Ryan W. Gardner

Ryan W. Gardner

5.0
Rating: 8.4

Licensed for 10 years

Estate planning Lawyer at Chicago, IL
Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Probate, Guardianship, Business

200 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite #1100, Chicago, IL

About Ryan

Biography

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Estate Planning 70%

Wills, Living/Revocable Trusts, Medical/Financial Powers of Attorney, Special Needs Planning, LLCs, Deeds, Irrevocable Instruments, Gifting Trusts, Family Settlement Agreements, Land Trusts, Real Estate Planning, Succession Planning

70%
Business 10%

LLCs, Operating Agreements, Shareholder Agreements, Corporate Formation, Tax Planning, Business Succession Planning

10%
Guardianship 10%

Disabled Adults, Minor Estates, Accountings, All Aspects of Court-Administered Guardianship Proceedings

10%
Probate 10%

Decedent's Estates, Guardianship Estates, Small Estate Affidavits, Non-Judicial Settlement Agreements, Virtual Representation, All Aspects of Court-Administered Probate Estates

10%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 90 minutes

Hourly Rates

$ 395-495 per hour

Retainer

Sometimes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Michigan for 3 years

State: Michigan

Acquired: 2022

Active in Good Standing

No misconduct found

Licensed in Illinois for 10 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 2015

Active and Authorized to Practice Law

No misconduct found

Location

Howard & Howard, Attorneys, PLLC

200 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite #1100, Chicago, IL, 60604

Howard & Howard, Attorneys, PLLC

450 West Fourth Street, Royal Oak, MI, 48067

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Ryan W. Gardner's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

52 Client Reviews

5 star (52)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by Stuart and Jodi | February 13, 2023 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

We Highly Recommend Working with Ryan Gardner on Your Estate Planning Needs

We worked with Ryan Gardner and his team at Howard & Howard to redo from scratch our previous estate plan. The original plan had been created more than 10 years ago with a different firm, and although that firm came highly recommended, we were disappointed with its people, their process, and ultimate...ly the plan. In stark contrast, Ryan and his team generously provided us with the care, expertise, and guidance we needed. The end result for us was creation of a strong estate plan that we understand so we have confidence it meets our family’s needs. Here’s what Ryan and his team gave us that the other prominent firm did not: • A robust initial call to get acquainted, to understand our goals and needs, to explain estate planning concepts in simple terms, and to identify the process and people with whom we’d be working; we couldn’t believe how much time we were given on this call. • An engagement letter so the process and pricing were formalized and understood up-front. It gave us comfort and confidence to proceed. There were no silly or hidden costs. • Accessibility to Ryan, the attorney/counselor, not a conduit, as often as needed (within reason) for follow-up questions. Brief calls were provided at no additional cost. These calls were never rushed and were always long enough to meet our needs at no additional cost. • Prompt and reliable support. Ryan’s team was dependable. Document drafts were always accurate to the finest detail, and were provided in advance so we could read (and re-read) them to establish confidence in the content and its meaning. • Practical guidance. When asked, Ryan provided examples from his personal estate plan. Hearing what he did and why helped us to understand our options and make better decisions. Working with Ryan felt to us like working with a family member or trusted friend. Securing our family’s estate seemed as important to him and his team as it was to us. What a huge sense of relief to complete this critical task with full confidence.

Posted by Marvin | December 7, 2022 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Ryan is nothing short of exceptional

We hired Ryan and his team for our estate planning. Ryan was very clear, kind, and thorough in explaining the estate planning process, the timing, and the cost. Professional and accommodating to any changes that you need along the way, and willing to wait as long as it takes to ensure everything is i...n order. I cannot express how deeply grateful I am to him, as well as the team a Howard & Howard. Thank you so much for everything.

Posted by K B | December 7, 2022 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Proactive, professional and friendly

Ryan combines the world-class expertise you need with a good personality. He's easy to talk to. He knows about the best tools for every problem I've handed him. He explains complex issues well. I interviewed four attorneys in my selection process and I chose him. I recommend him without rese...rvation.

Posted by Antoine | March 23, 2022 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

A Lawyer Who Cares

As an individual who doesn't come from a background that has afforded me the knowledge of how best to secure my future, working with Ryan has been a huge delight. I was referred to Ryan when inquiring within my network about a lawyer who can help me get my estate affairs in order. In our first cal...l, Ryan set out to make sure he understood my short and long-term goals and took the time to make sure I was properly educated on any terms I did not understand. Despite any delays that were caused by myself, Ryan and his team worked diligently to provide me with the highest quality of service. Working with Ryan is one of the single best decisions that I made this year.

