Finding an attorney who is a “real person” can be difficult. Many attorneys surround themselves almost exclusively with other attorneys and are accustomed to speaking in ivory tower legalese. You should be able to connect with your attorney on a personal level, and he or she should speak to you in plain language that you can understand. You will be working very closely with this person on issues that are very important to you. It is important that he or she be down-to-earth and someone that you connect with.
The most common complaint that clients have of their attorneys is that the attorney is unreachable, does not communicate with them regularly, or does not promptly return your calls. Your attorney should reach out to you about your case regularly and respond within 24 hours to calls and e-mails. An open line of communication between you and your attorney is essential to building trust.
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Your attorney’s goal should not be to win at all costs. Rather, it should be to achieve a favorable outcome for you as efficiently as possible. It is important that your attorney set realistic expectations at the outset as to the costs you should expect, the concerns that the attorney has about the outcome of your case, and the length of time that you should expect your case to take.
Regardless of the nature of your case, we have an experienced attorney who will focus on your individual needs. Our team of attorneys works closely together, bringing each of their different fields of experience to bear in order to optimize our client care.
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We Are Cost-Effective! We are proud to offer superior representation, communication and customer service. Let us be your trusted advocates to guide you through your estate planning needs.We Know Our Stuff! Our Rockford probate lawyer’s dedication and hard work have earned a reputation for excellent service.
We Are Comprehensive! Probate cases can often require experience from other areas of including as business, real estate and family law. Our Rockford probate & estate administration attorneys have experience in nearly every area of law and will work together to ensure all areas of your case are given the attention they need. No matter what your situation, you will have dedicated and attentive representation for your matter.
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The purpose of a consultation is to determine whether our firm is a good fit for your legal needs. Although we often discuss expected results and costs, our attorneys do not give legal advice unless and until you choose to retain us.
Schedule a ConsultationLearn More About The FirmI am personally committed to ensuring that each one of our clients receives the highest level of client service from our team. Our mission is to provide excellent legal work in a cost-effective manner while maintaining open lines of communication between our clients and their attorneys. Many of our clients are going through difficult times in their lives when they reach out to us. They should feel comfortable leaning on the experience and knowledge of our attorneys as their counselors and advocates. We are here to help!
In this article, our Rockford probate attorneys explain when a probate matter must be entered to administer the estate of a decedent and how probate matters can be avoided.
Probate matters are a type of legal matter that administer a deceased individual’s (“decedent”) estate. A common misunderstanding about probate is that it is only required when the decedent has a will at the time of their death. Instead, the type(s) of assets the decedent left behind determine whether or not probate is necessary.
Our Rockford probate legal team wants you to be informed about your probate case. In this article, we explain how probate matters are court cases that probate courts ensure proper payments are made to heirs and creditors after someone passes away.
If a probate matter is required, an attorney must take the proper steps to administer the estate. If there was a will left in place the probate process is slightly different than a probate matter without one.
To open a probate estate, the executor's attorney must file several documents to the probate court:
Read more about the Illinois probate process from our Rockford probate attorneys.
Our Rockford probate lawyers want you to help you avoid probate if it is possible.
Probate is difficult for three reasons:
A common misconception is that a will allows your estate to avoid probate. Wills can ensure assets are distributed appropriately in a probate case, but an estate must enter probate with or without a will. A better option for individuals who own real estate or have a savings account is to use a revocable living trust either in place of or in conjunction with a will.
Probate can be avoided by utilizing a revocable living trust and transferring your real estate and savings accounts into it during your lifetime. A revocable living trust can own property and provides the creator complete control over the property owned by the trust during his or her lifetime, and specifies how the trust assets will be disbursed after the creator’s death.
Read more about avoiding probate in Illinois by our Rockford probate attorneys.