Peoria Estate Planning Lawyers

Joe is a United States Army Veteran who founded Markell Estate Planning and Elder Law in 2014. Our firm specializes in estate planning, probate (contested and non-contested), and elder guardianships. We work with many business owners, real estate investors, and high-net-worth clients. Our business succession team is an expert in transferring legal ownership of LLCs, C-Corp, and other forms of ownership from generation to generation, seamlessly transitioning family businesses. When Joe is not helping his clients with their legal needs, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.

Mr. White has practiced law for thirty years. He graduated from Indiana University in 1986 and received his law degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1989. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar, and admitted to practice in the Federal Court in the Northern District of Illinois, in 1989. While attending law school, he was a law clerk with the law firm of Carey, Filter, White & Boland. He became an associate of that firm upon graduating, and in 1996 became a partner.

Mr. White served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Summit Homes beginning...

Fred is a fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estate Counsel, an honor bestowed upon very few attorneys. He focuses in the areas of estate and tax planning, trust, estate and probate administration, and business structuring and counseling. Fred enjoys helping people accomplish their personal goals. He has an extensive background assisting clients in the transfer of small businesses and farms during their lifetime or at death while minimizing taxes and expenses. Many of his estate plans are sophisticated and involve using wills, trusts, limited liability companies, family limited partnerships and other closely held entities. He has...

Estate Planning: James has conducted estate planning matters including creation of wills (last will and testament), trusts, special needs trusts, irrevocable creditor protection trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, beneficiary planning and beneficiary designation, corporate succession planning, tax planning, and transfer on death instruments. Litigation: James has litigated matters including probate disputes, elder abuse claims, debt collection issues, contract disputes, and conducted other litigation as required by his clients. James has practiced across Iowa and Illinois.

Dave White is a partner with Kopec, White & Spooner Attorneys at Law (telephone 217-726-7540) and has over 25 years experience helping small business owners, families and individuals in Springfield, Illinois and throughout Sangamon County and Central Illinois. Kopec, White & Spooner is a full-service law firm providing cost-conscious representation and legal solutions for its clients.

Dallas was raised in Charleston, Illinois where he was close to his Alma Mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There he received his Bachelor of Science in Finance in 2007 and his Juris Doctor in 2011. He was admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois in 2011. He was later admitted to the United States District Courts for both the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois. He formerly practiced as a public interest attorney in Rockford, Illinois, and as an insurance defense attorney in Joliet, Illinois. He now specializes in estate planning, trust and estate administration,...

As a former senior tax consultant for a former Big Eight accounting firm, and as a business school graduate, Todd Black is uniquely qualified to advise clients on legal matters pertaining to estate planning and administration and corporate/business planning. A practicing attorney in Champaign-Urbana since 1987, Mr. Black joined Meyer Capel in 1993. Mr. Black received a bachelor of science in finance from the University of Illinois in 1983. He attended the University of Illinois on a full athletic scholarship and served as co-captain of the U of I's varsity tennis team. He was the recipient of numerous undergraduate honors, including...

Ward F. McDonald brings a wealth of experience in real estate, banking and commercial law to the clients of Meyer Capel. His background includes 13 years as CEO of Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., a title insurer with multi-state operations, and 25 years as an attorney in private practice. Over the course of his career, Ward has handled numerous transactions in the $1-100 million range for commercial and residential real estate developments, including sales, acquisitions, refinancing and consolidations. Ward holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Land Economics from the University of Illinois as well as his Juris...

Paul is an experienced civil litigation attorney. With a strong background in the insurance defense field for 30+ years, he is a knowledgeable and experienced trial and defense attorney. As well as being a litigator in trial courts, Paul has also argued cases before the Third District Appellate Court and the Supreme Court of Illinois.
He is currently a member of the LaSalle County, Illinois State Bar Assocation and the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel. Paul served on the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Professional Responsibility from 2006 to 2015; and served as a special assistant Attorney General from...

