Are you looking for an estate planning lawyer in Downers Grove, IL?
At Madden Law LLC, we provide estate planning representation grounded in 16 years of work on behalf of clients in Downers Grove.
If you are ready to put an estate plan in place in Downers Grove, an attorney can prepare the documents that direct how your property, your health care decisions, and your dependents are handled. Written instructions carry weight only when they are drafted and executed correctly.
David Madden opened Madden Law LLC in 2025 after more than 20 years of legal practice, including 16 years devoted to wills, trusts, and estate administration. Our Downers Grove, IL estate planning lawyer will review what you own, identify the gaps, and draft a plan you understand. Schedule a consultation to begin.
Estate Planning Lawyer Downers Grove, IL
An estate planning attorney drafts the instruments that control your property and your medical care when you can no longer speak for yourself. That includes wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and living wills. The attorney also reviews documents you already signed, since a plan written a decade ago may no longer reflect your family or your assets.
Most people assume a will is enough. A working plan usually combines several documents, each doing a different job. A will names who receives your property and who raises your minor children. Powers of attorney appoint someone to act while you are alive but unable to decide for yourself. Our Downers Grove estate planning attorney explains how these pieces interact before you sign anything.
Types of Estate Planning Cases We Handle in Downers Grove
Estate planning work varies widely depending on what a person owns and who depends on them. A single homeowner with no children needs something different from a couple running a business together. Madden Law LLC handles the following for clients in Downers Grove and the surrounding DuPage County communities.
- Wills. A will directs who receives your property and names a guardian for children under 18. We draft wills that satisfy Illinois execution requirements and revise older ones after a marriage, a divorce, or a move across state lines.
- Revocable living trusts. A revocable living trust lets you keep control of your assets during your lifetime and pass them to a successor trustee at death. Property held in the trust stays out of court supervised probate.
- Trust administration. A successor trustee must notify beneficiaries, manage trust investments, and account for every distribution. We advise trustees so they can carry out the terms of the document without creating personal liability.
- Property powers of attorney. This document authorizes an agent to handle banking, real estate, and bill payment if you become incapacitated. Without one, your family may need to ask a court to appoint a guardian.
- Health care powers of attorney. A health care agent makes medical decisions when you cannot communicate them yourself. We help clients choose an agent and write instructions specific enough to be useful to a physician.
- Living wills. A living will instructs your doctor about death delaying procedures in the event of a terminal condition. It works alongside a health care power of attorney rather than replacing it.
- Probate. When a person dies owning assets titled in their own name, the estate generally goes through the DuPage County court. We represent executors and administrators from the opening of the estate through final distribution.
- Guardianship designations. Parents of young children use the estate plan to name the person who would raise them. We also address who manages money left to a child until that child reaches adulthood.
- Business succession planning. Owners need a written plan for what happens to the company if they retire, become disabled, or die. We coordinate buy and sell terms with the rest of the estate plan.
Why Choose Madden Law LLC as my Estate Planning Lawyer in Downers Grove, IL?
Two Decades of Illinois Practice Behind Every Plan
David Madden founded Madden Law LLC in 2025 after more than 20 years representing corporations and high net worth individuals at national and regional firms. Sixteen of those years involved estate planning work. He earned his law degree from DePaul College of Law in 2003, holds the Certified Information Privacy Professional credential, and belongs to the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the DuPage County Bar Association. He serves on the Woodridge School District 68 Board of Education and previously served as an infantry Corporal in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
Flat Package Pricing and Local Familiarity
Many Illinois firms charge $5,000 or more for a basic plan. Our estate planning packages start at $1,750 and include a will, a revocable living trust, a property power of attorney, a health care power of attorney, and a living will. Consultations are free. As an estate planning lawyer in Downers Grove, IL, we work out of an office in Lisle, a short drive away, and handle estate administration in the DuPage County court system. Our testimonials reflect the firm's record with individuals, families, and small business owners across the area.
Understanding Estate Planning Cases
Key Estate Planning Documents and What They Do
Every plan is assembled from a small set of instruments, and the combination depends on your assets and your family. Knowing what each document does makes the drafting conversation far more productive.
- Will. Directs how property held in your own name is distributed and names a guardian for minor children.
- Revocable living trust. Holds title to assets so they reach beneficiaries without court supervision.
- Property power of attorney. Authorizes an agent to manage your finances if you become incapacitated.
- Health care power of attorney. Authorizes an agent to make medical decisions on your behalf.
- Living will. Instructs a physician about death delaying treatment in a terminal condition.
- Beneficiary designations. Control retirement accounts and life insurance regardless of what a will says.
Choosing between wills and living wills is not really a choice, because the two documents serve different purposes and most plans include both. Assets held in a revocable living trust also pass outside probate, which shortens administration and keeps the terms private. If you die without a will, Illinois law decides who inherits, and the outcome may not match what you intended.
Important Aspects of an Estate Planning Case
A handful of issues shape this work more than any others. They surface in nearly every file we open.
- Asset titling. A trust controls only the property that has actually been transferred into it.
- Family structure. Blended families, estranged relatives, and children with disabilities each call for specific drafting.
- Outstanding debt. Creditors may assert claims against an estate, and clients carrying heavy obligations sometimes consult a bankruptcy lawyer before finalizing a plan.
- Business ownership. An ownership stake needs a succession path, which is why business succession planning frequently runs alongside the estate plan.
- Tax exposure. Most estates owe no federal estate tax, though IRS estate tax information explains when a return is required.
Estate Planning Case Timeline
Preparing a plan moves quickly for most families. Settling an estate after a death runs on a much longer schedule.
- Initial consultation. We review your assets, your family situation, and what you want to happen.
- Draft preparation. A first draft follows, and revisions continue until the language reflects your decisions.
- Execution. Illinois requires witnesses for a will, and we handle the signing formalities.
- Funding. Deeds and account transfers move property into the trust, and this step is where plans most often fail.
- Review. Parents revisit the plan after a birth, a death, a divorce, or a major purchase, and a well drafted plan should protect minor children at every stage.
If probate becomes necessary, administration commonly runs from several months to more than a year, depending on the size of the estate and whether anyone contests it.
What to Bring to Your Estate Planning Consultation
Bringing a few records to the first meeting lets us give you concrete answers instead of general ones.
- Asset records. Bring a list of your real estate, bank accounts, retirement accounts, and insurance policies.
- Existing documents. Bring any will, trust, or power of attorney you have already signed, including documents from another state.
- Beneficiary information. Recent account statements show current titling and beneficiary designations.
- Candidate names. Come prepared to discuss who you would name as executor, trustee, or guardian.
The first meeting is free. You will leave with a clear picture of which documents you need and what they will cost.
Illinois Legal Resources for Estate Planning Cases
Public resources let you verify how Illinois handles wills, trusts, and estate administration, either before or after you meet with an attorney. The sources below are maintained by state and federal agencies.
- The Illinois Compiled Statutes database holds the full text of state law arranged by chapter.
- The DuPage County probate division publishes local filing procedures and cover sheet requirements.
- The Illinois Courts website provides statewide guardianship forms accepted in every county.
- The Social Security Administration explains Social Security survivor benefits that a surviving spouse or child may claim.
These sites publish procedure and forms. They do not answer questions about your particular situation.
Reach Out to Madden Law LLC to Schedule a Consultation
Putting a plan in place is manageable once you have someone to walk you through the options. Contact us to arrange a free consultation with a Downers Grove estate planning attorney. We will review what you own, explain which documents fit, and quote a flat price before any work begins. Our office keeps weekday, Saturday, and evening appointment hours.