Kane County Elder Law Lawyers

Brian J. Banahan has been practicing law in DuPage, Kane and Cook County Illinois for over 20 years. He began his legal career and learned his way around the courtroom in 1997 as a full time 711 prosecutor with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. From there, Mr. Banahan moved to serve as chief legal counsel and Deputy Public Administrator for DuPage County for 17 years. In that job, Mr. Banahan managed, administered, litigated, settled, and closed hundreds of decedent’s estates and an extensive number of related legal matters in nearly every area of the law. In the process, he...

Anthony R. Scifo is a duly licensed attorney in the State of Illinois, admitted in November 2007. He is experienced in the practice of civil litigation, particularly family law litigation and probate litigation. Anthony is an experienced and Court approved Guardian ad Litem for the Family Law Divisions of Kane County, DuPage County, Kendall County, and DeKalb County. Further, he is a Court approved Guardian ad Litem for the Adoption Division and the Probate Division in Kane County, Illinois. Anthony is also an experienced and Court-Approved Family Law Mediator in DuPage County, DeKalb County, and Kendall County. In November...

Denice A. Gierach is a business and estate planning lawyer with more than 30 years of experience representing business owners in the formation, franchising, and dissolution of businesses; contract negotiation and reviews; business litigation; partnership disputes, succession planning; commercial real estate; and aiding individuals in matters of advanced estate planning, and charitable giving. She also leads her firm’s YourOGC program providing Outsourced General Counsel services to small and medium size businesses to assist them in preventing legal issues, providing proper planning for reaching goals, and insight into issues preventing them from further success. As a Certified Public Accountant with a master's degree...

Admitted to practice law in 1982, Maureen Sullivan Taylor graduated with a J.D. from Northern Illinois University Law School. In addition to interning at the United States' Attorneys' Office, Maureen was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Matrimonial Law and also served on the Law Review. Founder of the firm, Maureen is a trained and experienced mediator, and is both a Fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois and a member of the International Association of Collaborative Professionals. Maureen is admitted to the United States Supreme Court and the Northern District of Illinois Federal Court and...

Admitted to practice law in 1995, Juli A. Gumina graduated with a J.D. from Illinois Institute of Technology-Kent College of Law, where she was on the Dean's List and a member of the Bar & Gavel Society. Juli received her B.A. from Loyola University in Chicago, where she graduate cum laude and was a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, the national Jesuit honor society. Juli honed her litigation skills for several years as a public defender in DuPage County, prior to joining the firm to focus on family law. Juli is a trained and experienced mediator, and is frequently appointed...

Michael A. Otte concentrates his practice on estate planning, trust administration, and contested and litigated estates and trusts. Additionally, Michael's particular area of focus is in elder law matters, including Medicaid planning, Medicaid appeals, guardianship, contested guardianships, nursing home contract review, general elder law matters requiring litigation or other court involvement, and other issues affecting the legal needs of older people. Michael has given dozens of both public and private seminars on his areas of experience in order to educate the public and fellow attorneys on important estate planning and elder law concepts. Michael is a member of the Chicago...

I feel that my expertise in each of these areas compliment the other. For example, complex divorces often involve real estate or business holdings, with the accompanying valuation and ownership issues. Sometimes, a trust for the benefit of children is appropriate. In doing estate planning, there is often the need to plan appropriately for the second marriage situation. Real estate clients also often need to appropriately plan their estates, and to take title to their home in a manner that is consistent with their ultimate estate desires. I was admitted to practice in the courts...

James is the principal attorney at the Law Office of James C. Siebert & Associates, P.C. / Elder Law & Estate Planning Attorneys, P.C. The Office provides legal services throughout the Chicago area concentrating in Elder Law, Medicaid Planning, Asset Preservation, Medicaid Application Representation, Child Caretaker Agreements, Appeals of Medicaid Denials or unfavorable decisions, Nursing Home Contract Review, Nursing Home Injuries and Abuse, Estate Planning, Revocable Trusts, Irrevocable Trusts, Alzheimer’s & Dementia Planning, Parkinson’s Planning, Addicted Beneficiary Planning, Special Needs Trusts, Special Needs Planning, Probate Administration, Trust Administration, Guardianship and Real Estate. James C. Siebert is one...