Brooke A. Didier Starks is an estate planning lawyer concentrating her wills, trusts and probate practice in east-central Illinois. She enjoys counseling a wide variety of clients on all matters related to estate planning and estate administration. Brooke welcomes the opportunity to assist clients who are providing for their children, whether it is counseling them through the decision of whom to appoint as guardian for a minor child, establishing a trust for a special-needs child, or planning for college education. She especially enjoys working with farm families to preserve the family business and pass it on to...

Forrest Heyman joined the firm as a summer associate in 2011 and became an associate attorney following his admission to the Illinois Bar in 2012. His areas of practice include business planning, corporate transactions, real estate, and estate planning and administration. Forrest is a locally-raised attorney with an international perspective. Hailing from Paxton, Illinois, Forrest attended Butler University from 2005 to 2008, where he earned a bachelor of science in economics, with honors. Following a semester in Hong Kong, Forrest was named Sigma Nu National Man of the Year and joined The Boeing Company in Seattle, Washington, where he...

Warren Benning is the owner of Law Office of Warren Benning in Springfield, IL. The focus of my practice is on Elder law and probate planning. Also, I handle consumer bankruptcies. I offer free consultations as to estate planning and Elder law matters.
My passion is to help my clients understand their options as to advance directives and estate planning.

Planning and Estate

John H. Elder brings a special degree of experience to the clients of Meyer Capel. John works with his clients to deal with the tax issues of estate planning, but has always realized that this is only one component of the planning process. It is very important that an attorney work with the family members to learn about the needs and personalities of the various individuals and to develop a plan that meets the family goals and objectives. Some of the greatest qualities of an estate planning attorney are compassion, trust, and communication skills and it is only...

Rebecca concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, tax planning, estate administration, probate, wills, trusts and trust administration. She counsels clients on a variety of estate planning, estate administration and trust administration issues and has significant experience in drafting both basic and complex estate plans that include wills, revocable trusts (or "living trusts"), irrevocable life insurance trusts, living wills, advanced directives, powers of attorney for health care and powers of attorney for property. In addition to preparing basic estate plans and counseling clients regarding a broad array of issues such as the importance of choosing an appropriate guardian for...

With a focus on estate planning and administration, Marjorie A. Harris works closely with individuals and families who are seeking ways to provide financial security for today and protect their assets for the next generation. In addition to advising clients on trust and estates and tax planning matters, Marjorie's practice also includes the establishment and representation of nonprofit and charitable organizations, and charitable gift planning. A magna cum laude graduate of Brown University, Marjorie earned a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in applied mathematics and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa honorary society. She went on to earn...

Melissa has been with Snyder, Park, Nelson & Schwiebert, PC as Of Counsel since June 2010. Her practice focuses on Elder Law & Long-Term Care Planning, Disability Planning and Estate Planning. She received her J.D. from Southern Illinois University College of Law in 1993 after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology at Illinois State University in 1990. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is a Veterans Administration Accredited Attorney. She was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1993 and Iowa in 1994 (currently inactive)....

Mazyar M. Hedayat is the principal of M. Hedayat & Associates, PC, a law firm that has represented Clients for nearly 25 years in the areas of business law and litigation, bankruptcy law and litigation, real property transactions and litigation, construction law and mechanics liens, corporate law, and more. After attending the University of Chicago and University of Michigan, Mr. Hedayat received his MBA from the U.M. Ross School of Business, and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. Mr. Hedayat is a title insurance agent and operated a full-service title company for 6 years....

I am the founding attorney and owner of Qazi Law Offices. I received my Juris Doctorate from DePaul University Law School and my Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University Chicago.

In law school, I became fascinated and horrified by the prevalence of human trafficking. As an intern and associate at the International Human Rights Institute, I handled cases from hundreds of victims of trafficking who lived in Latin America. As horrible as their experiences were, I realized this was my calling: I could help them regain their voices and I was determined to fight for their liberties.

As an...

