Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

-Successfully completed over 2,200 estate plans ranging in size to $210 million.
-Assisted in redirecting more than $150 million away from estate taxes and to charities and heirs.
-Eliminated estate taxes in more than 450 estate plans which were otherwise taxable.
-Conducted more than 50 briefings, seminars and workshops on estate and tax elimination planning.
-Co-author of "Combining Life Insurance and Annuity Policies to Create a Financial Engine for a Nongrantor CLAT," Journal of Practical Estate Planning, CCH Incorporated, August-September, 2004.
-Author of "Tax Elimination Planning", "The Ten Most Common Mistakes in Estate Planning", "How a Charitable Trust Can Save You Taxes", and "The New Tax Law- An Update" for a national charity's newsletter.
-Graduate of the Family Wealth Counseling two-year training school on Tax Elimination Planning, and of the Renaissance School of Social Capital concentrating on Charitable planning tools.
-Has for 13 years successfully represented an Illinois based university in assisting donors to make planned gifts, including Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, bargain sale gifts and other planned gifts.
-Has for 13 years successfully represented a national charity, has conducted a national workshop program resulting in Charitable Remainder Trusts, Revocable Living Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, Gift Annuities and outright cash gifts.
-Founder and Director of The Good News Foundation, which is an ECFA approved charity devoted to educating Americans about their estate planning options.
-Has for ten years successfully represented a senior assisted living facility in its planned giving programs.
-Completed the Heckerling Institute and the Notre Dame Estate Planning Institute on Estate Planning.

Richard Schmack was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Berwyn, Illinois. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois in 1977 with double majors in Political Science and History. In 1980 he received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

Upon graduation from law school in 1980, Richard was admitted to the Illinois Bar and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. He is a member of the Federal Trial Bar. Richard has made DeKalb County his home since1985. He, his wife, Jackie, who is his office manager, and their sons reside in Sycamore.

Prior to opening his private practice in 1989, Richard served as an Assistant DeKalb County State's Attorney, handling misdemeanor and traffic prosecution, as well as child support enforcement. In his capacity as the civil assistant, Richard represented DeKalb County in lawsuits in Federal and State courts, served as legal advisor to all departments of County government, and represented the County's Zoning Board of Appeals, gaining valuable knowledge of the County's zoning ordinances and regulations.

In private practice Richard is a general practitioner well versed in the areas of Adoptions, Bankruptcy, Criminal Misdemeanors and Felonies, Traffic, DUI, Guardianships, Juvenile Law, Real Estate, Wills & Estates, and Zoning.

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