Michael LaCava
Attorney // LaCava Law Firm, LLC
Estate Planning Attorney in Oak Park
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.
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3
Number of Kids
9
Number of years licensed
2
Number of Bar Licenses (Florida & Illinois)
∞
Number of hours studying law
1-2
Number of daily coffees consumed
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.
All about Oak Park
Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate.[3] Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated in 1902, when it separated from Cicero.[4] Architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his wife settled in Oak Park in 1889, and his work heavily influenced local architecture and design, including the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio.[5] Over the years, rapid development was spurred by railroads and street cars connecting the village to jobs in nearby Chicago. In 1968, Oak Park passed the Open Housing Ordinance, which helped devise strategies to integrate the village rather than resegregate.[6]
Today, Oak Park remains ethnically diverse, and is known for its socially liberal politics, with 80% or higher voter turnout in every presidential election since 2000.[7] Oak Park is closely connected to Chicago with Chicago Transit Authority access via the Green Line and Blue Line “L” train lines including the Metra Oak Park stationdowntown.
History of Oak Park
In 1835, Joseph and Betty Kettlestrings, immigrants from Yorkshire, England, staked out a farm and built a house near Lake Street and Harlem Avenue, west of Chicago. Once their children were born, they moved to Chicago for the schools in 1843, and moved back again in 1855 to build a more substantial home a bit east on their quarter section of land. More farmers and settlers had entered the area. Their land was called by several names locally, including Oak Ridge, Harlem, and Kettlestrings Grove. When the first post office was set up, it could not use the name Oak Ridge, as another post office was using that name in Illinois, so the post office chose Oak Park, and that name became the name for the settlement as it grew, and for the town when it incorporated in 1902.[8]
By 1850, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (after that, the Chicago & Northwestern and now Union Pacific) was constructed as far as Elgin, Illinois, and passed through the settlement area.[9] In the 1850s the land on which Oak Park sits was part of the new Chicago suburb, the town of Cicero. The population of the area boomed during the 1870s, with Chicago residents resettling in Cicero following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the expansion of railroads and street cars to the area. “In 1872, when Oak Park received its own railroad depot on the Chicago and Northwestern Railway, its rapid emergence as a residential suburb of Chicago began. In 1877, the railroad was running thirty-nine trains daily between Oak Park and Chicago; in the subsequent year, more railroads and street car lines, with increased service, came to link Oak Park and Chicago. As Chicago grew from a regional center to a national metropolis Oak Park expanded – from 500 residents in 1872 to 1,812 in 1890, to 9,353 in 1900, to 20,911 in 1910, to 39,585 in 1920. Oak Park thus emerged as a leading Chicago suburb.”
More History of Oak Park
The Village of Oak Park was formally established in 1902, disengaging from Cicero following a referendum. According to the local historical society, “The period 1892–1950 saw the construction of almost all of the housing stock in Oak Park, and most of the village’s current buildings.”[8] The village population grew quickly, and “by 1930, the village had a population of 64,000, even larger than the current population”,[8] while cherishing a reputation as the “World’s Largest Village.”[8] Chicago grew rapidly in the 19th century, recording 4,470 residing in the 1840 Census in the place so recently a fur trading post, reaching 1,099,850 in 1890, and then 1,698,575 in 1900, passing Philadelphia to the number two spot in the US, and in that year, the fifth largest in the world. Chicago was well located on the shores of Lake Michigan for transport; after the fire of 1871, Chicago rebuilt its center and exploded with new ideas; Oak Park grew along with its neighbor to the east, having location and railroad and street car connections in its favor.
After World War II, “Oak Park was affected by larger developmental trends in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The construction of the Eisenhower Expressway cut through the southern portion of the Village in the mid 1950s. Starting in the 1960s and 1970s, Oak Park has made a conscious effort to accommodate changing demographics and social pressures while maintaining the suburban character that has long made the Village a desirable residential location.[11] Beginning in the 1960s, Oak Park faced the issue of racial integration with effective programs to maintain the character and stability of the Village, while encouraging integration on racial basis. This included passage of The Open Housing Ordinance in 1968 which has helped maintain the ethnically diverse population seen in the village still today.