John Pankau graduated from Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, and Chicago Kent College of Law with High Honors. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois and owns The Law Office of John Pankau, P.C. in Itasca, Illinois. Prior to and while attending law school, John and his wife Carole owned and operated a family business in Bloomingdale. John is an active member of his community, presenting educational seminars at local libraries and banks. Today, his practice concentrates in the areas of real estate, estate planning and administration, probate, and local government law.

Mildred ("Millie") V. Palmer graduated Cum Laude from University of Flordia's College of Law in 1990 with a concentration in taxation and estate planning. After graduation she went to work for Ernst and Young as a tax attorney in the Special Services Group while taking LLM classes at Chicago Kent. In 1992 she moved from Ernst and Young to Gardner Carton and Douglas where she practiced tax law. As a tax attorney attached to a large firm, Millie saw a wide variety of work in the area of taxation, charitable giving, corporate work and estate planning. During this time, she...

Nick Kulagin is a dedicated family law and estate planning attorney who has represented residents of DuPage County and Kane County for 15 years. Based in Wheaton, Mr. Kulagin works diligently to protect his clients’ families, homes, and businesses. He believes that successful advocacy begins with investigating each person’s particular needs. With a strong reputation in the legal community, he is committed to helping his clients understand their legal rights and options so that they can make fully informed decisions.

Mr. Kulagin attended De Paul University for his undergraduate studies, graduating with a Political Science degree. He went on to earn...

Edward D. Siebert was licensed in the State of Illinois in 2007 and the Northern District of Illinois in 2008. He has experience in estate planning, real estate, litigation, appeals, corporate matters, family law, and personal injury. Edward's practice counties include Cook, Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage, and Boone Counties in Illinois.

have been a licensed attorney and practicing attorney since 1995. Although I have practiced in Kane, DuPage and Cook counties, I currently limit my practice to McHenry County. I focus on issues affecting families and represent spouses, parents, children and disabled adults in divorce, post decree, paternity, adoption, juvenile, probate and guardianship matters. I am a trained Guardian ad Litem and Child’s Representative and appointed by the court in divorce or probate matters. I am also a trained Collaborative Attorney and mediator. Although I no longer accept court appointments for mediation, I use these skills in my roles as negotiator,...

Lisa Knauf is an attorney that combines her legal expertise with real world experience. She had a successful sales career before going back to school to attend Northern Illinois Univ. College of Law for her law degree, She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and is the owner of Knauf Law Office PC in Addison Illinois, which merged with Pankau Law in January 2020. The Knauf Law practice concentrates in the areas of estate planning, including wills, living trusts, and powers of attorney, probate administration, real estate and elder law. Lisa is an active member of her community, having served...

For 20 years, I have represented clients in contested divorce and custody matters in McHenry County. I am also a court appointed guardian ad litem and mediator in family law cases. I also provide representation for clients needing estate planning and Medicaid planning.

Occurrences with family and friends have cultivated Gabe’s deep-seated devotion to helping the injured. The son of a doctor and occupational therapist, Gabe received his parents’ work ethic, moral compass, and sense of duty towards the sick and injured. He began putting those traits to good use at UW-Madison. After graduating from college in 2014, Gabe landed a job as the Director of Business Development at Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates. He didn’t yet realize his capacity for law, but during this role Gabe witnessed the vast effect that a personal injury attorney can have on injured clients. Gabe continued to work full...

Kreisman Law Offices is a Chicago-based personal injury firm that successfully uses a client-based approach to seek justice for victims nationwide. Robert Kreisman is an AV-rated attorney, the highest rating by Martindale-Hubbel with over 45 years of experience litigating a variety of catastrophic injury cases, including those involving medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and abuse, car and truck accidents, wrongful death, products liability, and commercial litigation. He works with some of the leading experts in the nation and employs the newest technology to seek the most favorable results possible for his clients. Most cases are taken on a contingency fee...

