Estate Planning
in Riverwoods, IL.
Make sure the people you love get what you've built.
Estate planning isn't just for the wealthy, it's for anyone who wants to make sure their family is taken care of. Without a plan, Illinois probate courts decide who gets your assets, who takes care of your children, and how your life's work is distributed.
At our firm, we work with families across Chicago's Northern Suburbs to create estate plans that protect your legacy, minimize taxes, avoid probate, and ensure your wishes are honored.
What this looks like in Riverwoods.
Riverwoods estates above the Illinois $4 million threshold benefit from the Lake County property tax structure, lower assessed values mean the real estate component of the estate is somewhat more manageable than comparable Cook County properties. We build Riverwoods estate plans around bypass trust structures, beneficiary designation reviews across corporate retirement accounts, and lifetime gifting programs that reduce estate tax exposure systematically.
The county details.
Lake County's concentration of high-net-worth families, particularly in Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Barrington, and Bannockburn, makes Illinois estate tax planning a first-order priority. Illinois's $4 million exemption isn't portable between spouses without specific trust planning: without an AB trust or disclaimer trust, the first spouse's exemption may be wasted and the surviving spouse's estate pays Illinois estate tax on everything above $4 million. For Lake County families with a primary residence worth $1.5 million or more plus investment assets and retirement accounts, the potential Illinois estate tax exposure is real and plannable, but only with proper structure in place before the first death.
Why Riverwoods.
Many Riverwoods residents work or have retired from nearby corporate headquarters along the I-94 corridor, including Baxter, Takeda, and Discover Financial. We help them unwind complex deferred compensation and equity plans, navigate corporate retirement benefits, and build an income strategy that reflects their above-average healthcare and lifestyle costs.
Things Riverwoods families ask.
Down the shore.
Talk to a Riverwoods
advisor.
One free conversation about estate planning, at your kitchen table, our Evanston office, or a video call.