Posted on August 11, 2025 in Real Estate

If you own farmland, vacant property, or land without a clear address in areas like Sandwich, Somonauk, or Leland, it is important to understand the risks that come with owning rural real estate. Many of these properties have been passed down through generations without formal planning. That often means missing deeds, outdated surveys, or ownership records that are unclear.

Without proper legal planning, you could run into the following common issues: 

• Missing or unclear deeds due to informal transfers

• Property line disputes from old or missing surveys

• Surprise liens like unpaid taxes or contractor bills

• Claims from long-lost heirs if someone died without a will

These problems can delay or prevent your family from selling, refinancing, or keeping the property in the future. At Gateville Law Firm, we stand out because we have both estate planning experience and a strong background in real estate title law. Our business manager worked for 15 years as a title manager at a respected title company, and our Sandwich, IL real estate attorney was trained in real estate law by a title company, giving us the tools to solve these issues before they become a legal mess.

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 Posted on August 05, 2025 in Strategy and Asset Protection

Asset protection is not just for the wealthy; it is a smart strategy for anyone who owns real estate, investment properties, or wants to protect family wealth from lawsuits, creditors, probate, or unnecessary taxes.

In Illinois, three powerful tools can work together to create a layered and effective plan: an Illinois Land Trust, a Series LLC, and a Revocable Living Trust. Each serves a distinct role, and when combined, they provide privacy, control, liability protection, and long-term estate planning. At Gateville Law Firm, our Yorkville, IL estate planning attorney can help you decide whether one or more of these trusts serves your long-term interests.

What Is an Illinois Land Trust?

An Illinois Land Trust is a simple but powerful tool for holding title to real estate. While the trustee, which is typically a professional trust company, holds title to the property, you retain full control as the beneficiary. This means you decide when to sell, refinance, or lease the property.

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 Posted on July 31, 2025 in Strategy and Asset Protection

For many families, the largest financial asset is not their home — it is their retirement account. Whether held in a 401(k), IRA, or similar plan, these tax-deferred assets are vulnerable to taxes, lawsuits, nursing home spend-down, divorce, and probate court if not properly protected.

Enter the Standalone Retirement Plan Trust (SRPT), a powerful, flexible tool that protects your retirement savings from unintended consequences and helps preserve your legacy for generations. This article walks you through the benefits of this trust and how it protects your family from hidden risks like probate, divorce, Medicaid spend-down, and tax surprises under the SECURE Act.

As of July 2025, Illinois families can create these irrevocable trusts to name as beneficiaries for retirement accounts. An Aurora, IL estate planning attorney can help you determine whether this planning strategy is right for your family.

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 Posted on July 26, 2025 in Estate Planning

When most people think of estate planning, they often envision a simple will, or a basic Revocable Living Trust designed to pass on assets to loved ones and avoid probate. While these tools are important, they are often not sufficient for families with estates exceeding $1.5 million, ownership in businesses, or exposure to professional liability. 

Advanced estate planning goes beyond basic probate avoidance. For high-net-worth couples and individuals, it involves more sophisticated strategies to protect significant wealth, mitigate potential risks, and ensure a seamless transfer of assets. This level of planning is essential to safeguard family wealth from threats such as lawsuits, long-term care expenses, divorce, and other financial vulnerabilities.

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 Posted on July 21, 2025 in Strategy and Asset Protection

Real estate investing comes with unique risks. After years of hard work and sacrifice, it is worth taking careful steps to protect your portfolio and preserve the wealth you have worked hard to build. At Gateville Law Firm, we help real estate investors and high-net-worth families secure their assets through a comprehensive legal strategy. Our approach integrates asset protection, estate tax planning, and privacy structuring to create a system that safeguards your investments while ensuring efficient wealth transfer.

