Michael Goldberg

I am a lifelong Chicagoland resident with a passion for helping families plan their estates so their loved ones are cared for upon their passing. I utilize wills, trusts, powers of attorney for property and healthcare, with the goal of both ensuring that assets pass to your intended loved ones and to make sure that the right people are acting on your behalf if you are unable to make decisions. For families with a recently deceased loved one, I will represent the appointed fiduciaries in administering the estate, be it probate administration or trust administration.

I am licensed to practice in Illinois and primarily work in Lake County, Cook County, McHenry County, DuPage County, Will County, Kane County, and Kendall County. I am also licensed for the Federal Bar of the Northern District of Illinois.

I offer a no charge, no strings attached initial consultation for estate planning. We can formulate an estate plan that meets your needs without breaking the bank. If you recognize that you need estate planning (and everyone does!) then do not hesitate to give me a call.

Estate Planning

Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills

Probate

Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests

• Google Meet
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• Free Consultation
  I offer a no charge initial consultation for estate planning and probate.
• Credit Cards Accepted

Illinois

Supreme Court of Illinois

ID Number: 6309094

Since 2012

Federal Circuit

Since 2014

Managing Partner

Johnston Tomei Lenczcyki & Goldberg LLC

2018 - Current

Associate Attorney

Matlin Law Group, P.C.

2016 - 2018

Associate Attorney

Lakelaw

2015 - 2016

Associate Attorney

The Rogers Law Group, NFP

2012 - 2015

Staff Attorney Intern

19th Judicial Circuit Court of Lake County, Illinois

2011 - 2011

University of Illinois - Chicago John Marshall Law School

J.D. (2012) | Law

2009 - 2012

Beloit College

B.A. (2007) | Political Science

2003 - 2006

Rising Stars

Superlawyers

2021

Lake County Estate Planning Council

Member

2021 - Current

Illinois Association of Independent Attorneys

Member

2016 - Current

Lake County Bar Association

Member

2012 - Current

Illinois State Bar Association

Member

2012 - Current

Digital Asset Transfers Upon Death

Blokt.com

April 26, 2019

Incorporating RUFADAA into Estate Planning Documents

The Docket - The Lake County Bar Association

July 1, 2018

Estate Planning for Cryptocurrency

Illinois Bar Journal

February 1, 2018

Estate Planning, Libertyville, Illinois

March 10, 2023

The Lake County Retired Teachers Association

Managing Real Estate Broker

IDFPR

2016

Q. What statuory notices do I need to send out as an administrator of an estate? And, what is a verified inventory?

May 26, 2023

A: As a recently appointed administrator of an estate, you are required to provide 1) a notice to heirs and legatees of rights in independent administration (if it is indeed independent administration) 2) claims notice published in the newspaper 3) notice to known creditors mailed directly to them. This is the bare minimum, and some counties in Illinois might require their own specific forms. A verified inventory is an inventory of assets in the estate that you would attest to under oath as full and complete to the best of your knowledge. It is imperative that you speak with a probate attorney if you do not have one as you are acting as a fiduciary to the heirs/legatees and if you make any mistakes in administering the estate you could be held personally liable and subject your personal assets to loss. A probate attorney's job will be to make sure you are following all of the legal requirements and not making any mistakes that would subject you to liability. This is worth every penny.

Q. Grandparents put their house into a living trust & want me to have it. How to go about this?

May 26, 2023

A: Your grandparents can deed the property to you, but this is problematic because there is a mortgage on the property. The mortgage likely contains an acceleration clause that states upon transfer of the property to a third party, the mortgage will be immediately due and payable on full. Further, if the property is worth more than the annual gift tax exemption, your grandparents would have to file a gift tax return. It would be best for your grandparents to speak with a lawyer to discuss the implications of transferring the property and how to avoid mortgage acceleration and incurring taxes (including transfer taxes and municipal fees).

Q. Someone forged my signature in order to collect a TOD account that I was beneficiary to. Bank did not obtain proper I.D.

May 25, 2023

A: You may have a claim against the bank for failing to properly ID the person withdrawing the assets. I recommend speaking with a lawyer to discuss your options.