Markham Probate Lawyers

I have been practicing for over 25 years. First job was as in-house counsel for Playboy Enterprises, Inc. Went into private practice in 1994.

Attorney engaged in the Private Practice of Law as a Solo Practitioner in the areas of real estate and housing law, eviction and real estate litigation, family law, divorce and child support/custody, probate and guardianship, commercial law, and litigation. Experience in government, corporate and private practice environments. Broad range of experience in other areas including: corporate law, intellectual property, business management, litigation, government legal environments, compliance, and real estate acquisitions. Practicing Illinois Attorney for 27 years and Arbitrator for the Cook County Court system since 1990. Extensive experience in management, administration, negotiations and contracting. Both South Suburban and Chicago Office...

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.

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...

Marques A. Eason is an attorney serving clients on the South Side of Chicago and throughout the South Suburbs in matters involving real estate property and a range of other legal issues. His areas of concentration include residential and commercial real estate, probate, and estate planning. Eason has 10 years of legal experience, including three years as a licensed practicing attorney in the State of Illinois where he founded his own practice, The Marques Eason Law Group, in 2017. He also worked for seven years as a paralegal on cases involving real estate, contract, and family law, including with the Law...

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.

Arthur J. Data III is an attorney located in Palos Hills, IL. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Purdue University in 2003 and his Juris Doctor from Michigan State University College of Law in 2007. While at Purdue, Mr. Data held many different leadership positions within the Purdue Residence Hall Council. While at Michigan State, Mr. Data was a Senator in the Student Bar Association and President of the Christian Legal Society. Mr. Data currently resides in Palos Heights, IL. He is very active at St. Alexander's Catholic Church as a lector, eucharistic...

Hello. My name is James J. Siwek and I have 32 years of legal experience in a number of different legal fields. At this point in time, I have restricted my practice to family and probate law, but I have wealth of information from my practice in other areas of law as well which is often quite helpful in the resolution of various legal issues. My family law practice consists mainly of divorce and paternity cases, child custody (parenting time), parental decision making, child support, maintenance, domestic violence, and a number of other issues related to family law. My probate practice consists...

Services We Provide Include: • Probate & Estate Planning: Estate Administration, Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills; • Business Formation & Transactional Matters: Creation of Business Entities (i.e. LLC, Corp., Partnerships) & Other Business Agreements including Mergers & Acquisitions; • Income Tax Returns: Planning & Preparation (Individuals, Partnerships, Corp., Trusts, Gift & Estate Tax, Tax-Exempt Org., Payroll & Others); and • Audits & Appeals: Representation in Problematic Tax & Regulatory Matters. • Personal Injury

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.

Philip M. Fornaro is the managing attorney at Fornaro Law. Adopting a “never give up” attitude, Philip has become known for his ability to succeed where others fail for the last 20 years. His decision to diversify his practice in 2004 has resulted in the creation of a full service law firm which provides quality representation in a variety of legal areas. Philip follows the rule that positive energy will yield positive results. This energy is the driving force behind the success of Fornaro Law. He has become adept at creating a network and team between clients,...

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...

Lisa A. Copland has significant experience in several areas of the law including domestic relations, civil litigation, probate, breach of contract and real estate law. She represents men and women in divorce cases, which includes division of property, allocation of parental responsibilities, child support and parenting time. Lisa routinely represents buyers and sellers in residential and commercial real estate transactions. Through the firm's full service approach, attorneys also assist clients in estate planning and civil litigation.

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...

Monika M. Blacha provides knowledgeable and experienced legal counsel in the full range of family law matters, including divorce and the difficult decisions that must be made when ending a relationship. Because she understands how stressful resolving divorce issues can be, Monika emphasizes a personal approach with every client, tailoring her legal strategies to each individual’s unique needs. She provides clear communication throughout so her clients understand their options and are always informed on the status of their case.

In addition to family law issues, Monika helps clients navigate the Illinois probate process if a loved one has died. Whether you...

J.D. Northwestern University School of Law; B. A. - S.U.N.Y. at Purchase, New York ; Emma Willard School, Troy, New York; Alumnus: Operation Crossroads Africa - Ivory Coast ; Exchange Student University of Lorraine, France.

Janice, lovingly known by the nickname “Apple” in her family, is a passionate attorney specializing in family law. She was born in Angeles City, Philippines at the location previously known as Clark Air Force Base and relocated to Chicago, Illinois with her family when she was just three years old. Fluent in Tagalog, Janice is particularly interested in serving the legal needs of the Filipino community in Chicago. Janice graduated in 2005 with honors from the University of Chicago and earned her Juris Doctorate from DePaul University in 2012. She has been a practicing attorney in Illinois since...

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...

Mark Varboncouer is the founder of Varboncouer Law. Mr. Varboncouer is an experienced trial attorney who previously spent 10-plus years with Kirkland & Ellis LLP (“one of the nation's largest and most prestigious law firms”/ “known for its world-class litigation practice”/ “one of the ‘Fearsome Foursome’ — the four firms most likely to strike fear in opposing counsel”); and 4-plus years with another highly-prestigious 1,000-plus attorney law firm, McGuireWoods LLP, where he litigated a variety of issues: contracts, non-competes, tortious interference, unfair competition, fraud, licenses and complex intellectual property issues (e.g., patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, false advertising etc.)....

