Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins represents individuals and families with a range of personal and business legal needs including: Real estate Estate planning Business succession planning Probate and trust administration Income, estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax preparation and planning Business formation, transactions, litigation and mergers and acquisitions Our practice is built around forming and developing relationships with our clients. Rather than merely handling their legal services, we develop trusted relationships with clients, partnering with them to achieve their personal and business goals. Forging relationships has been the keystone to our success and is why families continue to work with us from one generation to the next. Estate Planning We believe that good planning stems from proper anticipation of the real-world application of those plans, and clients benefit from this perspective. We advise individuals in the preparation of wills, trusts, powers of attorney and other advanced directives. From simple wills to complex trusts, we work to identify the needs of our clients and then craft and tailor a plan to meet their goals. We help plan for an orderly and tax-efficient distribution of their assets after their passing, while also developing strategies to provide asset protection planning during their lifetime. Because our attorneys advise clients in the administration of probate and trust estates as well as preparing income, estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax returns, our planning strategies are designed to ensure longevity, even in the face of litigation. Probate and Trust Administration Navigating the complexities of a probate or trust estate can be daunting. Our team guides executors and trustees through the processes of: Gathering assets Paying expenses and claims Accounting to beneficiaries and heirs Post-mortem tax planning Preparation of estate and/or trust income tax returns Proper distributions to the ultimate beneficiaries Our deep experience successfully litigating contested estate matters includes the representation of executors, trustees and beneficiaries advocating for the proper administration of probate and trust estates, as well as abuses of influence over an incapacitated individual. This experience in administering probate and trust estates goes far beyond the borders of Illinois, as we have assisted clients all over the United States. Tax Planning and Preparation We prepare individual income tax returns and gift tax returns, as well as plan and allocate for any generation-skipping transfers made during the client’s lifetime. We also represent individuals, administrators and executors in connection with IRS and state tax audits. In connection with our probate and trust estates, we work with our executors and trustees in preparing: Final individual income tax and gift tax returns Income tax returns for estates and trusts Estate tax returns Generation-skipping transfer tax returns Offering both tax planning and probate administration is a distinct value added to Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins, as clients benefit from one set of professionals advising the administration and preparing the related tax work. Practice Groups Construction Law Corporate Law Election Law Environmental Law Labor and Employment Library Law Municipal Law Real Estate Law School Law Special Districts Wealth and Succession Planning RELATED NEWS GENERAL On Thursday, November 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) filed an Emergency… GENERAL The U.S. Department of Education has issued an updated Guidance for schools to address the… MORE RELATED NEWS © 2021 Klein, Thorpe and Jenkins, Ltd. Sitemap Contact Terms of Use