If you’ve been putting off your estate plan because life keeps getting in the way, you’re not alone. Most people delay. Then something shifts—a new grandchild, a health concern, another major life event—and it finally moves to the top of the list.
Estate planning is how you decide what happens to everything you own and who handles your affairs if you can’t. Without a plan, Illinois law makes these decisions for you. Courts get involved. Families disagree about what you would have wanted. Assets go to people you might not have chosen. The process takes longer and costs more than it should.
If you need a Glenview, IL estate planning lawyer, Kravets Law Group builds estate plans that actually work when families need them. Daniel Kravets, Founder and Managing Partner, handles every estate planning matter personally. He’s spent a decade helping Glenview families protect what they’ve built—drafting wills, creating trusts, preparing powers of attorney, and making sure all the pieces fit together.
Why Choose Kravets Law Group For Estate Planning In Glenview, IL?
Plans That Hold Up When It Matters
An estate plan is only as good as its execution. Literally. Documents signed wrong get thrown out. Trusts that aren’t funded don’t avoid probate. Powers of attorney with missing provisions fail when banks scrutinize them. Daniel Kravets has seen what goes wrong when estate plans are done carelessly, and he builds plans designed to avoid those problems. Every document is drafted to work in the real world, not just look good in a binder. Our trust planning work includes detailed funding instructions so your trust actually accomplishes its purpose.
Your Situation, Not a Template
Cookie-cutter documents from online services miss things. They don’t account for a child with special needs. They don’t address a family business that needs succession planning. They don’t coordinate beneficiary designations with trust provisions. We start with your actual situation—your assets, your family, your concerns—and build from there. Clients with business interests get planning that addresses both personal and company needs.
Someone Who Remembers Your Name
Big firms shuffle clients between departments. You explain your situation to an intake person, then again to a paralegal, then again to whatever associate gets assigned your file. Not here. Daniel Kravets handles your matter from first call to final signature. When you call with a question next year, he already knows who you are. That’s what you get from a Glenview estate planning attorney who values relationships.
Pricing You Can Plan Around
Flat rates for most estate planning packages. We quote a price, we stick to it. No hourly billing that makes you afraid to ask questions. No surprise invoice when you pick up your documents.
What Our Clients Say
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I had a wonderful experience working with Daniel Kravets. Estate planning can feel overwhelming, but he explained everything clearly, guided me through each step with patience, and took the time to answer all my questions. I contacted multiple lawyers before, but Kravets Law Group gave me the best advice and the best price. I am so happy I found this law firm. I highly recommend him!” – Lyudmyla Len
Types Of Estate Planning Cases We Handle In Glenview
Estate planning covers a lot of ground. Here’s what we help clients with:
- Wills. The foundation of most estate plans. A will says who gets what, names an executor to handle administration, and designates guardians for minor children. Even clients with trusts need a pour-over will to catch anything that wasn’t transferred during their lifetime.
- Revocable living trusts. Want to avoid probate? A revocable trust keeps assets out of court and transfers them directly to beneficiaries. You keep full control during your lifetime. Change it whenever you want. It also handles incapacity—your successor trustee steps in automatically if you can’t manage things yourself. Our living trust work includes funding guidance so the trust actually accomplishes its purpose.
- Special needs trusts. A family member receives government benefits? Direct inheritance could disqualify them. A special needs trust holds assets for their benefit without affecting eligibility for SSI or Medicaid. The trust supplements government benefits rather than replacing them.
- Powers of attorney. Who handles your finances if you can’t? Who makes medical decisions if you’re unconscious? A power of attorney names someone you trust for these roles. Without one, your family goes to court for guardianship. That takes months and costs thousands.
- Healthcare directives. Living wills, HIPAA authorizations, do-not-resuscitate orders. These documents communicate your wishes about medical treatment and give your agents authority to access medical information and make decisions on your behalf.
- Asset protection planning. Some clients need to shield assets from potential creditors, lawsuits, or nursing home costs. Our asset protection strategies use trusts and other legal structures to protect what you’ve built—within the bounds of what Illinois law allows.
- Business succession planning. Own a company? What happens to it when you retire or step away? Business succession planning coordinates with your personal estate plan to ensure smooth transitions. Buy-sell agreements, ownership transfers, key person planning—we handle it all.
