Estate planning
Bespoke estate plans designed to protect your assets and your loved ones.
We help families in Chicago, Rockford, and across Illinois identify their goals and design a plan that meets their unique needs.
Schedule a Consultation
Work Performed by Senior Attorney
Google Rating
Types of estate plans we handle
Your estate plan should fit your goals, your family, and your assets.
Will based plans
Will based plans are designed for simpler situations where a formal probate process is acceptable. This typically includes a last will and testament, financial and healthcare powers of attorney, and, where appropriate, guardianship provisions for minor children.
Revocable trust plans
Revocable trust plans are for families who want to keep their estate out of court, and have greater control over their assets. This typically includes a revocable living trust, a pour‑over will, financial and healthcare powers of attorney, and guidance on how to align key assets with the trust.
Complex estates
Planning for high net-worth clients with multiple properties, significant investment holdings, or estate tax considerations. Careful coordination of multiple aspects of the estate is key, so the overall plan is coherent and practical to administer.
Business succession plans
Focus on what happens to ownership and control of a family or closely held business if you retire, become incapacitated, or pass away. Create alignment between your estate plan and your corporate structure.
Special needs planning
Planning for beneficiaries with disabilities or other special needs so that resources are available without unnecessarily disrupting eligibility for public benefits. This often includes special needs trusts and carefully structured distributions tailored to the beneficiary’s circumstances.
Elder planning
Planning for issues such as long‑term care, incapacity, and the orderly management and transfer of assets. This typically involves updated powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and trust or will structures that reflect the practical realities of aging and family support.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions families often ask before working with us.
How long does the estate planning process usually take?
We are committed to meeting your timeline. So we are happy to move as quickly as you would like. However, for most of our clients who are not on a strict timeline, the process from initial meeting through signing takes 5-8 weeks, depending on how quickly decisions are made and information is provided.
How do you charge for estate planning work?
For the vast majority of circumstances we use flat fees so you know the cost up front. We will discuss the pricing options during our initial consultation.
What happens if I die without a will in Illinois?
If you die without a will or trust in Illinois, state law provides a set of rules about who receives your assets and who can serve as the representative of your estate. This may result in your money and possessions passing to people you don’t want.
When do I need more than a basic will in Illinois?
You may need more than a basic will if you have minor children, own a business, have significant or complex assets, are in a blended family, want to reduce court involvement and administration burdens, or if you want more control over your estate even after you pass away. In those situations, trust‑based planning often gives you better control over timing, tax and non‑tax issues, and the management of assets. Many people choose trust based plans because of the increased flexibility and control they offer.
What is the difference between a will and a trust?
A will directs how who will inherit your money and property. Anything that passes under a will must generally go through the probate process.
A trust is a legal arrangement where one person (the trustee) holds and manages property for the benefit of someone else (the beneficiary), under rules set by the person who created the trust. Money and property that transfer via a trust don’t go through probate. Many plans use both, a trust for primary administration and a “pour‑over” will to catch anything not already aligned with the trust.
What is a revocable living trust?
A revocable living trust is a special type of trust where you create a trust, manage the property yourself, and benefit from the trust. It can changed or revoked while you are alive and able to do so. After your death the trust agreement tells your successor trustee how to manage and distribute the property, often with less court involvement than a will alone.
What is probate in Illinois and how do I avoid it?
Probate is the court‑supervised process for administering a deceased person’s estate. This includes your executor paying any outstanding debts and distributing your assets according to the instructions in your will.
Probate is public, takes time, and involves formal procedures, which some families are comfortable with and others prefer to minimize. Proper use of trusts, beneficiary designations, joint ownership, and other tools can reduce what passes through probate, but those steps need to be planned and implemented in advance.
What does it mean to fund a trust?
Funding a trust generally means transferring ownership of assets to the trustee of the trust. If assets are not owned within the trust, the trust will not control the distribution. Signing the trust documents is only one part of the process. We help clients understand which assets should be titled to the trustee and what steps are required to complete the plan.
How should business ownership be addressed in an estate plan?
Business ownership should be addressed as part of the broader estate plan, not treated as a separate issue. The appropriate approach depends on the type of business, the ownership structure, the owner’s goals, the other owners involved, and the intended future of the company. Planning may involve how ownership interests transfer, who should control the business, whether other owners have rights to purchase an interest, and how the owner’s family or other beneficiaries should be provided for. We help business owners coordinate those considerations with their operating agreements, buy-sell arrangements, succession plans, and other advisors.
How often should I review or update my estate plan?
An estate plan should be reviewed when circumstances change and periodically even when nothing appears to have changed. Major events such as marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, a death in the family, a significant change in assets, a business ownership change, or a change in intended beneficiaries may require updates. Changes in the law may also affect an existing plan. We encourage clients to revisit their plans periodically so the documents, ownership of assets, beneficiary designations, and overall objectives continue to work together.
Jordan Emmert | Founder & Attorney
Jordan Emmert is the founder of Small Business Legal Solutions LLC, a boutique Illinois law firm serving businesses, executives, owners, and families throughout greater Chicago, Rockford, and Illinois. Before founding the firm, Jordan practiced at a large regional law firm and later served as in-house corporate counsel for a multibillion-dollar wholesale distributor. He brings a practical, attentive approach to his estate planning practice. His work includes helping individuals, families, and business owners develop comprehensive wills, trusts, and business succession plans, tailored to meet the goals of each client and their families.