Finding an attorney who is a “real person” can be difficult. Many attorneys surround themselves almost exclusively with other attorneys and are accustomed to speaking in ivory tower legalese. You should be able to connect with your attorney on a personal level, and he or she should speak to you in plain language that you can understand. You will be working very closely with this person on issues that are very important to you. It is important that he or she be down-to-earth and someone that you connect with.
The most common complaint that clients have of their attorneys is that the attorney is unreachable, does not communicate with them regularly, or does not promptly return your calls. Your attorney should reach out to you about your case regularly and respond within 24 hours to calls and e-mails. An open line of communication between you and your attorney is essential to building trust.
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Your attorney’s goal should not be to win at all costs. Rather, it should be to achieve a favorable outcome for you as efficiently as possible. It is important that your attorney set realistic expectations at the outset as to the costs you should expect, the concerns that the attorney has about the outcome of your case, and the length of time that you should expect your case to take.
Regardless of the nature of your case, we have an experienced attorney who will focus on your individual needs. Our team of attorneys works closely together, bringing each of their different fields of experience to bear in order to optimize our client care.
Kevin's firm handled setting up my will and trust recently. They took something that seemed intimidating and made it easy to understand. I've also referred a couple clients to Kevin - he's trustworthy, approachable and very fairly priced.
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In search of a "probate attorney near me"? Look no further! We are proud to offer superior representation, communication, and customer service as your local probate law firm. Let our experienced estate planning attorneys be your trusted advocates, guiding you through your estate planning needs with efficiency and knowledge.
Searching for a "probate lawyer near me" or "probate attorneys near me"? Our Illinois probate lawyers' dedication to client service has earned us a reputation for excellence in probate and estate law:
Handling probate cases often requires knowledge from various areas of law including business, real estate, and family law. Our Illinois attorneys, proficient in estate law and probate law, have experience in nearly every area of law. We work together with a team approach to ensure that all aspects of your case are given the thorough attention they need. Whether you're looking for an estate planning lawyer, or an estate lawyer, or need comprehensive probate law services, you will have dedicated and attentive representation for your matter with us.
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The purpose of a consultation is to determine whether our firm is a good fit for your legal needs. Although we often discuss expected results and costs, our attorneys do not give legal advice unless and until you choose to retain us.
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I am personally committed to ensuring that each one of our clients receives the highest level of client service from our team. Our mission is to provide excellent legal work in a cost-effective manner while maintaining open lines of communication between our clients and their attorneys. Many of our clients are going through difficult times in their lives when they reach out to us. They should feel comfortable leaning on the experience and knowledge of our attorneys as their counselors and advocates. We are here to help!
Our Illinois probate attorneys explain when probate is necessary in Illinois in the following blog article.
If an individual passes away while owning any real estate in his or her own name (rather than through a trust) or more than $100,000.00 of non-real estate assets outside of a trust or payable on death account, a probate case will be required in order to grant the executor or administrator of the estate the power to collect the deceased individual's assets and distribute them to creditors and heirs.
If probate is not necessary, a Small Estate Affidavit can be used to administer the estate without the necessity of a court proceeding.
Read more about the probate process from our Illinois probate attorneys.
In this companion article, our Illinois probate attorneys discuss the differences between supervised administration and independent administration of an estate currently in probate. Independent administration is typically quicker and more affordable, while supervised administration may be slower and costlier.
In this article, our Illinois estate administration lawyers explain what happens when minors inherit property in Illinois.
There are many different outcomes to a minor inheriting property in Illinois the result may be drastically different depending on the following situations:
If the decedent dies intestate (meaning without a will or a trust), the probate court will appoint an adult to be the guardian of the minor’s estate. The guardian of the minor’s estate will be responsible for managing the inherited assets until the minor turns 18. In the absence of a will or trust naming someone other than the child’s guardian of the person (the person responsible for raising the child) as the guardian of the estate, the guardian of the person will also be named a guardian of the estate.
If the decedent has a will, but not a trust, the will may name a guardian of the person separate from the guardian of the estate. The will may alternatively name a custodian for the assets under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act. Custodians require less court oversight in managing the assets than guardians of the estate.
If the decedent has a trust, the decedent may name a trustee to manage the assets through a separate trust account without court oversight and according to the instructions of the trust.
Read the full article by our Illinois probate lawyers about minors inheriting property in Illinois.