Curt William Ferguson

Curt William Ferguson

5.0
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 36 years

Estate planning Lawyer at Salem, IL
Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Business

The Estate Planning Center, 919 West Main, Salem, IL

About Curt

Practice Areas

2

Practice Areas

Estate Planning 90%

Through a unique, proactive estate planning process we help people control their future and direct their assets in such a way as to make the greatest positive impact on the lives of the people they love. It's not a document; it's a plan that works!

37 years | 1,000 cases

90%
Business 10%

Your small business (corporation, LLC, etc.) must be operated with proper formalities, or it will not serve it's intended purposes. With our help, you can realize tax and asset protection benefits, then (coordinated with your estate plan) transfer the business to your chosen successor.

30 years | 100 cases

10%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in Missouri for 22 years

State: Missouri

Acquired: 2004

Good Standing, Active

No misconduct found

Licensed in Illinois for 36 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 1989

Active and Authorized to Practice Law

No misconduct found

Location

Curt W. Ferguson, P.C.

The Estate Planning Center, 919 West Main, Salem, IL, 62881-1303

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Curt William Ferguson's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

42 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (42) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 9 reviews | Communication Style

Posted by anonymous | July 19, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Trusts

Estate planning

We hired Curt to do our Trust. He did a very good job. He explained in detail how it would work. He was great at answering our questions. We are extremely happy with the results.

Posted by Linda | July 08, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Estate Planning

Satisfied Clients

Curt Ferguson was recommended by our insurance agent when we asked for references for estate planning. We attended an introductory meeting and felt right away Curt was the person we wanted working with us. We were right! His knowledge, values, presentation of information and personality were what we ...needed as our estate plan was developed. We also appreciate two other important factors related to Curt: his great staff and the emphasis put on keeping our information current for our whole estate plan.

Posted by anonymous | July 06, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Estate Planning

Outstanding!

We hired Curt Ferguson to do our estate planning. We have been extremely pleased with every aspect of our interactions with Curt and his team. Curt is highly knowledgeable, extremely thorough, and totally client focused. While the material is very complex, Curt is very patient and addresses questions... without making us feel reluctant or embarrassed about asking. Follow up is fantastic, and ensures that we are doing everything that is needed to fund our trusts, etc. We also appreciate Curt's focus on ongoing education so that we are aware of and can address any changes in the law or our own circumstances.

Posted by anonymous | April 14, 2015 | Estate Planning

Estate Planning - Curt Ferguson

My husband and I have retained Curt as our estate planning attorney since 2005. Curt helps us plan how we want to distribute our estate according to our wishes, with emphasis on retaining our wealth to pass on to our heirs. He also encourages us to write down specific wishes we have for sharing ou...r items and our thoughts to our children after we are gone. This makes the whole process so much personal and not so calculated. Our questions are answered thoroughly and promptly. He is just a phone call or email away. We would recommend Curt to help map out your estate planning needs.

Posted by Dwight & Betty Edgington | April 13, 2015 | Estate Planning

D & B Edgington

We don't mean to be informal, but we really like Mr. Ferguson, we call him Curt, he is an excellent attorney. He's a Christian and a family man. He is very knowledgeable in his field. He takes time to explain things and he makes sure it's the way it gets done. We would recommend him and his staff for... all your estate needs.

See All Client Reviews

Curt William Ferguson's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Curt
Chris Godfrey headshot
Chris Godfrey

Estate planning lawyer | Dec 08

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Curt is my go-to guy whenever I have a problem affecting our farming families. Not only is he very knowledgeable but his experience provides an invaluable perspective that is unique in our field. I enjoy spending time with him. A prospective client would be well-served by him and his exceptional team at the Estate Planning Center."

Joseph Michael Ferraro headshot
Joseph Ferraro

Estate planning lawyer | Oct 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Curt is one of the brightest minds in the estate planning profession. His cutting-edge strategies influence how attorneys practice across the country. He also combines this expertise with an incomparably high level of dedication to his clients and their estate plans. I highly recommend Curt without hesitation."

David Preston Crandall headshot
David Crandall

Estate planning lawyer | Apr 27

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I have known Curt for about seven years due to our mutual involvement in the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys. I consider him one of my mentors in providing the highest quality estate planning for my clients. He is a caring and incredibly intelligent lawyer, exhibiting the very highest of ethical standards as a Christian attorney. I could not recommend him more highly."

Scott Allen Williams headshot
Scott Williams

Estate planning lawyer | Mar 17

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"It has been my sincere pleasure to have had the opportunity to work closely with Curt on a number of complex legal projects over the past 10 years. Curt is by far one of the most technically strong estate planning attorneys I have ever worked with. I am particularly impressed with his ability to sort through complex legal issues to find common sense and practical solutions for his clients. He is exceptionally committed to finding innovative ways to ensure each of his clients' estate plans achieve the purpose for which they were put in place. His work ethic is beyond reproach and he genuinely cares for each of his clients. I could not give a higher endorsement for this friend and colleague."

