Estate Planning Lawyer for Orland Park, Illinois

An older community with a bigger planning window

The Census Bureau estimates Orland Park at 57,954 people, with 24.8% aged 65 or older. That is the highest share of the nine towns on this site. The owner occupied rate is 85.8% and the median home value is $367,200 (2020 to 2024). See Census QuickFacts.

With about 1 in 4 residents at retirement age, health care papers come ahead of everything else. A health care power of attorney and a living will do their work while you are alive, which is when they are most needed.

Which county will handle probate?

Probate goes to the county where the person lived (755 ILCS 5/5-1). Most Orland Park addresses are in Cook County. The Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County sits at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Chicago. An Orland Park address in the Will County part goes to the courthouse in Joliet. Jeff checks the parcel and tells you which applies. The Probate Act is the same in both counties, but local filing steps differ.

Documents for a retiree household

A common Orland Park plan has these pieces.

• A will, or a living trust with a pour over will.
• A power of attorney for property so a spouse or child can run the accounts.
• A health care power of attorney and a living will.
• Beneficiary forms on IRAs and life insurance that match the rest of the plan.

Keeping a family out of a court file

Many retirees ask how to avoid probate. A trust is one answer, and joint ownership or beneficiary forms are others. None is automatically right. The avoiding probate page sets out what each one does and gives up.

Cook County cases

Jeff already handles Cook County matters from Orland Park, Tinley Park and Lemont at the Bridgeview courthouse. Estate cases for Cook County residents are heard in a different division, at the Daley Center. Call Jeff to talk through how your situation would be filed.

Beneficiary forms and retirement accounts

Retired households often hold their largest assets in IRAs and pensions. Those pass by the beneficiary form, not the will. If a spouse has died, the form may still name that spouse. Jeff goes through each form with you and flags the ones that need updating.

Talking with adult children

Many Orland Park clients are parents of adult children who live in different towns or states. Say who is executor and who is agent before you sign. Surprises cause the arguments that end up in a courtroom. If the plan is unequal, explain why in a letter that goes with the will.

Hospitals and home sales

A health care power of attorney matters when someone in a hospital bed cannot decide. The staff will ask for the document and for the agent's name. Keep a copy at home, a copy with your agent, and a copy in your medical record. Bring your agent up to date whenever your wishes change.

Many Orland Park owners downsize. Selling is a good time to review the plan, since a home sale turns real estate into cash and changes your total assets. If you sell, ask Jeff whether your documents still match. The firm also handles real estate closings if you want one office for both.

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