Posted by Tushar | January 27, 2022 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Ryan Gardner- The best estate planning attorney out there

We hired Ryan and his team for our estate planning needs. Ryan was very clear and thorough in explaining about the estate planning process, what to expect from him and fees. He was very precise in collecting data from our side and putting them in to trust documents and explain each document very cle...arly to us. Ryan and his team was always there and ready to answer any questions we had. Very professional and accommodating to any changes that you need along the process. We highly recommend Ryan and his team for estate planning. Two thumbs UP !!!

See All Client Reviews

Ryan W. Gardner's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Ryan
Colleen Mary Breems headshot
Colleen Breems

Estate planning lawyer | Nov 20

Relationship: Co-worker

"Ryan is knowledgeable, ethical, caring, and attentive when it comes to helping clients navigate estate planning issues. He can be counted on to provide personalized attention and a quality deliverable. I highly recommend him!"

Adam Edward Urbanczyk headshot
Adam Urbanczyk

Business lawyer | Nov 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Ryan is an attentive, experienced, and pragmatic business attorney."

Jordan David Rosenberg headshot
Jordan Rosenberg

Estate planning lawyer | Nov 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Your search for a lawyer ends here. Ryan is a stand up person, is intelligent and is committed to his practice. I highly highly endorse Ryan for all areas of law and is just a great person to know all together. Added bonus: Ryan has an expansive network which he isn't hesitant to utilize to assist others."

Bibek Das headshot
Bibek Das

Estate planning lawyer | Nov 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Ryan is an excellent attorney with great character. He is diligent and attentive to his client's needs. He is extremely knowledgeable in estate planning. I would not hesitate to recommend him to my clients."

Christina M. White headshot
Christina White

Estate planning lawyer | Jul 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"As a former classmate and fellow attorney in the community, I endorse Ryan as a trustworthy and competent lawyer. For this reason, my husband and I engaged his services for our estate planning, and we were completely satisfied with his representation. His knowledge, care for his clients, and diligence were obvious from the moment we met with him for a consultation. I highly endorse Ryan Gardner as a fellow attorney."

Jon Adler headshot
Jon Adler

Estate planning lawyer | Oct 12

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Ryan is a fantastic estate planning attorney. I have referred clients to him, and have heard nothing but great things from them about his work performance. I will continue to refer clients his way, and recommend others do so as well."

Steven A. Migala headshot
Steven Migala

Unknown lawyer | Feb 24

Relationship: Co-worker

"Ryan is an excellent addition to our estate planning team whose enthusiasm is refreshing. He is highly committed to preparing customized estate plans which meet client objectives."

Kristina Buchthal Regal headshot
Kristina Regal

Probate lawyer | Jan 18

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Ryan is a talented, smart lawyer. He uses his substantial savvy to deliver excellent results for his clients. I can't say enough good things about Ryan. Not only does he possess great business sense, he also is a tireless advocate on behalf of his clients."

Michael Thomas Roth headshot
Michael Roth

Estate planning lawyer | Nov 18

Relationship: Co-worker

"Ryan is an enormous asset to Lavelle Law and the Clients we serve via our estate planning practice. He is an incredibly knowledgeable and diligent lawyer who takes a very personal approach to representing his clients."

Kerry M. Lavelle headshot
Kerry Lavelle

Estate planning lawyer | Nov 10

Relationship: Supervised lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer. Ryan has really jumped into our firm and has added value to our estate planning group from the day he started. He is very thorough in his documentation of estate plans."

Chance William Badertscher headshot
Chance Badertscher

Estate planning lawyer | Nov 10

Relationship: Co-worker

"Ryan is a motivated and driven attorney. He is committed to exceeding client expectations and I am constantly impressed with his knowledge in all areas of estate planning."

Sarah Flohr headshot
Sarah Flohr

Estate planning lawyer | Nov 10

Relationship: Co-worker

"Ryan is passionate about his clients and will ensure their questions are answered and their needs are met at every step of the estate planning process."

Heather Leigh Glaser headshot
Heather Glaser

Unknown lawyer | Nov 10

Relationship: Co-worker

"Ryan works tirelessly for his clients and guides them through every step, ensuring they are getting the results the client desires. He has set a high standard for both professionalism and ethics. I highly recommend this attorney."

Heather Guilette Walser headshot
Heather Walser

Estate planning lawyer | Nov 09

Relationship: Supervised lawyer

"Ryan's enthusiasm and commitment to high-level client service are second to none. He is an asset to our estate planning practice group, and I endorse him without reservation."

