Highwood Estate Planning Lawyers

I am a licensed patent attorney with the USPTO. If you have an idea for an invention and want to start a company based on that idea, I can help get your idea off the ground. I help entrepreneurs start a business, register their intellectual property (i.e., patents, trademarks, copyrights), draft/negotiate any commercial contract agreements (e.g., employment, lease, distributor, services, licenses, assignments, website terms/privacy, etc.). I also have experience with marketing/advertising review for products and services (e.g., website review for legal liability). Specifically, I help healthcare companies with FDA and FTC regulatory review of foods, beverages, dietary supplements, cosmetics, drugs, and...

Jonathan Anderson is the owner and founder of Anderson Attorneys, PC. For more than 35 years, Jon Anderson owned Anderson & Associates, P.C. which grew to be a leading law firm with 12 attorneys in four offices who represented clients in divorce, family law, estate planning, probate, bankruptcy, and debtor/creditor relations and other matters. In June 2022, he sold Anderson & Associates, P.C. In 2023, he founded Anderson Attorneys, PC, a smaller, high-quality, specialized, boutique law firm that focuses on financially sophisticated divorce litigation and estate planning, and probate matters. For over 35 years, Jonathan Anderson...

Christine’s focus as an attorney is on helping her clients through the most difficult situations life offers. Whether her clients are facing criminal charges, the end of a marriage, issues related to children, or end of life concerns, Christine’s passion for helping them through these issues is evident through her honesty, patience, and ability to make even the most complex legal issues make sense to her clients. Christine attended the Northern Illinois University College of Law, where she graduated cum laude with Juris Doctorate degree. During her tenure at NIU College of Law, she earned a Certificate in Criminal Practice. She...

Angel M. Traub is a civil litigation attorney & principal owner of A. Traub & Assoc.. She graduated in 98 from NIU with her B.A. & was awarded the Outstanding Woman Student Award & Outstanding Communication Major Award in 98. Angel graduated from The John Marshall Law School with a J.D. In 01 where She was selected as a John Marshall Distinguished Scholar & was a member of the Order of John Marshall, Honorary Scholarship Society. She was admitted to practice in the State of Illinois & the Northern District of Illinois in 2001. Angel is trained & certified...

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.

When faced with the hard times and decisions that come with a family law matter, the most comforting aspect is having an attorney that cares about the situation and how the best way it can be handled. Andrew Rankin always has the best interest of the client in mind, and manages the family law situation with authentic care. Drew is originally from Highland, Illinois. Drew is a Partner at Stange Law Firm, who manages the East Region of the Firm, including all of the Illinois offices and the Arnold, Missouri office of the firm. Drew has been with Stange Law Firm...

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...

Michael Rada is the owner and sole practitioner in the Law Offices of Michael Rada, LLC located in Barrington, Illinois. Michael’s practice serves clients with matters in estate planning, probate, elder law and business law. Michael has served clients ranging from mid-sized companies to individuals.

Knowing that the law is not a “one size fits all” proposition, Michael applies his wealth of experience dealing with people and complex problems in finding the right solution for each individual client. He believes that listening to the client and fully understanding the desired outcome is an essential part of the legal process. In addition,...

Izabela concentrates her practice in estate and trust planning, probate, and estate and trust administration and litigation. Izabela also assists clients in planning for disability and special needs. Izabela also handles guardianship proceedings and serves as a volunteer Guardian Ad Litem for the Cook County Circuit Court. Additionally, Izabela has experience with domestic and international income tax and business planning, and corporate and individual tax controversies. She also advises clients on business succession matters, wealth transfer and preservation, and corporate, partnership and limited liability company transactions, including drafting various business arrangements and agreements. Izabela was named as an Illinois Super...

Robert J. Boszko (“Bob”) is an experienced family law attorney and partner at Suburban Law Group, LLC. Bob concentrates in complex financial divorce and disputes concerning the allocation of parental responsibilities in Cook, DuPage, Kane, and surrounding collar counties. Bob is a zealous advocate and skilled negotiator, he knows when to aggressively litigate and how to reasonably settle contested matters. Bob utilizes compassion and his background in psychology to counsel his client’s through the tumultuous and emotional litigation process.

Within the field of family law, Bob has handled a variety of contested and uncontested cases including pre-decree and...

Christopher J. Maurer is a licensed Illinois attorney with over two decades of litigation experience primarily in the areas of divorce and family law, as well as estate planning. He practices in DuPage County, Cook County, Kane County, and the other collar counties. Chris has focused his practice in the area of family law, including divorce issues (contested and uncontested divorces, complex financial and business divorces), and paternity cases, preparation of prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements, custody disputes, establishing visitation schedules, child support calculation and alimony/maintenance determination, grandparent rights, disputes regarding removing children from Illinois, and enforcing court orders. Chris...

