Top Estate Lawyers Near Me in Northfield Area

The above photo is of the attorneys in our law firm.  I'm the guy in the middle.  David (my partner) is on the left and Mike (of Counsel) is on the right.. When I'm not in the office, I enjoy spending time with my wife Ann and my daughters Mali (James) and Jenny (Kent).  I also enjoy traveling, fly-fishing, and acting in the local theatre.

Susan Ruffer Levin practices law in Chicago and the northern suburbs with a focus on providing legal, real estate and mediation services to her clients.  She received her J.D. with Honors from the Chicago Kent College of Law and graduated Cum Laude from the University of Colorado at Boulder.  In addition to her legal career, she founded her own commercial real estate company and worked at a top ten global commercial real estate firm, where she acquired an excellent understanding of how to “close the deal.” Her goal in her real estate practice is to always help clients maximize the value of their investments.. Ms. Levin has excellent negotiation, communication, financial and legal analytical skills, and a deep understanding of human relationships and how they come into play during difficult and important life changes, including divorce, illness, and buying or selling a home.  As a skilled mediator with a Certificate in Divorce Mediation from Northwestern University, and training from both The Center for Conflict Resolution and the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, She helps her clients achieve positive outcomes in mediation while preserving important relationships and making it possible for people to move forward with their lives.. Ms. Levin takes pride in being flexible with respect to her accessibility for her clients.  As a parent of four children, she has volunteered extensively in her community and held leadership roles in fundraising and social service projects on behalf of local children. Her organizational and project management skills are unparalleled.. Susan Ruffer Levin is a committed advocate, a tough negotiation, a tireless worker, and a compassionate listener.   She is a lawyer who put her clients first and gets them the results they need.

Sam’s experience in a large firm has exposed him to and allowed him to focus on to complex estate and business planning opportunities.  Sam’s experience with a small firm taught him how to meet the client’s needs in the most efficient manner possible.  His experience in these two firms enables Sam to serve his clients at the highest level while staying grounded enough to provide the services the client actually needs.. The client experience with Dotzler Law focuses on the fact that the client’s needs drive the relationship, not the attorney’s.  We want to get to know you and what you are really trying to accomplish.  Then we can build on that to identify your legal needs and wants.  Then we can work with you to put a plan in place that takes care of all of those things, a plan that takes care of you.. Prior to founding Dotzler Las, as a member of the Trusts and Estates Practice at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Sam focused on estate, tax and business planning for clients of significant wealth, including the structuring of tax-advantageous solutions for transferring wealth and closely-held business interests to younger generations. Mr. Dotzler advised clients with regard to gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer tax planning, succession planning, leveraged wealth transfer techniques, charitable planning, trust and probate administration and the integration of estate plans and corporate structures.. Prior to joining Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Mr. Dotzler practiced law at Hoogendoorn & Talbot LLP focusing on Probate, Trusts and Estates. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, where he serves as a Co-Chair of the Estate Planning Committee of the Young Lawyer Section, the American Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. Mr. Dotzler earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Olaf College in 2000, where he now serves as a Director on the St. Olaf College Alumni Association Board of Directors, and his Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 2006. He is admitted to practice in Illinois.

My practice centers on serving clients and their individual needs as they progress through life. This includes helping people with juvenile and child custody and support, divorce, purchasing real estate, planning for retirement, and wealth transfer. My goal is to help people solve problems at a reasonable cost.. Being a small town lawyer means educating, counseling, and litigating on the law’s purpose, applying it to people’s lives, settling disputes, and when necessary seeking justice through the courts.. I have continued to find that people want their lawyer to treat them as a person, not just a client. Whether you are charged with a crime, find yourself in a divorce, or are trying to help your parents manage their affairs, you need a lawyer who you can trust to not only know the law but who can apply the law to your individual situation.. My commitment to serving and helping others extends to community affairs, including the following: active member of the St. Dominic’s Church (member and trustee); the Northfield Lions; and the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce; Past-president of the Northfield Arts Guild and the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce; and a Board Member for both the Girl Scouts and Historical Society.. Education: William Mitchell College of Law (JD, 1988) University of Saint Thomas (BA, 1981). Admissions: Minnesota – State Bar (1988)

