Arlington Heights Attorney For Probate And Trust Administration – Cook, Dupage, And Lake Counties

Attorney Cary A. Lind represents the interests of clients all over the United States in matters in Cook, Lake, and Dupage Counties, Illinois, providing competent legal representation in a broad spectrum of practice areas, including the ones listed below.

Administration of estates: We guide estate representatives (executors and administrators) through the Probate process, helping them carry out the decedent’s wishes by collecting the assets, paying the bills, and distributing assets in accordance with a will or by intestacy. This process can often seem overwhelming when people are not effectively represented by an attorney. We will lead our clients through the Probate process, explaining the process as necessary.

Administration of trusts: We represent individuals involved in the administration of trusts, overseeing matters and where possible preventing disputes before they arise. Trust administration is similar to Probate administration but without the statutory requirements of the Illinois Probate Act. The trustee must collect the assets, pay the bills, account for all trust assets, and make distribution.

Probate litigation: We help resolve disputes in Probate, including will contests, estate accounting issues, Citation proceedings, and more. Probate litigation often involves protecting our clients interests in the face of undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity, breach of fiduciary duty, and other factors that can influence the validity of a will or trust and the distribution of assets. Similar to divorce cases, estate disputes often involve a fixed “pot” of assets, and the more the parties fight, more of the pot goes to pay attorney fees and less is left for the parties. Most cases are settled, and we try to position our clients for successful settlements. If not, we have the experience and expertise to take cases to trial.

Trust Litigation: When a trustee refuses to act appropriately, we can file a separate suit to compel the trustee to account properly. That suit often includes claims for breach of fiduciary duty.

Wills and trusts: In the area of estate planning, we draft and review a full range of documents, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and living wills. A proper estate plan can give people peace of mind that their loved ones will be protected and their wishes carried out in the event of their passing. Our planning attempts to avoid common areas of dispute, which we often see in our Probate and trust litigation and which may arise after death.

Real estate litigation: We handle a broad spectrum of real estate disputes, including partition, accounting among co-owners, specific performance, constructive trusts, resulting trusts, and more.

Contact Us

We invite you to contact our Arlington Heights, Illinois, law office to discuss your legal needs with a lawyer. Call us at 847-577-0030 or simply contact us online.