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.

After graduation from Chicago-Kent School of Law in 1995, Tor Hoerman began working at the defense firm Bullaro, Carton & Stone until he got a call from a plaintiffs firm, Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz that they may have an opening for a young associate. Tor jumped at the opportunity and learned about his passion to help injured people against those that he had previously represented.

In his years at K,J&S, Tor learned how to work the Courtroom at the Daley Center, spending most of his days either trying cases or running from floor to floor arguing motions on behalf of his...

Kerry Peck is the past president of the Chicago Bar Association (CBA) and founder of the Elder Law Committee of the CBA. He is also the managing partner of the Chicago law firm, Peck Ritchey, LLC, whose clients include families, hospitals, banks, the State of Illinois, County of Cook, and City of Chicago. He provides legal representation for trust and guardianship litigation, business planning, and estate planning.

Mr. Peck is well experienced in guiding his clients through the probate process, assisting in the transfer of assets and resolution of claims, and implementing estate plans. He is also very dedicated in...

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...

Since 1996, Illinois elder law attorney Carol A. Nolan, has been providing valuable legal advice for seniors and their families. As a skilled Wheaton estate attorney, Ms. Nolan is devoted to the rights and legal options of elderly and disabled people in DuPage County and Chicago's western suburbs. Her Lisle law office handles a wide range of financial, health care, and estate planning matters, including Medicaid applications and planning, disability planning, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), guardianships, wills, trusts, and probate administration.

Carol A. Nolan has been a frequent speaker on Elder Law, Medicaid issues, estate planning, probate and trust administration,...

I work with senior citizens, their families, and small business owners to get their affairs organized, safeguard their estates, and prepare succession plans. In matters of probate or trust administration, I work with personal representatives to properly manage the administration of the estate and advise them of their legal duties along the way. My experience in these practice areas has been exclusive since I have been private practice. In 2010, I expanded my practice territory to include Lake County, Indiana by obtaining an Indiana law license.

Attorney Robert A. Clifford founded his Chicago law firm, Clifford Law Offices, in 1995 with the goal of protecting the rights of innocent victims living throughout Illinois and across the country. At the time of the firm's founding, Mr. Clifford had already built a reputation as one of the country's most respected personal injury lawyers, and his reputation for excellence has only grown over the past 20-plus years.

Mr. Clifford began his legal career in 1976 after earning his law degree from DePaul University College of Law and receiving his approval to practice law in the state of Illinois. In...

Offices in Chicago and Orland Park serving public, closely held for profit and not-for-profit entities, entrepreneurs and professionals in the health care, education, sports, construction and entertainment industries and their families with legacy preservation, estate planning, real estate, health care, business, trust administration, complex civil litigation, serious injury, adoption, agency, elder law, guardianship, professional responsibility and white collar criminal matters.

Joseph Curcio was raised in Chicago in the old Italian neighborhood along Grand and Damen Avenues on Chicago’s West Side. The son of a shoemaker, Mr. Curcio learned very early the importance of hard work and paid his own way through college at DePaul University and law school at John Marshall working various night jobs, including repossessing cars. Upon his graduation from law school in 1956, Joe had a very brief stint as a claims adjuster for an insurance company before striking out on his own as a solo practitioner. From the beginning of his career, he had a passion and...

Adriana C Cross is an experienced Bankruptcy attorney, and owner of A Cross Law Firm PLLC, a full-service law firm located at 111 W. Jackson, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60604. She works personally on any and every case that comes into the firm. Adriana became licensed in the Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy court in 2019, and worked for the Semrad law firm, also known as debt stoppers as a bankruptcy associate with until February of 2020. Adriana at that time chose to work for the family law firm of John Buchmiller and Associates, until April of 2020. Adriana opened A Cross...

