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Estate Planning Attorney in Fox River Grove

Illinois Estate Attorney Process

How our estate planning process works

1

Initial Discovery Call

We walk you through the estate planning basics and explain and discuss those options in more detail with you during our initial discovery phone call. If you are ready to schedule this now, please click the Schedule A Call link below.
2

The Questionnaire

Once you decide to move forward, we educate ourselves about your needs based on a questionnaire that we provide to you. CLICK HERE to download.
3

The Simple Estate Planning Strategy Session

Once we review the forms you provide to us, we schedule a follow-up Simple Estate Planning Strategy Session to explain and discuss the best options available to you, so you can decide how to proceed.
4

Drafting

Once you decide on how you want to proceed, we draft your estate plan based on your wishes and present the drafts to you for review.
5

The Signing

Once you review and finalize the estate planning documents, you then sign the finalized estate planning documents and breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you have taken a major step in simplifying your end-of-life needs and goals.
Michael LaCava Attorney

Michael LaCava

Attorney  //  LaCava Law Firm, LLC

Attorney Michael LaCava has a remarkable passion for helping people navigate the intricate realms of real estate and estate planning, and his journey is a testament to his unwavering dedication to both his professional pursuits and his role as a devoted family man.

Since 2013, Michael has honed his skills to become a trusted advisor for individuals seeking guidance in their property transactions and estate planning endeavors. His expertise extends beyond the technicalities of the law, as he is genuinely committed to understanding his clients’ unique needs and ensuring their financial and legal well-being.

Outside the professional realm, Michael finds comfort and joy in his role as a family man. He is a loving husband to his wife, Melanie, and a devoted father to three awesome kids. In his free time, you’ll find Michael and his family immersed in a variety of activities. From camping trips that bring them closer to nature, to fishing adventures that instill a love for the outdoors, to sporting events where  Michael enthusiastically cheers on and coaches his kids in their various sports, Michael cherishes these moments as opportunities to connect and share his life’s journey with family and friends.

michael@lacavalawfirm.com(630) 444-7504
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3
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2
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Michael LaCava Attorney

LaCava Law Firm, LLC is dedicated to providing affordable, responsive, and personal service to each client.

Our commitment to each client remains consistent, we treat each client with the professional attention and service they deserve, without cutting corners. The results of that dedication are evident in the reputation we have built. Our clients love us for good reason, we deliver and provide the level of service we promise.

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All about Fox River Grove

Fox River Grove (FRG) is a village in Algonquin Township, McHenry County and Cuba Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. In 1919, the village of Fox River Grove officially incorporated, becoming the ninth village in McHenry County. The Grove is situated along the southern shore of the Fox River. The population was 4,854 at the 2010 census.[3] Residents refer to themselves as “Grovers.”

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_River_Grove,_Illinois

Early History of Fox River Grove

Long before the arrival of Europeans, Native Americans called the land within Fox River Grove home. The Ojibwe (also known as Chippewa) people continued to winter in the Fox River Valley into the 1860s. The women traded beadwork and purses with local settlers while the men trapped muskrat and mink, selling the pelts in nearby Barrington, Illinois. The area’s proximity to Northwest Highway (Route 14), a major military and trade road, enabled such commerce to thrive. The men also made fence posts for local farmers and would “spear fish at night using torches attached to the end of their birchbark canoes.”[4] When spring came, they traveled north to their summer lands in Wisconsin.[5] Between 1816 and 1833, the Ojibwe and U.S. government engaged in peace talks, resulting in several land cession treaties being signed. Eventually, all Ojibwe land in Illinois was taken by the federal government. The rapid increase of European-American settlers, coupled with pressures from the government and military, eventually forced this dynamic and proud people to leave the lands that would soon become Fox River Grove and relocate west of the Mississippi River.[6]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_River_Grove,_Illinois

Old Gang-Related Activity in Fox River Grove

During the Prohibition Era, Fox River Grove embodied the metaphorical underbelly of Northwest Chicagoland’s crime syndicates. From bottom-rung bootleggers to the ringleaders themselves, gangsters of all stripes staked out the Grove for both business and merry-making. Located on the Fox River, the Grove served as a smuggling hub, with its waterways providing a transportation route. At the same time, the village’s small and relatively remote nature helped to shelter gang activity from the Chicago Police Department and federal authorities. Above all, however, this criminals’ playground was only made possible by Louis Cernocky Sr., a local legend to this day. Cernocky’s property assets throughout Fox River Grove—along with his double-life stature as both a respected citizen and Capone gang bootlegger—allowed the operation to flourish.[18] Thanks to Cernocky, outlaws prowled the Fox River banks and frequented Cernocky’s local establishments such as the Crystal Ballroom at Louie’s Place—a multi-use establishment that served as a restaurant, big-band dance hall, speakeasy, and gangster hideout.[16] Importantly, members of the Dillinger Gang and Barker-Karpis Gang were regulars.[19] Notable gangster visitors to Louie’s Place included Alvin “Creepy” Karpis, “Ma” Barker, Freddie Barker,[16] “Baby Face” Nelson, John Dillinger, Homer Van Meter, and Tommy Carroll. The Grove was finally released from the gangsters’ grasp in 1934. Having already neutralized Dillinger in Chicago, federal agents pursued and fatally shot Baby Face Nelson on nearby Route 14 in The Battle of Barrington. With most of the ringleaders dead or behind bars, Fox River Grove’s gangster era soon came to an end.[18]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_River_Grove,_Illinois

Geography of Fox River Grove

Fox River Grove is located primarily in McHenry County and partially in Lake County, Illinois, along U.S. Route 14, 42 miles (68 km) northwest of downtown Chicago. It is situated on the south bank of the Fox River, which flows southwest to the Illinois River. The village of Cary is located on the north side of the river, connected to Fox River Grove by a bridge on Route 14.

According to the 2010 census, Fox River Grove has a total area of 1.78 square miles (4.61 km2), all land.[27]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_River_Grove,_Illinois

Demographics of Fox River Grove

As of the census[29] of 2000 in Fox River Grove, there were 4,862 people, 1,677 households, and 1,294 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,929.6 people per square mile (1,130.9/km2). There were 1,734 housing units at an average density of 1,044.8 per square mile (403.3/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 95.91% White, 0.68% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 1.13% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.83% of the population. Common ancestries among the population include German, Polish, Italian, Irish, and English.[30] In 2017 in Fox River Grove, nearly 9% of Fox River Grove’s population was foreign-born.[31]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_River_Grove,_Illinois