Illinois Legal Requirements For Estate Planning
Illinois law sets specific requirements for estate planning documents. A will must be signed by someone at least 18 years old, of sound mind, with two credible witnesses present. No witnesses, no valid will. The Illinois Probate Act governs these requirements.
Trusts have their own rules under the Illinois Trust Code (760 ILCS 3/). The Illinois General Assembly maintains the full text online. Valid trusts need a written document, a settlor with capacity, a trustee, identifiable beneficiaries, and property actually transferred into the trust. That last part—funding—is where many trusts fail. We provide detailed guidance on retitling assets properly. Understanding what happens when you create a trust helps families prepare.
Real estate transfers into trust require new deeds recorded with the Cook County Clerk. Miss this step and your house goes through probate even though you have a trust.
Powers of attorney in Illinois must meet statutory requirements to be effective. Financial institutions can reject documents that don’t comply. A Glenview estate planning lawyer drafts powers of attorney that banks and brokerages actually accept, using language that satisfies their legal departments.
For larger estates, federal tax rules come into play. The IRS sets estate tax exemption amounts—currently over $12 million per person, though this could change. Illinois has its own estate tax with a much lower threshold of $4 million. Proper planning can minimize or eliminate these taxes for many families.
The Illinois Supreme Court establishes rules that affect how estate planning disputes get resolved if someone challenges your documents.
Key Components Of A Complete Estate Plan
Distribution Planning
Who gets what? This sounds simple until you think it through. Equal distribution among children? What about a child who’s already received substantial gifts? What about a child with a spending problem or an unstable marriage? We help clients think through these questions and draft provisions that reflect their actual wishes—not just the easy default of “everything split equally.”
Incapacity Planning
What if you have a stroke? Develop dementia? Get injured in an accident? Your estate plan should address who manages your money, who makes medical decisions, and under what circumstances they take over. Trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives work together to cover these situations without court involvement.
Beneficiary Designation Review
Retirement accounts and life insurance don’t pass through your will. They go to whoever you named on the beneficiary designation form. If that form is outdated—or contradicts your other planning—you’ve got a problem. We review these designations and coordinate them with your overall plan.
Guardian Nominations
Parents with minor children need to name a guardian. Who raises your kids if something happens to both of you? Your will is where this designation goes. We also discuss backup guardians and how to handle situations where your first choice can’t serve. For families dealing with guardianship questions for elderly parents, we can address both generations.
Plan Maintenance
Estate plans aren’t one-and-done. Life changes. Tax laws change. You buy property, sell property, have grandchildren, get divorced. We help clients understand when updates are needed and handle those updates efficiently. The benefits of trusts extend to making future updates easier.
What To Expect From Your Glenview Estate Planning Attorney
We start with a conversation. What do you own? Who depends on you? What concerns you most? Some clients worry about probate. Others worry about family conflict. Some want to protect assets from a child’s creditors or a potential divorce. Some have a special needs family member. Your priorities shape everything we recommend.
After our initial meeting, Daniel Kravets drafts your documents. Most packages include a will or trust, financial power of attorney, healthcare power of attorney, HIPAA authorization, and any additional documents your situation requires. First drafts typically take about a week.
Then we meet again for review. We go through every document, explain what each provision does, and answer questions. This isn’t just a formality—it’s your chance to make sure everything reflects what you actually want.
Signing happens at our office. About an hour. We handle witnesses, notarization, and proper execution. You leave with original documents and clear guidance on where to store them and what to do next.
The Illinois Secretary of State maintains records on business entities. Clients with LLCs or corporations often need ownership transferred into their trusts as part of funding.
After signing, we’re still here. Questions come up. Situations change. Clients call about whether they need to update after buying property or having another grandchild. We help them figure out what actually requires legal work and what doesn’t.
For families who eventually need help administering an estate, we handle estate administration as well. Executors and successor trustees often have questions about their duties, and we guide them through.
Contact Kravets Law Group
An up-to-date estate plan gives you peace of mind. You know your family is protected. You know your wishes will be followed. You know someone you trust can step in if you need help.
We offer free consultations and flat-rate pricing for most packages. No pressure. Just a straightforward conversation about what you need.
Our firm serves families throughout Glenview and the greater Chicago area. Contact a Glenview estate planning lawyer today to get started.