Business & Tech
Darien Attorney Helps Clients Prepare for the Future
Michael Overmann specializes in wills, trusts and other aspects of estate planning.
As an undergrad at Purdue University, was sure of his future. A finance major, he planned on getting his MBA, then entering the business world.
While preparing for the GMAT, he read about a legal issue that intrigued him. And it changed his future.
“I started looking into the Law School Admissions Test,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in law. (But) with a law degree, there’s a lot you can do.”
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
Today, as an estate attorney Overmann helps people plan for their families' future.
At St. Louis University Law School, the State Tax course convinced Overmann to specialize in wills and trusts.
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
“The intellectual challenge of minimizing taxes was fascinating,” he explained. “It was so challenging and intricate.”
Overmann was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1995. He went right to work at Northern Trust Company in Chicago in their Trust and Estate Settlements Division.
“Sometimes when people pass away, they don’t have anybody to name, so they name a bank to be the money manager,” he explained. “That was a quick way to get involved with a lot of trust agreements and probate issues, and learn the ins and outs of trust and estates laws.”
In 1998, Overmann left that job to join a law firm in Barrington that specialized in estate planning.
Along the way, he married Jenny, whom he’d met at Purdue, setting down roots in Darien, her hometown. And as their family began to grow, he felt compelled to make one more career move.
In 1999, Overmann incorporated and opened his own practice in Darien as one of the few attorneys in the area who specializes in wills, trusts, probate and guardianship.
“Attorneys who limit their practice to an area end up becoming more efficient, more thorough in that practice,” he said.
Overmann offers potential clients a free consultation to answer their questions.
“Every client is different. You have to listen to the client to find out what their particular needs and issues are,” he said. “Our approach is to be very informal. There’s no pressure. It’s just an information exchange.”
Overmann moved his growing practice to its present location at the corner of Cass Avenue and Plainfield Road in 2000. Jenny joined the firm in 2002, managing the business side.
“Meeting with clients, that’s the fun part. That’s practicing law," he said. "The downside is all the administration, the processing, photocopying… The bigger law firms hire paralegals and secretaries to do a lot of that work. We do that on our own. But our costs are a lot better, more competitive than the downtown firms.”
Illinois attorneys are required by the State Supreme Court to fulfill strict continuing education requirements. These requirements include professionalism and ethics training, as well as study of legal topics. To fulfill his requirements, Overmann has written articles and taught legal seminars.
“I could talk about probate for hours, because that’s all we do,” he said. "The last seminar I taught was Oddities and Challenges in Probate Law. Little things come up that aren’t routine. If you don’t practice it day in and day out, you might not know.”
In addition to working with his own clients, Overmann has worked on cases for the DuPage County Public Guardian’s Office.
Signs of Overmann’s community involvement can be seen around his office. Pictures of Darien youth sports teams line one wall. The Darien Chamber of Commerce 2011 Business Excellence Award sits on a table. In addition to serving on the school board and the Darien Chamber of Commerce, he sponsors local events such as the annual DarienFest and Darien Dash.
“It’s important to me, as part of the community, to give back,” he said. “Not just as a business owner making money but in appreciation of serving clients and this great community.”
Michael Overmann’s Darien office is located at 7702 S. Cass Avenue, Suite 135. He can be reached at 630-810-0316. He recently opened a second office in Homer Glen at 15750 Bell Road, Suite 1C, which can be reached at 708-301-4556. For more information, go to www.overmannlaw.com.