Full-Service Legal Representation in Cary, IL | Kelleher + Holland, LLC
Cary is a community that earns its pride. Founded in 1833 along the Fox River, incorporated in 1893, and recognized as a Tree City USA, it’s a place where nearly 18,000 residents have put down roots. Close enough to Chicago to commute, and far enough to live at a pace that actually suits a family. When legal matters arise in a place like this, people don’t want a faceless national firm or a single-practice office with a stack of intake forms. They want a team that handles the full picture.
That’s what we do at Kelleher + Holland. From our Barrington, IL office, just a short drive east on Route 14, we serve Cary residents across every area of law that matters to their families, their businesses, and their futures.
Estate Planning for Cary Families
Here’s something worth knowing in 2025: the federal estate and gift tax exemption has permanently increased to $15 million per person, and nearly $30 million for a married couple. For many families, that sounds like estate planning just got less urgent. It hasn’t.
Illinois continues to tax estates valued over $4 million, with rates reaching as high as 16%. For a Cary family with a home, retirement accounts, life insurance, and any business interests, reaching that threshold is more common than most people realize. And if your plan was last updated before 2025, it may not reflect the new federal landscape at all.
We help Cary residents build plans that account for both realities: the improved federal picture and the persistent Illinois exposure. That means wills and trusts structured with current law in mind, powers of attorney that actually work when banks and institutions need them, and healthcare directives that take the guesswork out of the hardest moments.
Our estate planning services include:
- Wills and revocable living trusts
- Irrevocable trusts for asset protection and tax planning
- Powers of attorney (financial and healthcare)
- Healthcare directives and living wills
- Guardianship designations for minor children
- Beneficiary review and asset titling strategy
- Digital asset planning
When a Loved One Passes: Estate and Trust Administration in Cary
Being named executor of an estate is an honor. It’s also, in practice, a significant administrative responsibility, and one that lands in your lap while you’re still grieving.
Our estate and trust administration team handles the procedural weight so you can focus on your family. We guide executors and trustees through McHenry County probate requirements, creditor notifications, asset valuations, and final distributions. We’re straightforward about timelines, costs, and what to expect at every stage. The last thing a grieving family needs is uncertainty layered on top of loss.
Elder Law and Planning for the Next Chapter
Planning for long-term care looks different depending on where you are in life. For some Cary families, it means helping a parent qualify for Medicaid without unnecessarily spending down a lifetime of savings. For others, it means establishing a special needs trust that protects a family member’s benefits while preserving quality of life.
What doesn’t change is the value of doing this planning early, before a health crisis forces the issue. Our elder law attorneys work with Cary families on Medicaid planning, long-term care strategies, veterans’ benefit applications, guardianship proceedings, and special needs planning. We take the time to understand your family’s situation before recommending any course of action.
Business Law for Cary Entrepreneurs and Executives
Cary sits at the center of a busy economic corridor spanning McHenry County, Kane County, and the broader northwest suburban market. Local business owners and professionals here wear a lot of hats, and most don’t have the luxury of a large in-house legal team.
We fill that gap. Whether you’re forming a new entity, drafting a partnership agreement, negotiating a commercial contract, or planning what happens to your business when you step away, our corporate and business law team brings real-world commercial experience to every engagement. Our Executive Legal 360 service is specifically designed for executives and entrepreneurs who want one trusted team handling both the business side and their personal legal needs, with no handoffs and no gaps in coverage.
Business law services for Cary clients include:
- LLC, S-corp, C-corp, and partnership formation
- Operating and shareholder agreements
- Contract drafting, review, and negotiation
- Business succession and buy-sell agreements
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Ongoing outside general counsel
Employment Law: On Either Side of the Table
Illinois employment law is complex, and it shifts frequently. Non-compete enforceability standards changed significantly in recent years. Wage and hour requirements, paid leave obligations, and discrimination protections are areas where a single misstep by an employer, or by an employee who doesn’t know their rights, can become a serious legal problem.
We represent both businesses and individuals in Cary and throughout McHenry County on matters including wrongful termination, severance negotiations, executive employment contracts, workplace harassment and discrimination claims, and non-compete disputes. Wherever you sit in a workplace dispute, we give you a clear picture of your position and a strategy built around your goals.
Divorce and Family Law in Cary, IL
Divorce is rarely just a legal matter. It’s financial, it’s emotional, and when children are involved, the decisions made today shape relationships for years to come. We approach every family law case with that understanding first, and sharp legal strategy second.
Our family law team handles divorce and legal separation, child custody and parenting plan negotiations, child and spousal support, high-asset property division, and post-decree modifications when life circumstances change. We always explore whether mediation or collaborative resolution can spare clients the cost and stress of litigation. When it can’t, we are fully prepared to advocate for our clients in McHenry County court.
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements are also a core part of our family law practice. They are practical planning tools that protect both parties and make difficult conversations much easier to have.
Personal Injury: When Someone Else’s Negligence Changes Your Life
An accident caused by someone else’s carelessness shouldn’t derail your finances on top of everything else. We represent Cary residents injured in auto accidents, slip-and-fall incidents, dog attacks, trucking collisions, and wrongful death cases. We work on a contingency basis, so there is no financial risk to pursuing the compensation you’re entitled to.
