Cook County Probate Lawyers

I am an attorney at Tuohy Law Offices with over 40 years of experience. I concentrate in providing Living Trust estate plans and small business representation for working-class families. My passion for serving the community stems from my roots in the West Side of Chicago, where I grew up as the grandson of a police chief and son of a detective. Through Dreams for Kids, the nonprofit organization I founded in 1989, I have represented thousands of police officers and other public servants and mentored and trained thousands of youth as social entrepreneurs. As an adjunct professor at DePaul University, I...

Since 1996, Illinois elder law attorney Carol A. Nolan, has been providing valuable legal advice for seniors and their families. As a skilled Wheaton estate attorney, Ms. Nolan is devoted to the rights and legal options of elderly and disabled people in DuPage County and Chicago's western suburbs. Her Lisle law office handles a wide range of financial, health care, and estate planning matters, including Medicaid planning, disability planning, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), wills, trusts, and probate administration. Carol A. Nolan has been a frequent speaker on Elder Law, Medicaid issues, estate planning, probate and trust administration for the Illinois...

Kiley M. Whitty is a licensed attorney specializing in the areas of family law, child custody, bankruptcy, and creditor negotiations in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will and surrounding collar counties. While in law school at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Kiley earned a certificate in Child and Family Law as well as a certificate in Advocacy which aided in her success as a litigator. As an associate with Anderson & Associates, P.C., Kiley has handled complex custody cases involving issues with legal and residential custody, parenting time, allegations of abuse and neglect, and child removal. Kiley has also handled a...

Attorney Michelle Bugajsky focuses her practice on probate, estate planning, and family law. Whether assisting clients in planning for their futures or helping clients through problems in the here and now, Michelle provides caring and thoughtful legal services. Michelle takes great pride in combining her keen legal expertise of probate and estate planning law with a plan uniquely crafted for each specific client or family.

Michelle attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in Political Science and Criminal Justice. Thereafter, Michelle accepted an academic scholarship to attend the Illinois Institute of...

Amanda concentrates her practice in the areas of trusts and estates. She prosecutes and defends trustees, executors, and administrators, relating to will contest, undue influence, breach of fiduciary duty, business wind-up, estate accounting, and trust accounting disputes through initial filings, discovery, trial, and post-trial issues such as appeals. Amanda also provides services in trust administration, probate administration, and general litigation. Amanda is an experienced litigator, having represented clients in appeals, estate and trust contests, business disputes, commercial disputes, elder abuse issues, and guardianships. She is known for building and maintaining relationships with clients through trust and collaboration.

Kathryn C. Rolewick was admitted to practice law by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2013. She had worked as a Trust Administrative Officer for U.S. Trust, Bank of America, N.A. since graduating from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2013. She joined Rolewick & Gutzke, P.C., the firm founded by her father, David Rolewick, in 2016. Kathryn's areas of practice include estate planning, wealth management, probate estates, contracts, and general corporate and business structures.

Rolewick attended Boston College where she graduated cum laude from the Honors Program in 2004. She is a member of the DuPage County Bar Association, the...

Michael V. LoCicero has practiced law in DuPage County for over three decades. Michael's dedication to the community includes volunteering in local education, sports, and government programs. As a seasoned attorney, he believes in personal service at a reasonable price and dedication to cases from start to finish. Michael values open communication with his clients by keeping them fully informed about case matters, providing advice, and ultimately helping clients make the best, fully-informed decisions possible. Michael's problem solving and cost-effective approach allows him to reach client goals as quickly as possible at a reasonable rate.

Angela M. Iaria is a licensed attorney specializing in the areas of civil litigation, family law, child custody and support, and estate administration in DuPage, Kane, Will, Cook and surrounding collar counties. Ms. Iaria's practice involves uncontested and contested divorce, post-decree conflicts, including child support, child-related expenses and child custody issues, as well as pre and post-nuptial agreements and estate administration. Additionally, Ms. Iaria has conducted multiple bench and jury trials in state and federal court for cases involving breach of contract disputes, breach of fiduciary duties, premises liability and real estate disputes.

