Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, LLP

For individuals, families, and businesses across Illinois, the complexities of estate planning, wealth management, and trust litigation can be daunting. Ensuring your legacy is protected, your assets are managed effectively, and your family's future is secure requires knowledgeable and experienced legal counsel. Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, LLP, located in Lake Forest, stands as a prominent firm dedicated to providing sophisticated and comprehensive legal services in these critical areas. Since 1996, their attorneys have served clients throughout the North Shore and Greater Chicago area, offering a deep understanding of the intricacies of estate and trust law.

Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, LLP is built on a foundation of delivering the highest level of legal counsel with a strong emphasis on clarity, client accessibility, and unparalleled service. They strive to make complex legal concepts easy to understand, guiding clients through every option and explaining recommendations thoroughly. This commitment to client education ensures that individuals feel fully informed and confident in the plans they create for their future, whether it involves simple wills and trusts or more intricate wealth transfer strategies.

The firm's attorneys, including partners like Rick Lesser and Kathryn Shores, are recognized for their extensive experience not only in drafting robust estate plans but also in skillfully litigating disputes that may arise. They believe that understanding both the planning and litigation aspects provides a unique and advantageous perspective for their clients. This integrated approach, combined with a commitment to long-term client relationships, ensures that all aspects of estate planning, administration, and potential disputes are handled with expertise and meticulous attention to detail.

While the provided information includes one highly negative review, it is juxtaposed with another positive review that speaks to successful outcomes and positive client experiences, specifically mentioning Rick Lesser and Kathryn Shores' responsiveness and guidance in settling an estate. This highlights the importance of comprehensive research and direct communication when selecting legal representation.

Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, LLP is conveniently located in Lake Forest, Illinois, making it an accessible and established legal resource for residents throughout Lake County and the broader Illinois region. The firm's office is situated at 191 E Deerpath Rd Ste 300, Lake Forest, IL 60045, USA. This prime location in Lake Forest offers a professional and discrete setting for clients to address sensitive legal matters related to estate planning, wealth transfer, and trust administration.

The firm's strategic presence in Lake Forest ensures ease of access for local clients, fostering stronger attorney-client relationships through convenient in-person meetings. Beyond its Lake Forest headquarters, Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, LLP also maintains a part-time office in Chicago, indicating a wider reach and commitment to serving clients across the Greater Chicago area. This multi-office presence and local roots allow them to remain attuned to the specific legal needs and community dynamics of Illinois residents. They also offer telephone and video conferencing options for consultations, demonstrating an adaptability that enhances accessibility for clients who may face geographic challenges or prefer remote meetings, ensuring their services are available to a broad spectrum of the Illinois population.

Services Offered

• Estate Planning & Wealth Transfer: Developing comprehensive plans for asset management and distribution, including wills, trusts, and strategies to maximize benefits for beneficiaries, considering both disability and passing.

• Trust & Estate Litigation: Representing clients in disputes concerning wills, trusts, guardianships, breach of fiduciary duties, and other estate-related controversies.

• Estate & Trust Administration: Providing comprehensive guidance for executors, trustees, and beneficiaries through the complex process of managing and distributing assets after death, including probate.

• Tax Planning & Wealth Preservation: Strategies designed to minimize tax burdens and preserve wealth for future generations.

• Special Needs Planning & Guardianships: Creating legal plans to protect and provide for individuals with special needs, including establishing guardianships when necessary.

• Fiduciary Protection: Offering legal counsel to fiduciaries (e.g., executors, trustees) to ensure they fulfill their duties responsibly and protect them from potential liabilities.

Features / Highlights

• Specialized Estate & Trust Law Expertise: The firm's exclusive focus on estate planning, trust administration, and related litigation ensures a deep level of knowledge and experience in these complex areas.

• Integrated Planning and Litigation Perspective: Attorneys practice both transactional planning and litigation, providing a more comprehensive understanding of how clauses work and anticipating potential disputes.

• Commitment to Clarity & Client Accessibility: Strives to make complex legal concepts easy to understand, offering clear directions and recommendations, and ensuring clients are well-informed throughout the process.

• Highly Responsive: Clients, such as those working with Rick Lesser and Kathryn Shores, commend the attorneys for being very responsive to questions and correspondence, even across geographic distances.

• Community Involvement: Attorneys are actively involved in numerous community organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, and various bar associations, showcasing a commitment beyond legal practice.

• Long-Standing Firm: Established since 1996, the firm has a long history of serving clients in the North Shore and Greater Chicago area, building strong relationships over decades.

• Adaptable Consultation Methods: Offers flexible meeting options including telephone and video conferencing to accommodate client preferences and geographic challenges.

• Collaborative Attorney Team: Attorneys within the firm regularly interact to share ideas and insights, ensuring clients benefit from collective expertise in estate planning.

Promotions or Special Offers

Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, LLP prioritizes making initial legal guidance accessible for individuals and families in Illinois. The firm invites prospective clients to schedule a consultation to review their specific situation and receive recommendations for an effective course of action. This initial meeting is a crucial step for anyone considering estate planning, facing a trust dispute, or needing assistance with estate administration. While the specific fee structure for this consultation (whether complimentary or paid) is not explicitly detailed in all publicly available information, it is a standard practice for firms of this nature to offer an initial discussion to determine client needs and fit.

The firm also highlights its adaptability in offering consultations via telephone or through video conferencing, especially in response to circumstances like COVID-19. This ongoing flexibility can be seen as an informal "special offer" in terms of convenience and accessibility for clients who may find it challenging to attend in-person meetings. To ascertain the exact terms of their initial consultation, including any associated fees, it is always best to directly contact Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, LLP.

Contact Information

• Address: 191 E Deerpath Rd Ste 300, Lake Forest, IL 60045, USA

• Phone: (847) 235-6745

• Mobile Phone: +1 847-235-6745

Conclusion: Why this place is suitable for locals

For residents throughout Illinois, particularly those in Lake Forest and the broader North Shore and Greater Chicago area, Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, LLP presents itself as a firm highly suitable for addressing complex estate planning, wealth transfer, and trust/estate litigation needs. The firm's dedicated focus on these specialized areas ensures that clients receive in-depth expertise and strategic guidance. While there is a stark contrast in the provided reviews, one positive review explicitly praises Rick Lesser and Kathryn Shores for their responsiveness and effective guidance in settling a complex estate, stating, "I was very pleased to have them represent my family in this matter and recommend them to anyone needing legal representation." This positive feedback underscores their ability to provide capable and satisfactory service for certain client needs.

The firm's commitment to making complex legal matters understandable, coupled with their long-standing presence since 1996 and active community involvement, further enhances their suitability for locals. Their flexible consultation options, including virtual meetings, cater to the modern client's needs for convenience. However, it is crucial for potential clients to take note of the highly critical review regarding a complex international estate. This starkly negative experience suggests that while the firm may excel in some areas, prospective clients with exceptionally complex or large-scale international estate matters should conduct extremely thorough due diligence and consider if the firm's experience aligns with such specific, intricate requirements. For more standard estate planning and local trust/estate litigation, the firm's established presence and positive testimonials (beyond the highly critical one) suggest they can be a valuable local resource for Illinois residents.