At the Wheaton, Illinois Law Firm of Cynthia Hayes Hutchins, we have spent the last 10 years helping people throughout DuPage County and beyond plan not just for their own future, but for what happens afterward. Contact us today, we can help if you or a loved one has any estate planning or elder law needs. You can feel welcome with our firm. We will listen to your needs and will carefully study the options to meet those needs. We will also treat you the way we would expect to be treated: with the respect you deserve. At the Law Office of...

Michael L. Shanahan handles all types of medical malpractice, nursing home, products liability, personal injury and wrongful death cases. Michael worked for a general liability and workers’ compensation firm in Chicago. Michael graduated from the DePaul University College of Law in May 2013 and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in November 2013. As a law student, Michael received the CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in Trial Advocacy and Legal Drafting and was a Dean’s Merit Scholarship Recipient. He also clerked for a litigation firm in Chicago where he assisted attorneys in a variety of areas including construction,...

For over 28 years, Margaret Szymansky has provided experienced representation to clients through Probate and Trust Administration proceedings. She assists clients in the effective resolution of existing claims and the transfer of assets. Margaret guides executors, trustees, and personal representatives of the estate and assists them in the successful closure of the estate. She further concentrates her practice in the area of Estate Planning, such as Wills and Trusts, including Special Needs Planning for disabled individuals and guardianship proceedings, Elder Law with a focus on Medicaid issues, and Real Estate law. For her dedication, leadership, and excellence in legal service,...

Tracy Robb joined Curcio Law Offices in 2001 and was named managing partner in 2016. She concentrates her practice predominantly on appellate law. Tracy has also established herself as a strategist for brainstorming with the trial team at the firm. She provides support at the trial court level with her research and writing skills which has served as the foundation for victory on many dispositive motions including motions in limine successfully barring defendants’ key evidence and experts from the trial. Ms. Robb has successfully defended the firm’s verdicts appealed by the defense firms and insurance companies both at the appellate...

Attorney Kezy is a compassionate attorney who understands the emotions involved in divorce and family law matters. Mark L. Kezy, who is no stranger to the courtroom focuses on providing straight forward, common senses solutions as an alternative to expensive, protracted litigation, while promising aggressive, uncompromising representation in Court when compromise is no longer an option.

Laura A. Canulli was named an attorney at Curcio Law Offices in 2018. She previously worked at a personal injury firm where she focused on representing injured bicyclists. Laura focuses on motor vehicle collisions, premises liability (including trip and falls and slip and falls), coffee burns, dental malpractice, nursing home (including bed sores), and sexual abuse cases. Laura is a well-recognized attorney in the legal community. Her work has earned her accolades from Super Lawyers, Leading Lawyers, The Daily Herald, and The National Trial Lawyers. Ms. Canulli received her law degree from The John Marshall Law School where she earned a prestigious...

Dean Hedeker is a leading Chicago-area authority on estate and tax planning, business law and investments. A long-time resident of north suburban Lincolnshire, Dean has more than 25-years experience helping business owners and families grow, protect and pass on their hard-earned money through tax planning, estate planning and investment management services. Dean is among a rare breed of professionals because he possesses wide-ranging experience and certifications in the fields of law, estate, tax and financial planning and accounting. Over the past 10 years alone, Dean has created more than 2,000 estate plans and every year he handles more than 300 complex...

Attorney Peter Sullivan is a quiet fighter. He grew up on some pretty mean streets but, since being accepted into private high school in Jersey City, he has had a passion for intellectual pursuits, including languages, arts, world history and the law. He joined the business of the law as a proofreader for some of the best antitrust lawyers in America. Based on his insatiable engagement with content, he graduated to paralegal (without the need for paralegal training) and wound up managing their antitrust litigation office. Needing to be convinced that lawyers can actually do good, before attending law school...

Elizabeth Fink focuses her career on the practice of Elder Law, Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Administration, Guardianships, and Medicaid Planning. She has been practicing law in Chicago, IL since 2009 and has represented clients throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. Elizabeth received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Denison University and spent a semester of study at Justus-Liebig-Universität in Giessen, Germany. She received her Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, IL and was admitted to the Illinois State Bar in May 2009. Elizabeth is a member of the National Academy of...