Estate Planning and Probate
Wills
As part of our estate planning practice, our office routinely prepares Simple Wills for our clients. The simple will names an executor or the estate, a guardian for minor children, and designates the testator’s desire as to the distribution of assets. When a review of a client’s financial plan determines that a living trust is recommended, we will prepare Pour-Over Wills that designate the client’s living trust as beneficiary of the estate.
Trusts
It is often recommended that a client have a Revocable Living Trust to avoid both estate tax and the probate of assets. Our office prepares Revocable Living Trusts and counsels our clients as to how to fund the trusts upon their creation.
Probate of decedent’s estates
When a client or relative passes away, we are available to counsel the family as to the ownership of the decedent’s assets, the manner in which to transfer those assets to the beneficiaries and how and when to pay the decedent’s final bills. Dependent on many factors, a probate estate may need to be opened. We have probated estates in Cook County, Lake County, and DuPage County and we are here to help you in your time of grief.