Mr. Chatzky enjoys the recognition of the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and an "AV" Peer Review Rating. Mr. Chatzky is also listed among Illinois "Super Lawyers".. Mr. Chatzky dedicates himself to resolving disputes for his clients in an efficient and cost effective manner. Clients realize excellent legal representation at costs often significantly lower than other large firms.. As an experienced advocate, Mr. Chatzky understands that clients have a right to measure the quality, resourcefulness, and cost of representation. He recognizes that “results” do matter to his clients and is committed to afford zealous advocacy on his client’s behalf where appropriate and justified.. As an experienced counselor, Mr. Chatzky also believes that his clients have the right to be kept informed of the progress of their cases and that they must be informed of pertinent legal issues and concerns that might impact the desired result.. Mr. Chatzky commits to afford personal attention to his clients to assure that his counsel & advice is premised upon proper understanding and concern.. Mr. Chatzky is a Member of the American Bar Association's Family Law and Criminal Justice Sections.

Mr. Appel has practiced law at some of Chicago’s top law firms, including Katten Muchin Rosenman, and has successfully assisted small to middle-market corporations and individual clients in resolving all types of commercial and intellectual property disputes.. He also serves as general counsel and assists the boards of directors of many of his client’s companies, and also serves as an elected trustee in Northfield Township.. In addition, he assists clients in residential and small commercial real estate transactions throughout the Chicagoland area and recently served as Vice President and General Counsel to a local title company.. Mr. Appel has successfully assisted small to middle-market corporations and individual clients in resolving all types of commercial and intellectual property disputes, including Internet law. In addition, he assists clients in residential and small commercial real estate transactions throughout the Chicagoland area and recently served as Vice President and General Counsel to a local title company.. Mr. Appel has also devoted significant time to several Pro Bono litigation and counseling matters. In particular, he has assisted clients of the Center for Disability and Elder Law, where Mr. Appel served as a Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) fellow.. Mr. Appel is admitted to practice in Illinois, as well as the United States District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois and the Eastern District of Wisconsin.. Mr. Appel earned his law degree from DePaul University College of Law with honors and was inducted into the Order of the Coif, a distinguished legal society reserved for the top law school graduates across the country.

James P. Swift, Esquire has been an attorney since 1988 and has owned his own practice since 1993. He is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Jim obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Villanova University School of Law in 1988 and his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1985. He graduated from the Margate Public Schools and is a graduate of Atlantic City High School. Jim is also a graduate of the United States Army Infantry Training Center (U.S.A.I.T.C.) at Fort Benning, Georgia and served in the Army Reserves from 1988 through 1994 and is Honorably Discharged. He has served in numerous legal positions including Assistant City Solicitor, Municipal Prosecutor and Municipal Public Defender and has counseled multiple business and non-profit organizations. Jim has tried many jury trials to conclusion in addition to a great number of appearances in Federal Court, State Courts, Municipal Courts, Administrative Law Courts, Municipal Courts, Zoning and Planning Boards and Tax Appeal Boards throughout the years.. Jim’s activities include:

I work in close partnership with my clients to achieve successful results.  In over 38 years of practice I've represented over a thousand clients in all aspects of divorce and family law dealing with issues such as maintenance, custody, parentage, adoption, child support, visitation, property division, debt allocation, mediation, Collaborative divorce and tax laws in connection with divorce.  I strive to achieve the very best result for my client.. A member of the Cook County Child Representative Panel, I have represented many children in contested custody proceedings. Additionally, I have the following professional affiliations: Member of the Chicago Bar Association and Past Chairperson of its Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee; Past Board Member of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois; Past Board Member of the Mediation Council of Illinois; Illinois State Bar Association; Lake County Bar Association; Lake County Arbitrators Panel; and International Association of Collaborative Practitioners.. In addition to my busy family law practice, I like to educate the community about divorce and family law matters as a commentator in print media, on radio and television news covering divorce mediation and Collaborative divorce; as chair of the training and education committee of the Collaborative Law Institute Of Illinois; and as a speaker at The Lilac Tree and other business and community organizations. I formerly hosted the family law edition of the cable television program Law Talk.  I am   happy to offer a free consultation to talk to you about your problem in person or on the telephone.  The solution to your problem may be easier than you think.

Experienced Estate attorney serving clients in Northfield and surrounding areas.

Experienced Estate attorney serving clients in Northfield and surrounding areas.

Experienced Estate attorney serving clients in Northfield and surrounding areas.

Experienced Estate attorney serving clients in Northfield and surrounding areas.