I have been practicing law for over 35 years. I graduated 3rd in my class from law school, so I had the opportunity to work at one of Chicago's largest law firms on Michigan Avenue, Ross & Hardies, right out of law school. At that time my experience was mostly in the area of personal injury law having clerked during law school for one of the nations top personal injury lawyers, Leonard M. Ring & Associates. In April of 1991 I started my own firm that has continued to prosper under the philosophy of providing, "Quality,...

I am a lifelong Chicagoland resident with a passion for helping families plan their estates so their loved ones are cared for upon their passing. I utilize wills, trusts, powers of attorney for property and healthcare, with the goal of both ensuring that assets pass to your intended loved ones and to make sure that the right people are acting on your behalf if you are unable to make decisions. For families with a recently deceased loved one, I will represent the appointed fiduciaries in administering the estate, be it probate administration or trust administration. I am licensed to practice in...

Masah S. SamForay, has earned national recognition as a force for her clients. Beyond being recognized as a Top 100 Lawyer, Masah SamForay knows the concerns of clients, intimately. She is a divorcee and working mother who understands what it means to fight for her family during a difficult divorce.

Atty. SamForay is a Co-Founder and Past-President of the Black Bar Association of Will County. She is a member of the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. and served on the 2017-2018 Board and as the Co-Chair of the Small and Solo Firm Committee from 2013-2016. She is a...

If you are going through a divorce or family law matter, it can feel like your whole life is hanging in the balance. Not knowing what will happen to you or your family can can be overwhelming. To help clients with divorce and family law matters in their time of need, Stange Law Firm, PC has limited their practice to divorce and family law matters. For your convenience, we have offices in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and Oklahoma in places such as St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, Wichita, Tulsa and beyond. We also respond to all phone...

In my past life as a former prosecutor, I prosecuted literally thousands of traffic cases. I know the ins and outs of the system, where things can go wrong and exactly how harsh traffic penalties can be. After spending years as a prosecutor, I got tired of being on that side of things. I got tired of being the “bad guy” and having to charge people ridiculous fines.

As an attorney, I have worked in the areas of corporate law, criminal defense and divorce, but the majority of my experience is with traffic violations. As a prosecutor in the Pulaski County,...

Ms. Sexauer focuses her practice on probate matters, including: elder law, guardianship, estate planning, wills, trusts, and will contests. She is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. Stephanie speaks Spanish fluently and is regularly selected by Cook County judges to serve as a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem for disabled adults. Stephanie also serves on the Judicial Evaluation Committee of the Chicago Bar Association.

John Lynch became interested in debt relief and bankruptcy before he went to Law School. John was employed at Eastern Airlines in Miami, Florida, which at that time was the second largest airline in the US. Eastern Airlines filed for bankruptcy in 1990 and by 1991 it had closed its doors. John knew so many people that could not find work, had cars repossessed and faced mounting debt. Then, in 1992 Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida and Pan Am airlines also closed its doors. By that time John was a Paralegal and owner of a Title Company. He worked as...

SK Walker Law, LLC in Marion, IL, is a Marine Corps Combat Veteran owned law firm with SIU School of Law Alum, attorney Scott Walker, who focuses his practice to the area of Personal Injury, Probate, Wills, Trust, Estates, Contract, Real Estate, Business and Mass Tort law. I use my military and mechanic background and training to troubleshoot, diagnose, and resolve our issues. I listen and relate to my clients through my real-world experience, which includes 14 years of military service, with combat tours during Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom, and over twenty years of managerial experience in the maintenance, mining, and...

Over 30 years ago, Bill Wilson began his legal career along side his dad, James T. Wilson and practiced with him until his passing in 2008. Bill carries on the legacy of compassionate, expert legal counsel concentrating in the areas of Elder Law, Estate Planning, Business Succession, Medicaid Planning and Estate Planning for Families that have Children with Disabilities.

Bill feels a “profound obligation to provide counsel that ensures the safety of the hard earned assets of families.”

He extends that obligation outside of his practice too. Currently, he serves as President of Aging Care Connections Board, a not-for-profit agency in La...