Estate Planning · Downers Grove, Illinois
Wills, trusts, and the planning that keeps your family in control and out of court, from the same DuPage County firm since 1990.
Downers Grove is one of the larger and more established communities in DuPage County, home to families at every stage — from young parents in their first house to retirees who have been here for decades. Estate planning meets all of them where they are: it makes sure your children are cared for, your wishes are honored, and your home and savings reach your family without unnecessary court involvement. We help Downers Grove residents build plans that fit their actual lives, not a generic template.
Downers Grove sits in DuPage County, so without planning, an estate here is administered through probate at the DuPage County Judicial Center in Wheaton. You work directly with the attorney building your estate plan, and we coordinate the will, trust, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations so the whole plan works together. We take time to explain your options clearly, so you can make decisions you understand and feel good about.
Full estate planning practice, every service handled by one experienced team.
Decades of estate planning work for Downers Grove families, from the neighborhoods near Main Street to households planning around care at Good Samaritan.
Thirty plus years in the DuPage County courts in Wheaton, plus the recorder, title companies, and assessor offices a Downers Grove estate runs through.
Chris or John handles your file personally. No handoffs to paralegals or junior attorneys.
Flat-fee pricing where possible. Hourly only when scope justifies it. Quoted upfront.
Beyond estate planning, the firm also handles real estate, probate, criminal defense, and civil litigation.
Initial consultation is free. No obligation to engage afterward.
Many Downers Grove families do not fit the simple model that off-the-shelf estate plans assume. Second marriages, children from prior relationships, stepchildren you have raised, an adult child who needs more help than the others — these realities require a plan built with care, because Illinois’s default intestacy rules and generic forms can produce results no one intended, like disinheriting a stepchild or sending assets to an ex-spouse through an outdated beneficiary form. We design plans around your actual family, so your wishes, not a default rule, control.
Life also keeps moving after the documents are signed, and an estate plan that is never revisited can quietly stop reflecting your wishes. A new child or grandchild, a divorce, a death, a move, or a change in assets can all call for an update. We help Downers Grove families keep their plans current — and we make sure the pieces that operate outside the will, like retirement-account and life-insurance beneficiary designations, stay aligned with the rest of the plan rather than quietly overriding it.
From our Villa Park office, we serve Downers Grove residents and businesses across DuPage and Cook County.
Yes, Downers Grove families are a regular part of our estate planning work. The town sits in DuPage County, so the wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and powers of attorney we prepare are built for the DuPage system, with any probate handled through the county court in Wheaton. We have served Downers Grove clients since 1990.
Standard plans (will, trust, POAs, advance directives) are flat-fee. We quote exact pricing at your free consultation based on complexity and family situation.
Depends on your situation. Most families with real estate, minor children, or assets above $200K benefit from trust-based planning. Will-only plans work for simpler situations. We tell you honestly at consultation.
Typical timeline: initial consultation (Day 1), drafts ready in 1-2 weeks, signing ceremony shortly after. Most plans complete within a month.
Most consultations happen by phone or video. Signing requires either in-office or remote notary process. We accommodate however works best.
Downers Grove is in DuPage County, so probate for a Downers Grove resident is administered at the DuPage County Judicial Center in Wheaton. Because that process is public and typically takes the better part of a year, a central goal of estate planning is to keep your family out of it where possible — usually through a funded living trust. When probate is necessary, we represent the family and move it through efficiently.
Blended families are exactly where default rules and generic documents cause the most harm. Without careful planning, Illinois law and outdated beneficiary forms can unintentionally disinherit stepchildren, leave assets to a former spouse, or treat children unequally in ways you never intended. A plan designed around your specific family — often using trusts to balance providing for a current spouse and ultimately for your children — makes sure everyone you want to protect actually is. We build these plans regularly for Downers Grove families.
Whether you’re planning ahead or in the middle of an active matter, the first conversation is free.