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.
This is a specialized area of estate planning. Illinois has its own estate tax above $4 million — and federal estate tax kicks in above $13.99 million per person in 2026. With proper planning, families with taxable estates can save hundreds of thousands of dollars without sacrificing control.
At Chris J. Aiello, P.C., we’ve handled these matters for DuPage County clients for over three decades. We translate the complexity into plain language, recommend strategies that actually fit your situation, and integrate this planning with the rest of your estate documents.
Every situation is different. We design the right combination for yours.
Common minimization strategies: ILITs, GRATs, dynasty trusts
We know the Illinois rules in this niche — not just generic estate planning principles.
Specialized strategies must coordinate with your wills, trusts, and POAs. We design them together.
We model the actual tax and benefit impact of strategies before you commit.
Tax law and rules change. We update strategies as needed over time.
Specialized work but predictable pricing — quoted at consultation, not hourly billed.
Chris or John handles this work personally. No handoffs to paralegals.
From our Villa Park office, we represent clients across DuPage County and the western suburbs of Chicago.
Illinois imposes its own estate tax on estates exceeding $4 million — significantly lower than the federal threshold. This catches many families with appreciated real estate, business interests, or retirement accounts who don’t think of themselves as ‘wealthy.’
Depends on estate size and strategies. For estates in the $5-15M range, well-designed planning can save several hundred thousand to several million in combined Illinois and federal taxes. We provide specific projections at your consultation.
Some advanced strategies (irrevocable trusts) do require relinquishing control. Others (annual gifting, basis adjustments, business entity structures) preserve more flexibility. We design the plan around your priorities.
State estate tax depends on residency at death, not where you executed documents. If you maintain Illinois residency, Illinois estate tax applies. We address this for clients with multi-state lives.
Tax law changes frequently — both federal and Illinois. Significant federal reform is expected by the end of 2025. We recommend formal review every 2-3 years and immediately after any major tax legislation.
A free consultation tells you whether this strategy fits your situation — and what the realistic impact would be.