Standard Estate Planning Lawyers

Jason Taken is a Navy Veteran turned Estate Planning and Probate attorney. Jason serves Cook County and the broader Northern Illinois areas.

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)....

Assisting small businesses with a variety of issues, including applications for government assistance, real estate transfers and asset protection.

I founded The Heartland Law Firm and ElderSmart, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families during the Elder Transition. With nearly three decades of experience, I have served as an attorney, mentor, and trusted guide through life’s most challenging moments. Initially, I did not always enjoy being a lawyer. In my early years, I felt the profession was overly focused on documents and fees rather than on people. This perspective shifted as I started working with families dealing with loss, aging, and uncertainty. I realized the profound impact of blending legal knowledge with compassion, and from that point, I fully committed...

Karla has practiced law since 2002 and represents clients in various areas of the law. She concentrates her practice in family law, adoptions, guardianships, juvenile matters, DUI's, traffic matters, Commercial Driver's license infractions, expungement and sealing of criminal records, wills, powers of attorney, and personal injury litigation. Karla has also written many appellate briefs and argued a case before the Second District Appellate Court in Elgin, IL. Karla was an Assistant State's Attorney from 2003 – 2007 with the Stephenson County State's Attorney's Office in Freeport, IL. Since 2007 she has been engaged in private practice of law and opened her...