Misty has worked hard to become an attorney, which was her dream. She earned her two undergraduate degrees while being on active duty in the United States Air Force. She graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina Wesleyan College with dual degrees. During her four years in the military, Misty was responsible for producing a weekly flying and aircraft maintenance schedule for a fleet of 24 F-15 fighter jets. Misty also provided support for Operation Noble Eagle in response to the 9/11 attacks.

At the core of Misty’s practice is her love of the law and her desire to help people....

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,...

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...

-Former Assistant State's Attorney in Lake County from 2001 through 2004;
-Associate in private law firm from 2004 through 2014 practicing criminal defense, real estate law/closings and local village prosecutor for two municipalities;
-Partner in former law firm of Nutschnig & Cavanaugh Attorneys at Law P.C. from 2014 through 2019
-Current president and founder of the Law Offices of Jeffery J. Nutschnig LLC
-Almost 20 years legal experience;
-Member of the Lake County BAR Association;
-Illinois State Bar Association member;
-Member/Counselor of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois;
-Honest and truthful legal representation;

Jessica Wollwage-Rymut graduated from Northwestern University in 2007 with a degree in Political Science. After working for a year at a commercial real estate firm, Jessica was offered admission to the Chicago-Kent College of Law Honors Scholar Program. As an Honors Scholar, Jessica and her classmates enjoyed many unique opportunities, including working with Illinoislegalaid.org to create online tutorials for victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault.

During law school, Jessica interned at the Chicago-Kent Taxpayer clinic helping taxpayers prepare returns and negotiate with the Internal Revenue Service. She also volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate with CASA of DuPage...

Ben Schneider is a client focused which means that it is important to him to cultivate a personal relationship with each of his clients. By doing this, he is able to give each new client’s case individual attention and analyze every legal issue thoroughly and completely.

Ben Schneider acts as the one of the principal bankruptcy attorneys for Schneider & Stone where he focuses on individual Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filings as well as business Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 filings. Ben also practices in the areas of family law and litigation and is the point attorney for divorce and...

Throughout much of Pat's career, he has worked defending insurance companies against personal injury, wrongful death, and healthcare negligence cases. This experience gives Pat a unique perspective, since he knows the "tricks of the trade" which insurance companies use as they value a personal injury claim and defend against a case. With this knowledge and understanding, Pat will ensure you are not taken advantage of in these situations, allowing you to achieve maximum compensation for the damages you have suffered.

Pat has been a trial lawyer for more than a decade and has tried numerous cases to verdict. Pat first developed...

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...

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.

-Successfully completed over 2,200 estate plans ranging in size to $210 million. -Assisted in redirecting more than $150 million away from estate taxes and to charities and heirs. -Eliminated estate taxes in more than 450 estate plans which were otherwise taxable. -Conducted more than 50 briefings, seminars and workshops on estate and tax elimination planning. -Co-author of "Combining Life Insurance and Annuity Policies to Create a Financial Engine for a Nongrantor CLAT," Journal of Practical Estate Planning, CCH Incorporated, August-September, 2004. -Author of "Tax Elimination Planning", "The Ten Most Common Mistakes in Estate Planning", "How a Charitable Trust Can Save You Taxes",...

Brent Glenn graduated from The University of Chicago Law School in 2000. He began his career at top law firms in Chicago and Washington, D.C. including Winston & Strawn and Sheppard Mullin. At that time, he concentrated his legal career on commercial real estate matters including real estate finance of both borrowers and lenders, commercial real estate sales, purchases and leases. In addition, he provided real estate support in corporate transactions valued at more than a billion dollars.

In 2017, Brent opened his own practice in Barrington, Illinois. In addition to commercial real estate, his practice now includes a...

Carin Brio started her practice at one of the largest real estate law firms in the State of Massachusetts as one of a handful of associates who represented clients in over 200 real estate cases every month. Since then, she has added estate planning, probate, family law, and other areas of law to her practice and helped hundreds of clients with the legal matters that are important to them. Now based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, Carin and her staff work diligently on their cases - whether it is a contested divorce case, setting up a trust for your family, or...

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...

The Law Offices of Sheryl Rae Ghezzi was established in 1986. General litigation developed into a boutique practice concentrating in Family Law and Estate Plannning. Focus Forward strategies are utilized to competently address the unique personal issues involving divorce, children,child custody, and individual estate directives. I support my Clients as they go through the process of transitioning their lives and assist them in Focusing Forward as a strategy to assist them in resolving the emotional stresses inherent in family law legal issues. I have lectured in the areas of child custody, family law, the divorce process and...

In estate planning: We all need an estate plan, yet we all need something different. Tracy's goal is to provide clients with a plan that addresses the unique needs of the individual and family. Tracy’s practice is focused on estate planning such as drafting wills, trusts, powers of attorney for healthcare or property, and counseling clients on the administration of estates. Tracy guides individuals to plan for the future giving them the comfort of knowing they have clearly disseminated their wishes to family.

