ELIZABETH A. MCKILLIP

Elizabeth’s practice focuses on estate, trust, and family business disputes, providing counsel to trustees, trust beneficiaries, and heirs on probate court matters, trust administration, and asset distribution. She has a strong track record representing individual beneficiaries, trustees, and corporate fiduciaries in various trust and estate-related litigation, including breach of fiduciary duty claims, will and trust contests, trust construction issues, and family business disputes. Elizabeth also has extensive experience representing clients and pursuing matters to the appellate and Illinois Supreme Court concerning trust, estate and probate issues.

Additionally, Elizabeth has significant experience resolving actual or potential disputes through mediation, drafting and representing clients in relation to modifications to irrevocable trusts, drafting nonjudicial settlement agreements, decanting trusts, and conversions to total return trusts and directed trusts.

Elizabeth regularly writes and speaks on trust and estate related matters, including fiduciary litigation and dispute resolution.  Her achievements in the legal field include recognition as a Rising Star and Super Lawyer in Estate and Trust Litigation by Super Lawyers Magazine, as well as acknowledgment as an Emerging Leader and Leading Lawyer in Trust, Will, and Estate Planning Law by Leading Lawyers. Elizabeth brings a wealth of experience to her practice, having previously served as a partner at Ice Miller before joining Levin Schreder & Carey.

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Elizabeth primarily operates out of our Lisle Office, contributing her experience to clients in the region.

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Contact

EMAIL ADDRESS
emckillip@lsclaw.com

PHONE NUMBER
+1 312 895 6386

Additional Information

EDUCATION
J.D., Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, 2004
– magna cum laude
– Loyola University Chicago Law Journal (member)
– Editor of Illinois Judicial Conference Symposium
B.A., University of Illinois, 2001
– with honors

ADMISSIONS
Illinois, 2004
United States District Court – Northern District of Illinois
The Supreme Court of the United States

Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, “Trust Busting” October 2024

“How a Non-Judicial Settlement Agreement Can Be Very Beneficial in Resolving Issues in the Settlement of Estates and Trusts” DuPage Bar Association, June 2024

“Foundations and Frontiers in Illinois Estate Planning Administration and Litigation” Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, May 2024

Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Litigating Disputed Estates and Trusts: “Will & Trust Contests” live webcast, September 2022, September 2023.

“Claims, Contests and Illinois Probate in the Era of the New Illinois Trust Code” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education Virtual Conference, Chicago, Illinois 2021.

“Post-Death Administration of Trusts & Estates,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, January 2021

Fifth Third Bank Trust Officer and Portfolio Managers Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, April 2017 “A Trustee’s Precarious Duty Navigating through Family Dissention”

“Estate Litigation,”  Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, March 2015

“Starting Points: Basic Estate Planning,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, August 2015

First Midwest Bank 8th Annual Continuing Education Event, Contested Trust and Estate Litigation, Bolingbrook, Illinois 2014

“Client Intake and Counseling” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Chicago, Illinois 2014

“Will Contests” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Chicago, Illinois 2013

“Litigating Disputed Estates and Trusts,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Chicago, Illinois 2012

“Starting Points: Basic Estate Planning,” February, 2007

“Trust Administration: Essential Duties for Trustees & Advisors,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education February 2007

Author, “Challenges to Wills” which appears as Chapter 3 in Causes and Action: Probate Actions For the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) updated in 2024.

Author, “Will Contests” which appears as Chapter 2 in Litigating Disputed Estates, Trusts, Guardianships and Charitable Bequests for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) updated in 2023.

Co-Author, “Construing and Modifying Wills and Irrevocable Trusts” which appears as Chapter 7 in Litigating Disputed Estates, Trusts, Guardianships and Charitable Bequests for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) updated in 2023.

“Trust Administration Essential Duties for Trustee or Advisors,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education

“Starting Points, Drafting Basic Will and Trusts,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education

  • Selected to “Super Lawyers” “Rising Star” list from 2013, 2018 – 2020 and “Super Lawyers” list (2021-present)
  • Leading Lawyer – (2022-present) – Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
  • Emerging Lawyers, 2017, 2019 – Emerging Leader in Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
  • DuPage County Bar Association
    • Board of Directors Award
    • Law Day Vice Chair 2024
    • Law Day Chair 2025
  • DuPage Estate Planning Council (2019-present)
  • Past Committee Chair, Illinois State Bar Association
  • Past Board Member, DuPage Inns of Court

  • In re Estate of Coffman, 2022 IL App (2d) 210053 (Aug. 10, 2022):2023 IL 128867 (November 30, 2023)
  • In re Estate of Karris, 2021 IL App (2d) 190865 (Nov. 16, 2021)
  • Davis v. Scheck, 2019 IL App (2d) 180134 (Feb. 13, 2019)
  • Faville v. Burns, 2011 IL App (1st) 110335 (Sept. 30, 2011)
  • In re Estate of Vinckus, No. 3-10-0864, 2011 WL 10481263 (3d Dist. June 15, 2011)
  • In re Marriage of White, No. 2-10-0356, 2011 Ill. App. LEXIS 425 (2d Dist. Mar. 17, 2011)

  • DuPage Child Friendly Courts Foundation – Board member (2007-present)