Picture of Sandra Schildgen Esq.

Sandra Schildgen, Esq.

Partner
s.schildgen@wilsonwilsonllc.com
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Phone: (847) 656-8958

770 Lake Cook Rd #100
Deerfield, Illinois 60015

As an attorney with a strong background in financial matters, Sandra is a go-to resource for families looking to preserve their assets and plan for the future. Her experience in the strategic aspects of tax planning, proper estate planning and administration, and Medicaid planning consistently helps clients avoid litigation and future problems.

Sandra has helped countless clients navigate Medicaid’s complex rules and regulations to achieve the most favorable results and obtain benefits without spending down their savings. She also assists family members in administering a wide range of estate planning matters, including probate, guardianship and trust issues, guiding them to ensure that each fulfills their fiduciary duties and properly administers assets for their beneficiary or ward. No matter how complicated the area of the law or the family situation involved, Sandra has an innate understanding of what’s needed to resolve it in a way that eases both the financial and emotional strain for the family.

Sandra graduated with honors from the University of Iowa College of Law before working as a staff attorney with the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), now FINRA. There, she received the NASD President’s Award and the Above & Beyond Award. She credits her grandparents with raising her to understand that quiet, hard work goes a long way instilling respect for all people, regardless of position. Sandra brings these values to her interactions with clients, passionately helping families and individuals age with dignity, often in difficult circumstances.

Sandra Schildgen - Medicaid Trusts Webinar
Education

J.D., University of Iowa College of Law

B.A., Columbia University

Professional Highlights
  • IICLE awarded to Sandra Schildgen for contribution as an Author for the "2022 Edition Asset Protection Planning", see Certificate of Publication.
  • Obtained $400,000 settlement in favor of heirs contesting a will.
  • Obtained circuit court orders in three Medicaid-related cases remanding a final administrative decision to the Bureau of Assistance Hearings that resulted in over $200,000 in Medicaid benefits.
  • Preserved over $1 million for four separate families by decanting imperfect trust for the benefit of disabled individuals.
  • Preserved over $1.5 million in assets by performing long-term planning though irrevocable trusts for three separate families.
  • Successfully admitted copy of will to probate, leaving assets to a lifelong partner who otherwise would not have received assets from the decedent’s estate.
  • Obtained order increasing spousal asset limit to $600,000 for mother of three minor children whose husband entered a long-term care facility in his early fifties.
  • Served as guardian ad litem for Spanish-speaking families in DuPage County.
  • Obtained millions in long-term care benefits on behalf of hundreds of seniors.
Previous Experience
  • First Brokerage America, LLC
  • Chicago Investment Group
  • UBS, Financial Services, Inc.
  • NASD Dispute Resolution (now FINRA)
Professional Associations
  • Life’s Plan, Inc., a Pooled OBRA Trust, Board of Directors and Trust Committee Member
  • Bar of State of Illinois
Authored
  • IICLE Chapter on Tax Planning for the Elderly (last updated 2019)
  • The Intersection of Long-Term Care Costs: Estate planning, assets preservation, and ethics (authored and presented 2017)
Client Reviews
★★★★★
"We just received the refund from the facility today. Thank You so very much for all your help with my Mom's file. You and the staff at Wilson & Wilson Estate Planning & Elder Law LLC are outstanding people. It is an Honor to have your law office represent us. I would like to keep in touch with you for future family business." Lou Spataro
★★★★★
"I have known Bill Wilson for years and referred the services of Wilson & Wilson Estate Planning & Elder Law LLC Law Offices to many of my clients. I know they will be met with compassion as well as excellent counsel which is important to families in stressful situations. Dealing with the families in crisis requires skills all of the staff at Wilson & Wilson Estate Planning & Elder Law LLC demonstrate every day." Andrea Donovon
★★★★★
"Bill and his team are outstanding! They are thoughtful, caring and able to handle virtually any estate-related matter. They can take complicated matters and make them simple to understand. And on simple matters, they get it done quickly and for a reasonable fee. I highly recommend the Wilson & Wilson Estate Planning & Elder Law LLC team." G.Grant Dixon III
★★★★★
"Sandra and Debbie were very friendly but also professional. They were very efficient and concise and were able to answer all my questions about the paperwork. I felt very comfortable and confident working with Sandra and definitely would recommend her services to friends and family." A.S.