Estate Planning Attorney

Estate Planning Attorney

Our client is a full-service law firm in downtown Chicago providing high-quality legal services across litigation, corporate, real estate, and private-client matters. Our Transactional group advises individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and family-owned businesses on sophisticated wealth-transfer planning, probate and trust administration, charitable giving, and business-succession strategies. We are known for practical advice, meticulous drafting, and responsive client service.

Position Summary

We seek a thoughtful, client-focused Estate Planning Attorney to join the Trusts & Estates group. The ideal candidate has significant experience counseling clients on comprehensive estate plans and guiding fiduciaries through probate and trust administration. This role offers immediate responsibility for client relationships, drafting, and matter management, with support from experienced partners and dedicated staff. Candidates should be comfortable working directly with high-net-worth clients, closely held businesses, and family offices.

Key Responsibilities

• Counsel clients on estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer planning; develop tailored plans aligned with tax and non-tax objectives.
• Draft wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts (including ILITs, SLATs, GRATs, charitable trusts), powers of attorney, and related instruments.
• Advise on asset titling, beneficiary designations, and coordinated planning across retirement accounts, life insurance, and business interests.
• Manage probate and trust administrations, including court filings, accountings, marshaling assets, resolving creditor claims, and preparing required notices.
• Advise fiduciaries on duties and risk management; address trust modifications, decantings, and nonjudicial settlement agreements where appropriate.
• Support business-succession planning (buy-sell agreements, recapitalizations) in collaboration with the firm’s corporate and real estate teams.
• Coordinate with clients’ external advisors (CPAs, financial advisors, valuation professionals) on tax compliance and implementation.
• Conduct legal research, maintain organized matter files, and ensure timely, accurate billing.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in Illinois (or eligibility for timely admission).
• Minimum of 5 years of focused trusts-and-estates experience, including both planning and probate/trust administration.
• Strong drafting skills and meticulous attention to detail; ability to translate complex concepts into clear client communications.
• Working knowledge of federal transfer-tax principles (estate, gift, GST) and Illinois probate practice.
• Excellent organization, judgment, and client-service skills; ability to manage matters independently while collaborating across teams.

Preferred Experience

• LL.M. in Taxation and/or significant transfer-tax planning experience (Form 706/709, portability, GST allocations).
• Experience with high-net-worth and closely held business clients, charitable planning, and family limited entities.
• Familiarity with Illinois Probate Act practice in Cook County and surrounding jurisdictions.
• Comfort with practice-management systems and document-automation tools.

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive salary starting at $200,000 (commensurate with experience), plus a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, 401(k) with firm contributions, CLE support, and hybrid work flexibility.