This guide walks you through our proven system, which uses Wyoming LLCs, Illinois Series LLCs, Land Trusts, Revocable Living Trusts, and umbrella insurance to create multiple layers of protection. Call our Illinois estate planning attorney for high-net-worth property owners to learn more. 

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 Posted on July 15, 2025 in Estate Planning

Almost by definition, a sudden health crisis, such as a heart attack or stroke, can unexpectedly change everything. Beyond immediate medical concerns, many people are left realizing they have not prepared for the future and have much to do to protect their assets and their wishes.

Estate planning after a medical emergency is not only about protecting your assets; even more importantly, it is about ensuring your family knows your wishes and can make decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so.

Illinois law provides several tools that allow you to plan for incapacity and ensure your estate is handled according to your intentions. Advance healthcare directives are one of these tools, but there are more. Taking action now can give you and your loved ones peace of mind in an uncertain time and our Plainfield estate planning attorney is here to help. 

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 Posted on July 11, 2025 in Estate Planning

Planning for the future is one of the most meaningful steps you can take to protect your family and your legacy. For seniors in Illinois, having the right legal documents in place makes all the difference in ensuring that your wishes are honored and your loved ones are cared for. As of July 2025, Illinois estate planning laws provide many tools to help seniors preserve wealth and simplify transitions for their families. Our Montgomery, IL estate planning attorney can guide you through your options and help you create an estate plan tailored to your needs. 

What Legal Documents Should Seniors Include in Their Estate Plan?

A comprehensive estate plan will give you peace of mind and save your family time, stress, and unnecessary expenses. The following five documents are essential for seniors looking to safeguard their legacy:

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 Posted on July 10, 2025 in Asset Protection & Wealth Preservation

Doctors often face a unique combination of legal exposure and asset concentration. You may have built significant wealth through medical practice, investments, and real estate, but all of it could be vulnerable if you fail to protect it properly.

Whether you own one rental property or an entire portfolio, our Aurora, IL estate planning lawyer can help you design your asset protection and estate planning to maintain your financial security and legacy.

Why Real Estate Makes You Vulnerable

Real estate is a powerful tool for building long-term wealth, but it is also highly visible. Unlike retirement accounts or certain insurance policies, real estate holdings appear in public property records. That means if you are sued, whether for malpractice, personal injury, or business debt, your properties could become targets for judgments or liens.

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 Posted on June 30, 2025 in Estate Planning

When aging parents begin to experience health problems or financial difficulties, many adult children assume they will "handle it when the time comes." Unfortunately, that time often arrives suddenly — after a medical emergency, a diagnosis of dementia, or a fall that sends someone to the hospital. Without a plan in place, families in Yorkville, Minooka, and surrounding Illinois communities may find themselves navigating legal, medical, and financial chaos with no authority to act. 

At Gateville Law Firm, our Illinois estate planning attorney can help families create estate plans and advanced healthcare directives. If you are reading this because you have suddenly found yourself caring for a parent who can no longer care for themselves, we can help with that, too. Call us today and start getting answers to your questions. 

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 Posted on June 26, 2025 in Estate Planning

Estate planning is one of the most valuable steps to protect your assets, provide peace of mind, and secure your legacy. In today’s digital world, online services and DIY planning are more accessible and often offer a lower cost. DIY and AI-Generated documents offer a cheap starting point but result in high cost of cheap planning. Rather than taking risks with your most precious assets and your loved ones, talk to an experienced Illinois estate planning attorney who can help you build a customized plan. Here are just a few of the top reasons using DIY planning for your estate plan is a risky bet. 

Estate Planning is not a Template

Estate planning is not a "template" or "fill-in-the-blank" process. Mistakes occur through mistakes in the document execution and the failure to correctly implement the estate planning strategies results in unforeseen consequences. An undervalued aspect of an estate planning attorney is the counsel and advice. Effective estate planning is not about documents or their execution. Rather, a good estate planning lawyer will listen to your concerns and family dynamics and recommend a solution to your unique family circumstances.

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