You pay nothing unless we recover for you. It’s that simple.
Real Estate Law in Cary, IL
The Fox River corridor has drawn families and investors to this part of McHenry County for generations. Whether you’re buying your first home in Cary, closing a commercial deal near Route 14, or working through a title dispute on a property you’ve held for years, our real estate attorneys protect your interests from contract through closing.
Residential Real Estate
We review purchase and sale contracts, handle residential closings, advise on title and easement issues, and represent clients in construction disputes and home warranty matters.
Commercial Real Estate
For Cary business owners and investors, we handle commercial purchase and sale agreements, commercial lease negotiation and review, due diligence, zoning and land use matters, and commercial construction contracts.
Tax and Asset Protection
The 2025 increase in the federal estate tax exemption is good news. But it doesn’t eliminate the need for strategic planning, especially for Illinois residents. State estate tax exposure, business interests, appreciated real estate, and life insurance can all contribute to a taxable estate that surprises families who assumed they were “below the threshold.”
We help Cary clients take a proactive approach: structuring assets intelligently, utilizing gifting strategies, establishing trusts that serve multiple planning goals, and building charitable giving plans that reflect both values and tax efficiency. Protecting what you’ve built takes more than a spreadsheet. It takes coordinated legal and planning strategy.
Civil Litigation
Not every dispute can be resolved across a conference table. When negotiations fail and litigation becomes necessary, Cary residents and businesses need attorneys who know how to build a case and see it through. Our litigation team handles contract disputes, business and partnership conflicts, real estate litigation, and trust and estate disputes, always with a focus on achieving the best possible outcome in the most efficient way.
We’re skilled in both negotiation and courtroom advocacy. The goal is resolution. If resolution requires a trial, we’re ready.
Why Cary Residents Choose Kelleher + Holland
There’s no shortage of attorneys in McHenry County. What’s harder to find is a firm where one team handles everything: your estate plan, your business contracts, your real estate closing, your family law matter. And where your attorneys actually know you.
That’s the model we’ve built. The “+” in Kelleher + Holland has always stood for something: partnership, collaboration, a commitment to being more than a transactional service. Our Barrington office is a short drive from Cary, and we offer virtual consultations for clients throughout Illinois and beyond.
A few things that set us apart:
- Licensed in 17 states with virtual capability worldwide, serving clients wherever life takes them
- Full-service coverage: estate planning, business law, employment, family law, real estate, litigation, and more under one roof
- Deep McHenry County roots: we know the local courts, the local community, and the people who call this area home
- Transparent, straightforward communication: no surprises, no runaround, no overselling
Communities We Serve Near Cary, IL
From our Barrington, IL office, we serve clients across the northwest Chicago suburbs and McHenry County, including Cary, Crystal Lake, Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Fox River Grove, Oakwood Hills, Huntley, Barrington, and the surrounding communities.
Ready to Talk? Let’s Start with a Consultation.
Whether you need to update an estate plan that hasn’t been touched in a decade, get help closing on a property, navigate a difficult business dispute, or start a divorce proceeding with the right attorney in your corner: our team is ready.
Contact us at our Barrington, IL office to schedule a consultation. Reach us by phone, email, or through the contact form at kelleherholland.com/contact. Virtual consultations are available for Cary clients and anyone throughout McHenry County who prefers to meet remotely.
We look forward to earning your trust.
Frequently Asked Questions about our Cary, IL Legal Services
Q: Does Kelleher + Holland have an office near Cary, IL?
A: Yes. We serve Cary clients from our Barrington, IL office, located just a short drive east on Route 14. Virtual consultations are also available for clients throughout McHenry County and the surrounding area.
Q: Do I still need estate planning in Illinois if my estate is under the federal exemption?
A: Yes. Illinois taxes estates over $4 million at rates up to 16% — regardless of the federal exemption level. For many Cary families with a home, retirement accounts, life insurance, and business interests, reaching that threshold is more common than expected. A current estate plan is still essential.
Q: Can one law firm handle both my business and personal legal needs?
A: Yes. Our full-service model and Executive Legal 360 service are specifically designed for this. One team handles your business formation, contracts, and succession planning alongside your estate plan, real estate transactions, and family law matters — no referrals, no gaps.
Q: How does Kelleher + Holland approach divorce cases involving children?
A: We prioritize parenting plan negotiations and explore mediation and collaborative resolution whenever possible. When litigation is necessary, we advocate firmly for our clients’ interests in McHenry County court. Our goal is always to minimize conflict and protect the well-being of the children involved.
Q: What personal injury cases does Kelleher + Holland handle near Cary, IL?
A: We handle auto and truck accidents, slip-and-fall injuries, dog bites, wrongful death claims, and product liability cases for Cary residents and their families. We work on a contingency fee basis — no fee unless we recover for you.
Q: What communities near Cary does Kelleher + Holland serve?
A: From our Barrington office, we serve Cary, Crystal Lake, Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Fox River Grove, Oakwood Hills, Huntley, and the broader McHenry County area.