Angela Iaria has served on the board...

I founded Corporate & Estate Legal Services, Ltd. to focus on business contracts, commercial litigation, estate planning and probate cases. I have decades of experience handling civil litigation and commercial contracts. I represent both plaintiffs and defendants. I have a broad spectrum approach to B2B litigation. I can negotiate deals, document agreements, litigate, pursue post judgment collection, and prosecute or defend judgments on appeal. I was a scholastic debater in high school and college. I am very comfortable with contract litigation, declaratory judgments, decedent's estates, and business torts. My experience affords me the luxury of handling all phases...

John Pankau graduated from Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, and Chicago Kent College of Law with High Honors. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois and owns The Law Office of John Pankau, P.C. in Itasca, Illinois. Prior to and while attending law school, John and his wife Carole owned and operated a family business in Bloomingdale. John is an active member of his community, presenting educational seminars at local libraries and banks. Today, his practice concentrates in the areas of real estate, estate planning and administration, probate, and local government law.

Lisa Knauf is an attorney that combines her legal expertise with real world experience. She had a successful sales career before going back to school to attend Northern Illinois Univ. College of Law for her law degree, She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and is the owner of Knauf Law Office PC in Addison Illinois, which merged with Pankau Law in January 2020. The Knauf Law practice concentrates in the areas of estate planning, including wills, living trusts, and powers of attorney, probate administration, real estate and elder law. Lisa is an active member of her community, having served...

I have over 35 years of experience in multiple court systems in the Chicago metro area. My practice includes contested matters as well as transactions in the area of estate planning, trusts, wills, trust administration and real estate closings.

I am a 1973 graduate of Loyola University, Chicago and a 1980 graduate of Northern IL University college of law.

Mazyar M. Hedayat is the principal of M. Hedayat & Associates, PC, a law firm that has represented Clients for nearly 25 years in the areas of business law and litigation, bankruptcy law and litigation, real property transactions and litigation, construction law and mechanics liens, corporate law, and more. After attending the University of Chicago and University of Michigan, Mr. Hedayat received his MBA from the U.M. Ross School of Business, and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. Mr. Hedayat is a title insurance agent and operated a full-service title company for 6 years....

I am a lifelong Chicagoland resident with a passion for helping families plan their estates so their loved ones are cared for upon their passing. I utilize wills, trusts, powers of attorney for property and healthcare, with the goal of both ensuring that assets pass to your intended loved ones and to make sure that the right people are acting on your behalf if you are unable to make decisions. For families with a recently deceased loved one, I will represent the appointed fiduciaries in administering the estate, be it probate administration or trust administration. I am licensed to practice in...

Christine’s focus as an attorney is on helping her clients through the most difficult situations life offers. Whether her clients are facing criminal charges, the end of a marriage, issues related to children, or end of life concerns, Christine’s passion for helping them through these issues is evident through her honesty, patience, and ability to make even the most complex legal issues make sense to her clients. Christine attended the Northern Illinois University College of Law, where she graduated cum laude with Juris Doctorate degree. During her tenure at NIU College of Law, she earned a Certificate in Criminal Practice. She...

Lauren Jackson focuses her practice primarily in the areas of real estate and estate planning, although her background includes probate, contracts, corporate formation and business succession planning. Lauren’s unintimidating, caring approach has garnered her a respectable reputation all over Northern Illinois. With her dedication for efficient cost effective services, you will learn that with Lauren on your side you have a reachable attorney with your best intentions in mind. Lauren prides herself on quality work over quantity and it has proved she is a success based on past customer positive reviews. Lauren eagerly represents...

