Stephenson County Estate Planning Lawyers

I am a thrid generation attorney originally from Quincy. I focus my practice on estate planning and estate administration because its a topic that is so important to every family. Whether it's a young family like mine where primary concern is ensuring children are taken care of in the event something happens to the parents, a family with adult children who need a little protection from themselves (or an ex-spouse), or a multi-million dollar estate with complex tax planning issues; everyone needs an estate plan. I try to make the process as easy as possible for you so that a...

I am Thomas Eric Ost. As a former Assistant Public Defender in DuPage County, I handled hundreds of criminal, mental health, and juvenile cases. Those cases ranged from DUIs, Domestic Batteries, and Retail Thefts to Aggravated Batteries and Murder. The police and the prosecutors seem to do their best to dehumanize defendants to everyone including to the defendants themselves. Yet in 23 years of practice, I’ve learned that most people with legal problems are not bad people. They are people who are caught up in a problem a lot bigger than they...

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...

Brent practices in the areas of estate planning and probate administration, probate and estate litigation, business succession planning, asset protection, commercial litigation, mergers and acquisitions, corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships. He is a member of Wealth Counsel Trust an Estate Practice. In his practice, Brent represents individuals, families and corporate clients on estate planning matters in the formulation and implementation of strategies to reduce taxation, protect and preserve assets, and facilitate the transfer of assets among family members and other charities. Brent advises clients in connection with the establishment of both simple and highly customized estate...

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.

Business Advisor and Real Estate Consultant:

Small boutique firm working to assist entrepreneurs, business start ups, property investors, new home buyers, and distressed owners

Business Advisor and Real Estate Consultant:

Small boutique firm working to assist entrepreneurs, business start ups, property investors, new home buyers, and distressed owners

Wendy Calvert began her career as a corporate attorney with a focus on complex commercial litigation, primarily in the fields of construction, property and casualty, and contractor liability. Through this experience, Wendy has managed and successfully litigated cases in Illinois and Wisconsin.

In 2004, Wendy relocated to...

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...

Andrew T. Flynn is a 2011 graduate of Southern Illinois University School of Law. While at SIU, Andrew was a member of the School of Law’s Trial Team that successfully competed in several national trial competitions. Prior to joining the Lawler Brown Law Firm in 2017, Andrew worked at Tetzlaff, Flynn & Associates, P.C. in Marion, while focusing on Divorce and Family Law, Guardianships and Estates, Criminal Defense, and Business Formation and Transactions.

Dave White is a partner with Kopec, White & Spooner Attorneys at Law (telephone 217-726-7540) and has over 25 years experience helping small business owners, families and individuals in Springfield, Illinois and throughout Sangamon County and Central Illinois. Kopec, White & Spooner is a full-service law firm providing cost-conscious representation and legal solutions for its clients.

Brian is proud to continue the tradition of personal services performed by Brainard Law Offices LLC, the oldest law firm in Charleston. We have the advantage of years of experience, both from debtor, creditor, and trustee perspectives, which enables our firm to provide superior bankruptcy services for our clients. We believe each client deserves individual attention.

I am a United States Army Veteran and the founder of Markell Estate Planning and Elder Law, which I established in 2014. My firm focuses on estate planning, probate (both contested and non-contested), and elder guardianships. I often work with business owners, real estate investors, and high-net-worth clients. My business succession team is adept at transferring legal ownership of LLCs, C-Corps, and other forms of ownership across generations, ensuring smooth transitions for family businesses. When I am not assisting my clients with their legal needs, I enjoy spending time with my wife and our four children.

Stephen Jones has spent much of his career in the litigation arena, seeking compensation for victims of medical and financial injuries. Many of his cases involved helping individuals and families in crisis situations, particularly those suffering from Mesothelioma and other lung diseases resulting from exposure to asbestos, and seniors who had been victimized by financial injury and lost their life savings. This, together with watching his grandmother struggle with congestive heart failure, inspired Stephen to found Stephen Jones & Associates. The firm is dedicated to helping families plan for the future, protect themselves against the high cost...

Education:
Harvard College, AB
Vanderbilt University Law School, JD
Cambridge University, LLM in International Law and Diploma in International Law

Other biographical information, please review website at:
www.stephenbcohenlaw.com

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...

Mr. Galer is licensed to practice law in the states of Illinois and New York and the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois. He completed his law studies at The John Marshall Law School (Chicago) and American University (Paris Program), then received his Master of Business administration in International Marketing and Finance from DePaul University (Chicago). Following law school, and prior to establishing The Galer Firm, P.C., Mr. Galer worked as a litigator in New York City.

Nicholas Tyszka is an attorney at Handler Law, LLP, an internationally-acclaimed private client law firm in Chicago. He focuses his practice primarily on advanced planning for family offices and their businesses, with an emphasis on governance and family dynamics. Representative domestic and international matters include: corporate governance, structuring, taxation, alternative investment opportunities (including real property, private equity and credit, venture capital, and hedge funds), and philanthropic endeavors. Nicholas has been recognized as a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, a Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) by the American Bankers Association, a Certified Exit Planning...

Warren Benning is the owner of Law Office of Warren Benning in Springfield, IL. The focus of my practice is on Elder law and probate planning. Also, I handle consumer bankruptcies. I offer free consultations as to estate planning and Elder law matters.
My passion is to help my clients understand their options as to advance directives and estate planning.

Rebecca completed her juris doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in May of 2001, after completing her undergraduate political science degree at Southern Illinois University in May of 1998. She clerked for the Honorable Judge Gerald R. Solomon of the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas and entered private practice in 2003. After 9 years in private practice in Pennsylvania, she returned to Southern Illinois. Rebecca is a wife and mother and enjoys the outdoors, running and yoga. She loves Southern Illinois and is grateful for the opportunity to serve her community.

Noah Benckendorf was born and raised in Morton, Illinois. He graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN in 2018 with a degree in history and economics. Noah went on to study law at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where he was a member of the Business Law Association. While in law school, Noah worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance as a law clerk doing insurance defense work. Noah also spent time with Protective Insurance as a law clerk in their corporate legal team. Noah went on to work at first American Title Insurance as a post-closing agent. In...

The mission of Hays Firm LLC is to provide individualized services based on the unique facts of each client's situation. To accomplish this goal, the firm establishes close relationships with its clients in order to understand their present financial situation, future goals and the type of legacy they wish to leave behind. By considering each client's global financial picture, the firm is able to specifically tailor an estate plan that most efficiently accomplishes their goals.

Experienced attorney with highly diverse practice familiarity. Concentration in tort litigation and general contract disputes. Secondary concentration in areas of debt negotiation and relief, domestic relations, estate planning and probate administration. Self-driven and organized with proven ability to manage large, diverse caseload successfully. Familiar with state and federal rules and procedures, mechanics of litigation, case law decisions and jury-verdict trends. Proven courtroom, negotiation, communication, and client interaction skills.

Anne J. Foley formerly known as Anne J. Rabuck