Estate Planning Lawyer for New Lenox, Illinois

A town of kids and mortgages

About 30.0% of New Lenox residents are under 18, the highest share among the nine towns here. Only 11.6% are 65 or older. The town had about 28,893 people in July 2025, up 6.1% from the 2020 base. Owners hold 92.4% of homes, with a median value of $399,900 (2020 to 2024). Source: Census QuickFacts.

These are households where one injury or illness would affect both income and childcare. That is why the first order of business is different here than in older towns.

Step one: choose a guardian

Illinois lets a parent designate a guardian in any writing, including a will. The designation must be witnessed by 2 or more adults, and neither can be the person named as guardian (755 ILCS 5/11-5(a-1)). If the writing is signed and attested like a will, it has prima facie validity. Without a designation, a court decides. The guardian for minor children page covers what to think about.

Step two: protect the money

A child who inherits at 18 gets the money outright in many cases. A trust can hold it until a later age and name a person to manage it. Parents also ask about life insurance, which is a beneficiary form question. Jeff reviews these forms with the plan.

Step three: papers for the adults

Each parent needs a power of attorney for property and a power of attorney for health care. These let a spouse or other trusted adult act if you cannot. The overview on estate planning for new parents lists what to gather before the call.

If a New Lenox parent dies

An estate for a New Lenox resident is opened in Will County, in Joliet. Where a child is a minor beneficiary, the court may need to supervise their share, which is one more reason to plan ahead. See the Will County probate process.

Life insurance and who gets the check

Many young families rely on life insurance more than any other asset. The money goes to the person on the beneficiary form. If that is a minor child, a court may need to appoint someone to manage it. Naming a trust as beneficiary can keep a child's money under a trustee's control. Jeff checks the forms against the rest of the plan.

Questions to ask before you pick a guardian

Would this person raise the children in the way you would? Do they live near the kids' school and friends? Are they in good health? Are they willing? Do they have room, in the house and in their lives? Your answers rarely produce a perfect match. Pick the person who comes closest and name a backup.

Backups, stepchildren and partners

Pick a backup guardian, a backup executor and a backup agent. Young families change quickly. A first choice may move, fall ill or no longer want the job. Jeff writes the second and third names in so the plan holds up.

Illinois intestacy rules look to blood relatives and spouses. A stepchild or an unmarried partner gets nothing without a will (755 ILCS 5/2-1). In New Lenox households with blended families, that is a common gap. A will and a beneficiary review fix it. See blended family estate planning.

Reviewed by Jeff McCarthy, Attorney, Inspired Law Group, 136 E 9th St, Lockport, IL 60441.