I am a partner in a small suburban firm for over 35 years that provides excellent legal services to thousands of satisfied clients. I regularly lectures on various legal topics and am appointed by the court to mediate Family Law issues. I also love playing tennis and am on the Board of several charitable organizations

Charles is a creative problem solver and long time resident of Illinois. He has lived in Wilmette since 2011 with his wife and their three children. He received his B.A. in History from the University of Kentucky. He has a Juris Doctorate from Chicago's John Marshall Law School and is licensed to practice in Illinois. Charles is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, Phi Delta Phi honorary Legal Society, and the Wilmette/Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce.

Following his entrepreneurial spirit he has had since a child, Charles started his firm right...

Along with his years of experience, Lake County divorce attorney Van A. Schwab has a solid educational basis for his divorce and family law practice. After receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, he received his law degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law. Because of recent, up-to-date training, Mr. Schwab is a certified divorce mediator, and is prepared to handle family law issues through collaborative law methods. He has published an article on cohabitation in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. Licensed to practice family law in the states of Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey, he...

Thomas Hansen was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up on the South Side of Chicago and Park Ridge, Illinois. Thomas lives in Park Ridge, with his wife and three children. Thomas received a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Northern Illinois University, a Certified Public Accountant Certificate from the University of Illinois, a Master of Science in Taxation from DePaul University, a Juris Doctor with Distinction from John Marshal Law School. Thomas is a member of the Illinois Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, the Northwest Suburban Bar Association, American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants, Illinois Society of Certified Public...

Manish C. Bhatia has focused his education and practice on Estate Planning and Business Succession Planning since the first year of law school. He has also added Asset Protection, Elder Law and Nonprofit Organizations/ Charitable Giving to his fields of practice. Manish is also a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Asian American Bar Association of Chicago and the Indian American Bar Association. To arrange an initial meeting, please visit www.mcb-law.com/contact. Several convenient locations are available to meet, including locations in Chicago, Schaumburg, Northbrook, Deerfield, Niles and other suburbs.

For nearly 40 years, Gregory Turza has helped hundreds of individuals plan their estates, providing practical and effective answers to complex problems with explanations that are clear, cogent and accurate. His firm’s goal is to bring you peace of mind knowing that your family’s inheritance is protected and that surviving family members find themselves in harmony instead of in court by creating plans that suit your unique financial, personal and family circumstances. Don't delay managing these most critical areas of your life.

I offer independent advice to people just like you who make prudent and informed decisions about protecting and...

Attorney Bio Jeffery P. Story, Attorney at Law: Jeff Story graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts in 2005 and was admitted to the Illinois State Bar that same year. During the past eight years he has worked in civil litigation in Chicago. He is married to Amy Marinacci, a fellow attorney that he met in law school. Amy grew up in Evanston where her family still lives. Jeff and Amy have a young son, Gabriel who goes to Pope John XXIII School in Evanston. Jeff recently lost his mother and father within...

Michael is a licensed attorney in Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota who founded the Virtual Attorney to bring estate planning and business law into the 21st century. Through the use of technology and the internet he offers estate planning to young families, co-habitating couples, homosexual couples, and everyone in between. The Virtual Attorney is also the one-stop shop for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Starting out is tough and you don't have money to throw away on an in-house lawyer. With the Virtual Attorney's flat-fee based Essential In-House Counsel arrangements you'll get exactly what you need and you won't pay unexpected hourly...

Perry Smith received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Education from Loyola University of Chicago in 1977 and a Juris Doctor degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law, in 1985. He is also a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer.

He began working for the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office in late 1985. During his time in that office he worked in the Traffic, Misdemeanor, and Felony Review Divisions before spending more than three years in the Felony Trial Division. He left that office at Labor Day 1990 and began his association with Bernard Wysocki....

At Work

Brian J. Tharp is the founding partner of Tharp & Associates, Ltd. Brian is a graduate of St. Olaf College, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and a concentration in Asian Studies. Brian attended law school at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he received a Juris Doctor Degree. In 2006 Brian began practicing as the Law Offices of Brian J. Tharp in the Chicago Loop. In 2010, Brian merged his practice with the Law Offices of Michael Gunderson, to form Gunderson & Tharp. In 2014 Brian moved his practice to Arlington Heights and...

Professional Career Senior tax accountant and manager at Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. Partner at a boutique law firm Founded Anthony J. Madonia & Associates, Ltd. (AJM&A) in 1995. Practice areas include estate planning & administration, business strategy & planning, corporate law, and taxation Anthony J. Madonia & Associates, Ltd. came from the vision of a service-oriented, hands-on practice where clients receive comprehensive support and expedient attention. Early in my career, I recognized the value of providing multi- dimensional insight when guiding clients through complex transactions. We are a law firm that prides itself on being a resource for helping privately held firms,...

Bob Ross has practiced in Illinois in areas of wills and trusts, business law, acquisitions, succession planning and related commercial real estate matters since 1980.