Kevin G. Drendel Cornell College, cum laude, and a 1991 graduate of Northern Illinois University College of Law, magna cum laude. While at Northern Illinois University, he was a member of the Law Review, and published an article in the University’s scholarly (NIU Law Review 73, 1990). He also received the West Publishing Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement. He is admitted to practice in front of all Illinois State Courts and the U.S. District Court, the Northern District of Illinois. Kevin is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Kane County Bar Association: Director (1999-2000), ...

John Lynch became interested in debt relief and bankruptcy before he went to Law School. John was employed at Eastern Airlines in Miami, Florida, which at that time was the second largest airline in the US. Eastern Airlines filed for bankruptcy in 1990 and by 1991 it had closed its doors. John knew so many people that could not find work, had cars repossessed and faced mounting debt. Then, in 1992 Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida and Pan Am airlines also closed its doors. By that time John was a Paralegal and owner of a Title Company. He worked as...

Melissa Fernandez (Marin) graduated from DePaul University in 2015 where she received her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Political Science. Melissa went on to receive her law degree from DePaul University College of Law in 2019 with a certificate in Family Law where she graduated Cum Laude and maintained herself on the Dean's list for all three years. From a very young age, Melissa knew that she was passionate about family law. As a child of divorced parents, Melissa brings a unique perspective to the firm having experienced the breakdown of her family at a young age....

Denice A. Gierach is a business and estate planning lawyer with more than 30 years of experience representing business owners in the formation, franchising, and dissolution of businesses; contract negotiation and reviews; business litigation; partnership disputes, succession planning; commercial real estate; and aiding individuals in matters of advanced estate planning, and charitable giving. She also leads her firm’s YourOGC program providing Outsourced General Counsel services to small and medium size businesses to assist them in preventing legal issues, providing proper planning for reaching goals, and insight into issues preventing them from further success. As a Certified Public Accountant with a master's degree...

A native of Illinois, Mr. Sotelo is the proud son of a working class family. Mr. Sotelo graduated third in his law school class, summa cum laude, at Northern Illinois University College of Law. Practicing law since 2012, Stephen prides himself in providing legal services in the areas of real estate, probate, and civil matters. A s a former real estate agent, he provides a unique perspective to the legal side of real estate transactions.

Brian J. Banahan has been practicing law in DuPage, Kane and Cook County Illinois for over 20 years. He began his legal career and learned his way around the courtroom in 1997 as a full time 711 prosecutor with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. From there, Mr. Banahan moved to serve as chief legal counsel and Deputy Public Administrator for DuPage County for 17 years. In that job, Mr. Banahan managed, administered, litigated, settled, and closed hundreds of decedent’s estates and an extensive number of related legal matters in nearly every area of the law. In the process, he...

Dan is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications and minors in Mathematics and Political Science.

Dan is a 1979 graduate of IIT/Chicago Kent College of Law earning a Juris Doctor degree and a Bar and Gavel Award. Dan was admitted to the bar in 1979 and has been a practicing attorney in Naperville ever since.

Dan is a member of the Illinois and Dupage County Bar associations. He is a current member of the DuPage County Real Estate Law Committee and the Trusts and Estate Planning Committee. His practice...

I am an Aurora, Illinois probate and guardianship attorney. Currently, I serve five counties in the Chicagoland area: Kane, DuPage, Cook, Will, and Kendall. In my law practice, I help families settle probate estates of loved ones who have passed away, including estates with contested issues. I also assist clients with guardianship cases for mentally disabled adult loved ones, as well as settlements to Minor children’s estates. Since starting out as a probate attorney in 2006, I have handled literally hundreds of probate and guardianship cases across several counties of the greater Chicago area. Because of...

Born and raised in Chicago, Mr. Thompson earned his B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1984. In 1987 he graduated with his J.D. at the Northern Illinois University in Chicago. He is fluent in Spanish.

Mr. Thompson has 18 years of experience litigating Personal Injury claims, Workers' Compensation, Criminal Law, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy & Traffic cases. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Admission to Federal Trial Bar, and is a board member in good standing with multiple charitable organizations.