Michael Ricciardello headshot
Michael Ricciardello

Estate planning lawyer | Oct 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Gardner is through and through a great attorney. His wealth of knowledge in the Estate Planning, Probate, Medicare, Medicaid and Guardianship fields make him an impressive mind to have in your corner. I know that he is knowledgable, respectful, personable and diligent. This makes him my first selection in referring anyone to an attorney in the aforementioned fields."

James David Voigt headshot
James Voigt

Estate planning lawyer | Oct 12

Relationship: Co-worker

"Ryan brings a high level of energy to any case he is handling, and is a strong advocate for all of his clients. He's a great problem solver and genuinely cares about the outcomes he is seeking for his clients. I definitely endorse Ryan."

Amil Alkass headshot
Amil Alkass

Estate planning lawyer | Oct 09

Relationship: Co-worker

"I highly recommend Ryan. He is very knowledgeable about complex estate planning and probate issues. He is very hard-working and extremely talented and provides excellent representation and counsel for his clients."

James R. Doerr headshot
James Doerr

Estate planning lawyer | Oct 09

Relationship: Co-worker

"Ryan is a very conscientious, diligent and focused lawyer. I recommend and endorse Ryan."

Jenet Gonzalez Pequeno headshot
Jenet Pequeno

Estate planning lawyer | Oct 09

Relationship: Co-worker

"Ryan has shown an eagerness and a passion for excellence in his legal work. He wants to put his client's interests first and foremost and walk them through the estate planning process to accomplish their goals. He is a budding future star in the legal community."

Matthew J. Sheahin headshot
Matthew Sheahin

Estate planning lawyer | Oct 09

Relationship: Supervised lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer. Ryan has shown a strong work ethic and great understanding of the law in regards to estate planning and probate that enables him to provide high quality legal services to clients at an affordable price."

View All Endorsements
Jordan David Rosenberg headshot
Jordan Rosenberg

Unknown lawyer

Calvin V. Boyd Jr. headshot
Calvin Boyd

Unknown lawyer

Jon Adler headshot
Jon Adler

Unknown lawyer

Steven A. Migala headshot
Steven Migala

Unknown lawyer

Michael Thomas Roth headshot
Michael Roth

Unknown lawyer

Kristina Buchthal Regal headshot
Kristina Regal

Unknown lawyer

Jennifer Susan Burt headshot
Jennifer Burt

Unknown lawyer

Heather Leigh Glaser headshot
Heather Glaser

Unknown lawyer

Chance William Badertscher headshot
Chance Badertscher

Unknown lawyer

Timothy M. Hughes headshot
Timothy Hughes

Unknown lawyer

Amil Alkass headshot
Amil Alkass

Unknown lawyer

James R. Doerr headshot
James Doerr

Unknown lawyer

Kelly A. Anderson headshot
Kelly Anderson

Unknown lawyer

Jenet Gonzalez Pequeno headshot
Jenet Pequeno

Family lawyer

Matthew J. Sheahin headshot
Matthew Sheahin

Unknown lawyer

Theodore M. Mcginn headshot
Theodore Mcginn

Unknown lawyer

Heather Guilette Walser headshot
Heather Walser

Estate planning lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.4 (Excellent)

Honors

2013

CALI Excellence for the Future Award, DePaul University College of Law

Work Experience

2021 - Present

Partner, Howard & Howard Attorneys, PLLC

2015 - 2021

Associate Attorney, Lavelle Law, Ltd.

2014 - 2014

Judicial Extern for the Honorable Aurelia Pucinski, Illinois Appellate Court 1st Judicial District

2008 - 2014

Paralegal/Law Clerk, Novack & Macey, LLP

Associations

2018 - Present

III Gentlemen

Board Member

2016 - Present

Kicks 4 The City

Ambassador

2015 - Present

Illinois State Bar Association

Member

2015 - Present

American Bar Association

Member

2015 - Present

Legal Assistance Foundation (LAF)

Volunteer / Pro Bono Attorney

2012 - Present

Chicago Bar Association

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Special Needs Trust

Happy clients

Business Succession Plan

Happy clients

See More Legal Cases

Education

2014

DePaul University College of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

2008

Michigan State University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2019

Monthly Continuing Education

The Importance of Estate Planning

2017

KW Lunch & Learn

Protecting Rental and Investment Properties

2017

Career Builder Mentoring

Why Everyone Needs Estate Planning

2015

SBA Connections

Non-Tax Benefits of Revocable Trusts

Publications

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution