It is never too early or too late to start planning for your future and the future of your family. At the Centralia and Breese, Illinois law offices of Lackey & Stevenson, we help people put their minds at ease and create comprehensive estate plans tailored to their needs.We create an individually-tailored plan for clients at every stage of their lives, from young families to those in their golden years. Your specific needs change, and so should your estate plan.

Understanding your Options: Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning Documents

Attorney Joanne Stevenson is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Attorney John Lackey has over 35 years of experience providing estate planning for high-net-worth individuals. When you step into our offices you can feel safe in the knowledge that your future is being handled by someone who understands all your options. We will listen to your concerns, answer your questions, and come up with a plan that works for you. We can help you with a variety of options that will meet your short and long-term goals, such as:

• Wills
• Revocable Living Trusts
• Property and Healthcare Powers of Attorney
• Guardianships
• Life Insurance Trusts
• Special Needs Trusts
• Living Wills
• Advance Directives
• Charitable Trusts
• Family Limited Partnerships and LLCs

Long-Term Care Planning

Life can change unexpectedly. You want to be sure that you are ready for whatever the future brings. At Lackey & Stevenson, P.C., we work with our clients to prepare for long-term care if that becomes a reality for them. Whether it is planning for nursing home care, assisted living, or at-home care, you want to be sure that the assets you have worked so hard for are there when you need them. We provide our clients with advice and guidance about asset protection, Medicaid eligibility and long-term care insurance and other ways of financing the care that they need. We put our clients' minds at ease, allowing them to feel confident knowing that they will be ready for whatever life has in store.

Administration of Wills and Estates

We assist our clients who have questions regarding their rights in an estate or trust. The laws governing estate and trust administration are numerous and complex. The time to protect your rights in the administration of a trust or an estate may be limited. We provide expert advice to executors and trustees to ensure that they correctly perform the duties for which they have been appointed. We also assist clients who believe that their rights under a will or trust are not being protected.

Estate and Gift Taxes

If you are dealing with a large estate you will need experienced counsel to provide guidance through the complicated maze of Federal and State estate and gift tax requirements. We examine your individual needs and provide expert advice as to how to maximize the estate you leave to your loved ones. We create comprehensive estate plans for our clients, taking advantage of options to minimize taxes and maximize the distribution to their loved ones. We also provide advice and guidance to our clients charged with administering large estates to take advantage of existing tax laws and in filing the necessary estate and gift tax returns.

Contact Us

At the Centralia and Breese, Illinois, law offices of Lackey & Stevenson, we can help you take care of your estate planning and elder law needs. Our offices are handicap accessible and we are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 5. Evening and Saturday hours are available by appointment. Contact us today for more information.

At the Centralia and Breese, IL law offices of Lackey & Stevenson, we represent clients throughout lower Illinois, including Mt. Vernon, Salem, Nashville, Carlyle, Trenton, Vandalia, Marion County, Clinton County, Bond County, Washington County, Jefferson County, and Fayette County.