Estate Planning · DuPage County, Illinois
Wills, trusts, and the planning that keeps your family in control and out of court, from the same DuPage County firm since 1990.
If you’ve been told you need a trust, you probably do — but you should know what kind, what it does, and what it costs. Trusts aren’t only for the wealthy. They’re the right tool whenever you want to avoid Illinois probate, control distributions over time, protect beneficiaries from creditors or themselves, or keep your estate private after death.
We’ve drafted trusts for DuPage County families for over three decades. We translate the legal complexity into plain language, draft documents that actually fit your situation, and — critically — help you fund the trust properly so it works when needed.
Different trusts solve different problems. We help you choose the right one — not the most expensive one.
Most common. You stay in control, can change it anytime, and assets in the trust skip Illinois probate. Best for most families.
More restrictive but powerful: removes assets from your taxable estate, protects from creditors, and qualifies for Medicaid planning.
Provides for a beneficiary with disabilities without disqualifying them from SSI or Medicaid benefits.
Distributes assets over time and protects beneficiaries from creditors, divorcing spouses, and their own poor judgment.
CRT, CLT, and charitable lead trusts — combine charitable giving with significant tax benefits.
Created within your will, takes effect after death. Useful for staged distributions to younger beneficiaries.
We understand your assets, family, and goals — then recommend the right trust structure for your situation.
Clear pricing based on trust complexity. You decide before we draft anything.
We draft the trust and pour-over will, walk you through every provision, and revise as needed.
Critical step most attorneys skip. We help retitle assets so the trust actually owns them.
Assets in a properly funded trust pass to beneficiaries without court involvement, saving time and money.
Probate is public record. Trust distributions stay private — your assets and beneficiaries aren’t published.
If you become incapacitated, your successor trustee takes over instantly — no guardianship court proceedings.
Avoid ancillary probate in every state where you own real estate.
Distribute to children at specific ages, or hold assets for special-needs beneficiaries indefinitely.
Properly structured trusts protect beneficiaries from their creditors and divorce.
From our Villa Park office, we represent clients across DuPage County and the western suburbs of Chicago.
A will goes through Illinois probate and only takes effect after death. A living trust avoids probate, takes effect immediately, and provides for you during incapacity as well as after death. Most families benefit from having both — a ‘pour-over will’ working with the trust as a safety net.
A standard revocable living trust package (trust, pour-over will, POAs, advance directives) is typically a flat fee. Costs depend on complexity — single trust vs joint, basic vs special-needs provisions, business or real estate involvement. We give exact pricing at your free consultation.
No. You serve as trustee while you’re alive and capable, can change or revoke the trust anytime, and use the assets exactly as you do now. Successor trustees only take over upon incapacity or death.
A trust only avoids probate for assets actually titled in the trust’s name. Many people sign trust documents but never retitle their accounts and real estate — those assets still go through probate. We walk you through funding so the trust actually does what it’s supposed to.
Most families use a revocable trust — full control, full flexibility, avoids probate. Irrevocable trusts make sense when you need asset protection from creditors, Medicaid planning, or estate tax reduction. We’ll tell you honestly which one your situation requires.
A standard revocable trust does not by itself avoid estate tax. Estate tax planning requires specific irrevocable trust structures combined with gifting strategies. For estates above the Illinois $4 million threshold, we offer dedicated tax planning.
A free consultation tells you which trust fits your situation — and whether you even need one. No pressure, no obligation.