Picture this – you’ve just settled a case involving a minor whose state of residence is Illinois. You’re happy with the statement, as so is the client. The defendant has agreed to pay, and all that’s left now is to get the Illinois probate court to put pen to paper and sign off on the distribution. At this stage, you have a choice to make: you either handle it all yourself, or refer the petition out to local counsel in Illinois. However, a thought flashes through your mind – how hard can it be to do it yourself? I mean, you’re a competent attorney, you graduated top 5 in your class, and you’ve confidently handled probate matters in your own state without breaking a sweat.
However, if you move forward with this decision, chances are you’re going to regret it for many years to come. What out-of-state attorneys do not seem to realize is that the Illinois probate court and the related Act are completely different animals, and you may end up not only wasting thousands of dollars in billable hours, but also hundreds of dollars in travel expenses as well as unneeded delays while the family of the client waits for funds that should have been disbursed months ago. In this post, we’re going to talk about some of the common pitfalls that may befall you should you decide to handle an Illinois probate claim on your own without local counsel assistance, and why it’s best to pair with our firm for not only your own peace of mind, but to build a fruitful relationship that will pay dividends for years to come.
Are you looking for the best Illinois probate attorney for minor settlements? Please call the best probate attorneys at McCready Law NOW at (314) 481-63338 to learn more about how we can help you obtain Illinois court approval for your minor settlement. The experienced Illinois probate attorneys at McCready Law bring to the table combined experience spanning over 90 years where we have helped attorneys from across the country navigate the Illinois probate system with speed, efficiency, and reliability. To date, we have recovered over $500 million for our clients, and our expertise in all areas of the law as well as our personable and efficient approach place us at a level that is unheard of in probate law. We take on cases on an agreed-upon flat fee basis, and the first call to us is consulted on a 100% FREE basis.
Regardless of where you are in the country, McCready Law can assist with your Illinois probate minor settlement approval, and we will handle the entire process from start to finish so you can focus on your practice while we handle the Illinois court approval. Need to speak to someone regarding the potential for a fast and efficient Illinois probate approval? Call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 to learn more about our flat-fee probate services – our intake coordinator is standing by to route your call to one of our experienced attorneys.
The Hidden Costs of Handling Illinois Probate Solo as an Out-of-State Attorney
The decision to handle Illinois probate will have you running into obstacles such as the following:
- Travel Cost – Illinois probate courts require that you attend an in-person hearing in order for minor settlement approvals to be made. Therefore, a Zoom or phone call will absolutely not suffice. The cost of traveling to Illinois – flights, meals, hotels, lost billable time – exceed the flat fee we could have charged you as an Illinois probate law firm. In fact, under 755 ILCS 5/11-13, you must attend the in-person appearance, and it cannot be delegated to either a non-attorney nor a paralegal.
- Cost of Research – Illinois probate has unique forms, local rules and procedures that cannot be found at a central website. Therefore, you’re most likely going to spend hours, days, and in some cases, weeks, collating all this information from different sources. In addition, remember that every county has its own quirks, meaning that the research will be extensive and frustrating, and will not be able to be completed without in-depth local knowledge.
- The Cost of GAL – A Guardian ad Litem will need to be appointed in order to represent the minor. However, you cannot appoint your own GAL, nor can you use their parent as a representative. You will be required to find an Illinois-licensed attorney that is approved by the judge who is overseeing the case. The attorney will absolutely charge a fee, and it must be approved by the court. Therefore, if you don’t have any established relationships with GALs across all 102 counties, you’re out of luck.
Best Illinois Minor Probate Referral Attorneys – Call Us Today!
If you’ve finished a claim with a minor whose state of residence is Illinois, we’d love to help out. Call us, McCready Law, so we can assist you when it comes to handing every step of the Illinois probate approval process so you don’t have to. We will help secure the GAL appointment, file the petition, appear in court on your behalf, and eventually, deliver the signed order to your office. The referral service is done on a flat-fee basis, and you can call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 for your 100% FREE consultation. Thanks for choosing us, and we look forward to helping you resolve your Illinois minor probate petition.