Mr. Thompson has been married for thirteen years and...

Stella Day is a seasoned litigation attorney with a focus on probate and guardianship matters. She brings her wealth of experience to Johnston Tomei Lenczycki & Goldberg, LLC, following a successful tenure at the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. With over 16 years in the field, Stella has adeptly handled a variety of complex felony and misdemeanor cases, including DUI, Aggravated Battery, Sexual Assault, and Murder. Her track record includes successful litigation in numerous jury trials and evidentiary hearings across different courtrooms. Stella has also extensively dealt with cases involving mental health and competency issues. As a guest speaker on trial...

Owner and Principal Attorney at DLAW, PC As an attorney with more than 25 years of legal experience, Deanna Aguinaga Walker enjoys the flexibility that having her own law practice gives her. She is able to become personally involved with each of her clients, and she appreciates the opportunity to assist them on a wide range of legal matters. Deanna earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the Northern Illinois University School of Law in 1995. Since then, she has dedicated her career to meeting the needs of her clients. When you work with Deanna, you can expect her to provide legal advice...

Aaron J. Lytle is one of the firm's suburban Chicago attorneys who practices in several key areas: estate planning and wealth protection, wills and trusts, probate administration, trust administration, business planning, taxation, real estate and special needs planning for children with disabilities. Mr. Lytle has spent several years working in the business sector on corporate issues relating to succession planning, valuation, acquisitions and generating capital. Before joining AHR, he worked for companies such as American Express and Bank One (now JP Morgan Chase).

Mr. Lytle also previously served on the Board of Trustees for DayOne Reliance, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that...

Chris graduated from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, in 2012 with a Bachelors of Science in Education degree in Sports Management and minors in Business and Political Science.
Chris graduated from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law in May of 2016 and sat for the Bar Examination in July of 2016. Chris was admitted to the Illinois Bar in November of 2016. During law school, Chris held several internships: one with a Civil Litigation firm in Glenview; another with the City of Naperville, where he had his 7-11 License and assisted the City Prosecutor in Traffic Court and DUI Court; and...

Carin Brio started her practice at one of the largest real estate law firms in the State of Massachusetts as one of a handful of associates who represented clients in over 200 real estate cases every month. Since then, she has added estate planning, probate, family law, and other areas of law to her practice and helped hundreds of clients with the legal matters that are important to them. Now based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, Carin and her staff work diligently on their cases - whether it is a contested divorce case, setting up a trust for your family, or...

I'm a trial attorney with extensive courtroom experience. I also teach college classes as an adjunct professor in areas such as criminal law, criminal procedure, business law, business ethics and corrections.

My primary practice focus is family law and domestic relations litigation. My secondary areas of concentration include estate planning and probate.

* 2018 SuperLawyers Top 2.5% Rising Star
* 2018 National Advocates Top 40 Under 40 Attorneys in Illinois in Matrimonial and Family Law
* 2018 Recognized as one of the "Ten Best" Family Law Attorneys in Illinois by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys (AIOFLA)

Mr. White has practiced law for thirty years. He graduated from Indiana University in 1986 and received his law degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1989. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar, and admitted to practice in the Federal Court in the Northern District of Illinois, in 1989. While attending law school, he was a law clerk with the law firm of Carey, Filter, White & Boland. He became an associate of that firm upon graduating, and in 1996 became a partner.

Mr. White served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Summit Homes beginning...

Brent Glenn graduated from The University of Chicago Law School in 2000. He began his career at top law firms in Chicago and Washington, D.C. including Winston & Strawn and Sheppard Mullin. At that time, he concentrated his legal career on commercial real estate matters including real estate finance of both borrowers and lenders, commercial real estate sales, purchases and leases. In addition, he provided real estate support in corporate transactions valued at more than a billion dollars.

In 2017, Brent opened his own practice in Barrington, Illinois. In addition to commercial real estate, his practice now includes a...