Tamara Beam Cain headshot
Tamara Cain

Estate planning lawyer | Sep 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have worked with Curt Ferguson in the estate planning arena for a number of years. His law firm is truly education-focused. Curt has developed a unique approach to estate planning that makes the complex subject of estate planning easy to understand, organized, and cost effective. He and his team at The Estate Planning Center establish life-long relationships with their clients, their client's helpers, and their client's families. Curt understands that estate plans must be maintained and updated because of changes in the law, the tax system, the family, mobility of family helpers, and Curt's constantly evolving methods for addressing his client's issues. I endorse Curt Ferguson and The Estate Planning Center for the process they have developed to make sure that their client's estate plans work as intended."

William F. Coyne Jr headshot
William Coyne

Estate planning lawyer | Jun 25

Relationship: Other

"I have known Curt for more than ten years. Curt is that rare lawyer who is both technically very knowledgeable and dedicated to achieving a client's personal goals for the family. I have learned a great deal from him -- both about cutting edge tax minimization techniques, and about creative ways to design, implement, and maintain plans to achieve a client's long term goals."

Gary Roger Waitzman headshot
Gary Waitzman

Estate planning lawyer | Mar 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. I have know Curt for many years as a joint member of the NNEPA a national estate planning group for attorneys. I know from working with him and being around him that he is one of the most intelligent, hard working, spiritual and dedicated attorneys I have ever met. He consistently goes the extra mile for his clients and the results speak for themselves. I highly recommend and endorse Curt."

View All Endorsements
Matthew A. Ferri headshot
Matthew Ferri

Estate planning lawyer

Chris Godfrey headshot
Chris Godfrey

Estate planning lawyer

David Preston Crandall headshot
David Crandall

Estate planning lawyer

Jeffrey Allen Cramer headshot
Jeffrey Cramer

Estate planning lawyer

Scott Allen Williams headshot
Scott Williams

Unknown lawyer

Paul H Grant headshot
Paul Grant

Estate planning lawyer

Tamara Beam Cain headshot
Tamara Cain

Estate planning lawyer

Justin Peter Dituri headshot
Justin Dituri

Estate planning lawyer

William F. Coyne Jr headshot
William Coyne

Estate planning lawyer

Gary Roger Waitzman headshot
Gary Waitzman

Estate planning lawyer

Michael Allen Dolan headshot
Michael Dolan

Estate planning lawyer

Samuel Langdon Collins headshot
Samuel Collins

Estate planning lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2009

"The Spoon of Integrity", National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys

Work Experience

1989 - Present

President & Founder, The Estate Planning Center

Associations

2014 - Present

National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys

Chairman: Drafting Development Task Force

2000 - Present

Illinois State Bar Association, Trusts & Estates Section

Member

1996 - Present

National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys

Member

1989 - Present

Christian Legal Society

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Estate and Gift Tax Success

100% reduction in estate tax

See More Legal Cases

Education

1989

University of Texas School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

Speaking Engagements

2020

Trusts 101 Grantor Trusts

2017

NNEPA Collegium

Transfer the Family Business via Sale to Grantor Trust

2016

Trusts 101 (NBI) and National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys Collegium Grantor Trusts

2015

National Network Collegium (Orlando) [Keynote Legal Address] Powers of Appointment: Flexibility in Estate Planning

2015

National Network Collegium (Indianapolis)

Clayton QTIP: an old idea for a new paradigm

2014

National Network Collegium (Indianapolis)

Practical Drafting of Irrevocable Trusts

2013

National Network Collegium (Orlando) [Keynote Legal Address]

ATRA 2012: It's Really Not About THOSE Taxes!

2013

National Network Collegium (Indianapolis)

ATRA: Estate vs. Capital Gain Tax: A Whole New Ballgame

2013

Farm Credit College

Estate Planning 101: Effective Planning for Farm Families

2012

National Network Collegium

Generation Skipping Transfer Tax Planning

Publications

2020

Illinois State Bar Association Trust and Estates Newsletter Beauty and the Beast: Spendthrift Trust meets the SECURE Act

2018

Illinois State Bar Association Trust and Estates Newsletter Beyond taxes and probate: Revive and refine the spendthrift trust

2016

Illinois State Bar Association Trust and Estates Newsletter Protective trusts without compressed tax brackets for trust management

2015

Illinois State Bar Association Trust and Estates Newsletter Stepping up the Basis on Credit Shelter Trust Assets: Having your cake and eating it too

2013

ISBA Agricultural Law Newsletter My attorney won’t tell me what I should do!

2013

Illinois State Bar Association Trust and Estates Newsletter Reflections on National Network Membership

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
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