Practice Areas

Illinois Lawyer for Help with Settling Decedents’ Estates

Consult a lawyer as quickly as possible following funeral and burial arrangements to determine the steps necessary to settle a decedent’s estate. If you’re unable to meet for an in-person consultation, contact us by phone or e-mail.

The philosophy at Michael T. Mahoney, Ltd. is to assist clients in avoiding probate whenever reasonably possible. When probate is necessary, we focus on settling estates as soon as the law allows. This means a minimum of expense and hassle for everyone involved.

Some considerations for settling estates are as follows:

• Illinois law requires the decedent’s last will and testament to be filed (but not necessarily admitted to probate) within 30 days of the date of death. The will must be filed at the circuit clerk’s office at the county courthouse in the decedent’s county of residence at the time of death, so it’s essential to bring the original last will and testament to the lawyer’s office for filing as quickly as possible.


• All of the decedent’s checkbooks, bank statements, real estate records, tax returns and other financial records should be organized and brought to the lawyer’s office at your first appointment.

• Securing the decedent’s real estate and personal property from theft and destruction is the first priority.


• All interested parties should be notified of the contents of the last will and testament as soon as possible. A reading of the will at the attorney’s office is not required by Illinois law, but is beneficial for those named in the will.

To find out more about how we may be able to help you or to schedule an initial consultation to discuss your case, please call 866-677-8081 or contact us online. We have offices in Chillicothe and Peoria.