Illinois Last Will and Testament Lawyers

Attorneys Helping Create Valid and Enforceable Wills for Clients in the Chicago Area

No matter your age, health, or financial situation, it is important to consider your future and make plans for what you want to happen both during the rest of your lifetime and after your death. By creating a comprehensive estate plan, you can ensure that these concerns are addressed properly, giving you peace of mind that your wishes will be followed and your family’s needs will be met. Your will is one of the most important parts of your estate plan, and you will want to work with an attorney to make sure it includes valid, enforceable terms that will help avoid confusion and uncertainty for your family members. Your will is your instruction manual in the probate process.

The lawyers of the Gierach Law Firm have more than 30 years of experience, and as you plan for the future, we can help you understand the options available to you and the best ways you can create an estate plan that meets your needs. In adding to drafting and executing a will, we can advise you on how to make use of other estate planning tools such as trusts or powers of attorney, and we will work with you to determine the best strategies for charitable giving, asset protection, and legacy planning.

Creating Your Will

Your last will and testament specifies your final wishes regarding how you would like certain matters to be handled following your death. Typically, a will is used to make decisions about how you would like your property or assets to be passed to your beneficiaries, which may include family members, friends, charitable organizations, or other parties. Your will can also be used to address how you would like guardianship of your children to be handled if you die before they reach adulthood, ensuring that they will have the care they need from a supportive loved one.

While a will may be sufficient for those who do not own extensive assets, it is often just one part of a comprehensive estate plan. If you own a business or other complex assets, you will likely need to take additional steps to ensure that your wishes will be carried out correctly, including putting assets in a trust or creating a business succession plan. In some cases, you may want to create a pour-over will that will automatically transfer your assets into a trust after your death, ensuring that they can be properly distributed to your beneficiaries according to your instructions.

By taking the time to consider all of your assets and make plans for how they should be handled during your life and after your death, you can avoid uncertainty for yourself and your family. One issue to consider is the probate process, in which the executor of an estate will file a will in court and oversee the process of distributing assets to beneficiaries. This process can be complicated and expensive, and in many cases, it can be simplified by using trusts or other estate planning tools that allow assets to be passed to beneficiaries without the need to go through probate, provided that all of your assets are retitled into the name of your trust. Our attorneys can help you determine the ideal strategy for managing your assets, and we can also help you take steps to minimize potential estate taxes and address other financial issues.

Contact Our Naperville Will Attorneys

Whether you are looking to create or update your will or put together an estate plan that will meet your family’s needs both now and in the future, the Gierach Law Firm, LLC is here to help. We will answer your questions about the estate planning process, explain your options, and make sure you complete all legal requirements when executing documents. To learn more about how we can meet your estate planning needs, contact us and set up a consultation at our office in Naperville by calling 630-756-1160 or call our Hoffman Estates office at 847-519-0505.