Chicago Estate Planning Attorney
Probate avoidance starts with the right structure.

A will alone does not avoid probate in Illinois. If your primary concern is keeping your estate out of Cook County Probate Court — which can take many months and generate meaningful attorney, court, publication, bond, and administration costs depending on the estate — a revocable living trust is the correct instrument. If you own a single residence with clear beneficiaries, a Transfer on Death Instrument (TODI) may accomplish the same goal at significantly lower cost. Adam evaluates both at intake and recommends the structure that fits your situation, not the most expensive one.

A Transfer on Death Instrument (TODI) is an Illinois nontestamentary instrument authorized under the Illinois Residential Real Property Transfer on Death Instrument Act (755 ILCS 27) — using deed-like formalities — that transfers real property to named beneficiaries effective at death, outside probate when properly executed, recorded, and not later revoked or defeated by surviving-spouse renunciation, statutory disqualification, or title defects. It is revocable at any time during the grantor's lifetime. It costs significantly less than a living trust and accomplishes the same goal for a single property with straightforward beneficiary designations. For homeowners with one primary residence and no complex family or tax situation, a TODI is frequently the most cost-effective probate avoidance strategy available.

Pricing is package-based with a fixed-fee quote at intake: a simple will with power of attorney starts from $500; a basic trust package — revocable living trust, pour-over will, and powers of attorney — starts from $2,000; a comprehensive plan with asset protection structures starts from $4,000

Special Needs Trustscoped at intake. Special needs trusts are scoped at intake based on family circumstances. Adam provides the exact number before any work begins. No hourly billing surprises.

Yes. When estate planning fails to avoid probate — or when a family member passes without a plan — Adam guides the estate through Illinois Probate Act proceedings. He handles supervised and independent probate administration, heirship proceedings, creditor claim resolution, and will contests. The goal is to reduce time and cost for the family, which in Cook County can otherwise take 12 to 18 months without experienced counsel.

Asset protection structures the ownership and title of assets to make them harder for creditors to reach — without hiding assets or committing fraud. Strategies include domestic asset protection trusts, LLC structuring for investment property, irrevocable trusts for Medicaid planning, and offshore structures with full FBAR/FinCEN Form 114, FATCA/Form 8938, and IRS Forms 3520/3520-A compliance where applicable. Every offshore structure Adam creates is disclosed, reported, and defensible. He does not create structures that cannot be explained to a federal auditor.

Yes. Adam Lysinski is a native Polish speaker and has served the Polish-heritage community in Chicago for more than two decades, including as legal liaison to the Polish Consulate General. Estate planning consultations, document review, and execution can be conducted entirely in Polish. Many Polish-heritage families in Chicago hold real property with title vesting that creates probate risk — Adam identifies and addresses this at every estate planning engagement.