resuscitation and life-sustaining treatment, guiding your physicians and loved ones.