Aggressive, pragmatic, energetic, zealous representation of clients' interests, both in court and out of court, is a succinct summary of my experience and what I bring to the representation of all my clients.

My trial experience and ability is my biggest professional strength. I have been fortunate to try scores of cases, before judges and juries, representing multinational corporations, family owned businesses and individuals in a wide variety of matters. I have particular expertise and experience in prosecuting and defending emergent litigation matters such as temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions.

Mr. DeBlasio is the founder and managing member of DeBlasio & Gower LLC. Tony has over 22 years of experience as a trial lawyer and advisor. He has counseled individuals, business executives, for profit and not-for-profit companies and government bodies in complex litigation matters, internal investigations and dispute resolution strategies. Tony has been selected as an Illinois Super Lawyer in Business Litigation on many occasions. Only 5% of attorneys receive this distinction. Tony has represented clients from a multitude of industry sectors, including, health care, technology, communications, financial, education, real estate, manufacturing, construction, management...

Jeffrey Li joined Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz in 2017 as a law clerk and in 2018, following his admission to the Illinois Bar, became an associate attorney at the firm. Mr. Li focuses his practice in nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, personal injury, and probate matters. Mr. Li is also involved in the Opioid litigation, a mass tort case involving a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s deceptive marketing practice of a highly addictive prescription medication. Mr. Li received his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School (now known as UIC John Marshall Law School) in 2018. While attending law school, Mr....

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...

Attorney who helps bring peace and comfort to his clients by providing the individuals and businesses with solutions to help protect their interests and pursue their dreams and aspirations.

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.

Gregg focuses his practice in the areas of probate administration and litigation, estate planning, elder law, and real estate. In addition, Gregg is a guardian ad litem appointed by the Circuit Court of Cook County, not only in the probate area, but other divisions including domestic relations division and law division.

Gregg is an active member of the legal community, where he is serving or has served in several leadership roles within the Illinois Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association. Gregg is a past Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Probate Practice Committee, where he served two years as Chair....

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...

Nicole M. Soltanzadeh is a principal at The Law Office of Nicole M. Soltanzadeh, where she advises clients in estate planning, estate and trust administration, and real estate negotiations. She works with clients of large, medium, and small estates, providing each client with high-quality and practical representation.

Early in her career, Nicole earned substantial experience as a litigator, advocating for her clients routinely in state and federal court, and at the trial and appellate levels. She has skillfully brought hundreds of cases to closure through mediations, settlement conferences, and trials.

Nicole graduated with honors from The George Washington...

Attorney Shekar Jayaraman, Esq., LL.M has a multi-faceted background of both public and private sector experience. He is passionate, zealous, and detail oriented.

Notably, Attorney Jayaraman was a Judicial Clerk for a United States Magistrate, with a heavy focus on violent crimes. He earned an LL.M. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in Business and Corporate Governance, and has served under the Ohio Secretary of State as a Regional Liaison, handling Business Services and Elections.

While in law school, Attorney Jayaraman was selected as an Extern for a United States Magistrate for the summer after his first year, and...

Nora’s practice focuses on estate planning, elder law, estate and trust administration, business law and she also practices tax law in the areas of gift and estate taxation.

Nora drafts many types of trusts for clients including: life insurance trusts, special needs trusts for disabled persons, grantor retained annuity trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, charitable lead trusts, and charitable remainder trusts.

Nora provides services for businesses including: choosing the proper corporate entity; formation of the corporate entity; drafting partnership agreements, operating agreements, and corporate shareholder agreements and bylaws; buying and selling business; purchasing and leasing assets and real property in conjunction with...

Attorney Kelly Karczmar graduated from the University of Chicago with honors in 1994. She graduated from the John Marshall Law School in 2005, where she served in the Fair Housing Legal Clinic. Ms. Karczmar served for six years as a Human Resources Director in a Fortune 100 company. She was responsible for union negotiations, employee relations and legal compliance. Ms. Karczmar is an attorney admitted to practice in the state bar of Illinois, as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She has practiced law since 2005. She is a member of...

John Lara handles a wide-range of legal matters including civil litigation, real estate, estate administration, and bankruptcy.

As a civil litigator John zealously advocates for our clients. He engages in complex litigation including, contract disputes, forcible entry and detainer actions, foreclosure defense, collection matters, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 suits, administrative hearings and various tort proceedings.

John facilities commercial and residential real estate transactions while aggressively negotiating favorable terms and conditions for our clients.

John is an integral part of Fornaro Law and embodies the firm’s “never give up” attitude. John graduated from Benedictine University and then earned his Juris Doctor from the John...

As a an attorney with over 20 years of expereince, I can provide quality legal services in a cost effective manner in the areas of Probate, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Health Care and business matters. Every matter is unique and I take the time to find solutions that work for each client's situation and goals.

William R. Pokorny represents management in a wide range of labor and employment matters. He concentrates his practice on litigation and counseling in areas including discrimination, disabilities, ERISA and employee benefits, employment contracts, covenants not to compete, wrongful discharge, wage and hour law, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and labor relations. He represents employers before state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Mr. Pokorny has experience with a wide variety of clients, including manufacturers, utilities, hospitals and healthcare providers, insurance companies, financial services...

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