Areas of Practice & Services

At the Law Office of Kevin Williams, we help clients in two main areas of the law: Probate and Guardianship.  Because we have limited our practice to just two areas, we feel that we are able to provide our clients with superior representation in probate and guardianship cases.

Probate Services

In our probate practice, we help Executors and Administrators with the following issues:

• Ensuring the filing of the Will (if one exists) with the proper local probate court
• Preparing the estate-opening court documentation, including petitions to open the estate, affidavits of heirship, oaths/bonds, notices, and the draft court orders
• Obtaining a surety bond for the representative of the estate, if one is necessary
• Representing the Executor or Administrator in court to open the estate
• Properly notifying the heirs, legatees, and creditors to the estate at the appropriate times during the estate administration
• Assisting the Executor or Administrator with the preparation and filing of an estate inventory
• Advising the Executor or Administrator with regard to the following estate administration issues:
  • Collecting estate assets
  • Paying the final estate debts, including the priority of claims against an estate
  • Resolving any contested issues related to the estate
  • The determination of child’s and spouse’s awards
  • The charging of an Executor’s or Administrator’s  Fee
  • Calculating and finalizing distributions to the beneficiaries of the estate, including complicated distributions to minors
  • Interpretation and guidance regarding the various terms and provisions in a Will
• Assisting the Executor or Administrator in the proper retitling of estate assets, including real estate, bank accounts, life insurance, stock accounts, vehicles, etc.
• Helping the Executor or Administrator to defend claims against the estate, particularly with insolvent estates
• Preparing a final court-formatted accounting for the Executor or Administrator regarding his/her actions in handling the estate administration
• Preparing all estate-closing court documentation, obtaining receipts from all heirs/legatees, and representing the Executor or Administrator in court to close the estate
• Representing the Executor or Administrator in reopening a probate estate, if necessary
• Representing the Executor or Administrator in estates with ancillary probate proceedings, meaning multiple estates in various states, or even countries
• Representing the named Executor in a Will or the person who would otherwise serve as the Administrator in an Estate with no Will in handling a Small Estate Affidavit matter out-of-court

Guardianship Services

In our guardianship practice, we help Guardians with the following issues:

• Preparing the guardianship estate-opening court documentation, including petitions to open the guardianship estate, summons forms, physician’s reports, oaths/bonds, notices, consents, and the draft court orders
• Obtaining a surety bond for the Guardian of an Estate, if necessary
• Properly notifying interested parties to the guardianship regarding the court proceedings
• Representing the Guardian in court to open the guardianship estate, and to obtain an adjudication of incompetency in a disabled person’s guardianship
• Assisting the Guardian with the preparation and filing of an estate inventory, if necessary
• Advising the Guardian with regard to the following guardianship administration issues:
  • Collecting estate assets and paying debts in a guardianship with an estate
  • The charging of a Guardian’s Fee
  • Resolving any contested issues related to the Guardianship
  • Visitation issues related to a disabled person or Minor
  • Health care and personal issues with a disabled person or Minor, including medical, housing, educational and social issues
  • The ongoing care and management of assets in a guardianship with an estate
• Assisting the Guardian in the proper retitling (and liquidation, if necessary) of estate assets, including real estate, bank accounts, life insurance, stock accounts, vehicles, etc.  
• Preparing ongoing (usually annual) court-formatted guardianship accountings for the Guardian regarding his/her actions in managing a guardianship with an estate
• Assisting the Guardian in the preparation and filing of the Annual Report for the guardianship
• Assisting the Guardian in a Minor guardianship with properly setting up a court-restricted guardianship account, with the filing of a voucher regarding same with the court

If you would like more information regarding the topics listed on this page, click on the individual highlighted terms, or visit our Frequently Asked Questions pages. If you would like to set up a free initial consultation to go over any of these probate or guardianship issues with an experienced Chicagoland area probate and guardianship attorney, give us a call at (630) 898-4789.