Hansford & Deckert LLP - Champaign, IL

Sophisticated Estate Planning and Business Advocacy in Champaign

Preserving your lifetime accomplishments, navigating multi-generational asset transfers, and managing corporate commercial ventures requires legal advocates who combine technical mastery with responsive personal service. Hansford and Deckert LLP, located in the Lincolnshire Professional Building on South Prospect Avenue in Champaign, Illinois, was founded on a client-centered principle: delivering big-law competence directly to the client doorstep. Combining substantial corporate finance backgrounds with deep trial and transactional skill, founding partners Candace D. Hansford and John Deckert provide individuals, families, and growing enterprises with strategic, results-driven legal counsel that prioritizes measurable outcomes over billable hours.

Comprehensive Estate Planning and Wealth Preservation

Whether you need to create a foundational estate plan or structure complex multi-generational wealth transfers, working with seasoned estate planning lawyers ensures your legacy is protected from unnecessary taxes and court oversight. The firm provides tailored legacy strategies that include:

• Wills and Testamentary Instruments: Drafting customized last wills and testaments to direct asset distribution, establish guardian nominations for minor children, and appoint reliable executors.
• Revocable and Irrevocable Living Trusts: Creating flexible trust structures that preserve family privacy, avoid costly probate delays, and ensure seamless asset management during incapacity.
• Powers of Attorney and Advance Directives: Preparing durable powers of attorney for property and comprehensive healthcare directives to empower trusted decision-makers during unexpected medical emergencies.
• Business Succession Planning: Formulating orderly transition blueprints, buy-sell agreements, and corporate governance protocols to protect family businesses across generations.
• Tax Planning and Asset Protection: Structuring estate assets to minimize state and federal transfer tax liabilities while safeguarding family wealth against potential future creditors.

Probate, Trust Administration, and Fiduciary Litigation

The loss of a family member is emotionally overwhelming, and navigating estate administration should not add unnecessary strain. If you need an experienced probate lawyer in Champaign, Hansford and Deckert LLP guides executors, trustees, and beneficiaries through Illinois probate court proceedings with empathy and efficiency. When disputes arise over will validity, breach of fiduciary duty, undue influence, or contested guardianships, the firm trial litigators deliver tenacious courtroom advocacy to protect beneficiary rights and enforce testamentary intent.

Commercial Transactions, Business Law, and Corporate Taxation

Beyond legacy protection, the practice serves as outside general counsel for small and mid-sized businesses throughout Champaign County and beyond. Partner John Deckert, a University of Notre Dame Law graduate with extensive experience in corporate taxation and securities regulation, counsels businesses on entity formation, commercial real estate acquisitions, contract negotiation, regulatory compliance, and partnership structuring. The firm cross-disciplinary approach allows corporate clients to resolve transactional issues and commercial disputes seamlessly under one roof.

Consult with Hansford and Deckert LLP Today

If you are ready to hire an estate planning lawyer or require seasoned commercial counsel in Champaign, contact Hansford and Deckert LLP today. Reach out to their Champaign office to schedule a confidential legal consultation and discover how a dedicated legal team can protect your family and your enterprise.