Christine Barone, a Principal in the Estate Planning & Asset Protection and Estate & Trust Administration & Litigation practice groups, finds the most rewarding aspect of assisting and representing her clients is alleviating some of the burden that they feel in extremely stressful and overwhelming situations. She has the knowledge and skills to assist clients step-by-step to try to confront concerns and worries that are often life altering. She understands that communication is critical to an attorney-client relationship and will sit down and discuss the various outcomes and scenarios so that her clients can not only make informed decisions, but also feel a sense of relief.
Christine focuses her practice on elder law. This encompasses contested and uncontested adult guardianships, decedents’ estates, trust administration and litigation, estate planning and asset protection. Notably, she handles planning for those with disabilities or special needs and long-term care planning for eligibility and appeals for Medicaid benefits. She has also represented nursing homes in securing and appealing Medicaid benefits for their residents and claims for payment from the State in the Illinois Court of Claims. She prepares and reviews contracts, wills, trusts, special needs trusts and powers of attorney.
Oftentimes, these matters are sensitive and nerve-wracking. Christine is devoted to understanding each client’s goals and expectations through informed discussions in order for her to exceed those expectations as their attorney. Client service and communication is everything to her. The reason she practices in this area of the law is to guide clients through the confusion of the unexpected, traumatic and difficult decisions and processes that often accompany caring for an aging or disabled loved one. She ensures that her clients are always informed and confident with their relationship and communication.
Christine is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), which is an exclusive honor bestowed on a select group of attorneys by the National Elder Law Foundation. To date, there are only 17 CELAs in Illinois providing resourceful and inspired solutions for clients faced with elder law issues. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She is also a former president and current board member of the Veterans’ Legal Aid Society.
When away from the office, Christine is quite busy with her young family, enjoying family trips to water parks, camping and the zoo. In those rare few minutes to herself, she appreciates running for her mental and physical health and tries to squeeze it in whenever she can.
