Rebecca Wallenfelsz

Rebecca Wallenfelsz is a partner in the firm’s Trusts and Estates Department, and has been practicing law since 1997. Rebecca has extensive experience representing individuals and institutions in estate planning and trust and estate matters.

Rebecca’s experience in estate planning matters includes drafting a variety of wills, trusts and premarital agreements, and in planning for and minimizing estate, gift and generationskipping transfer taxes and related income taxes, including taxes related to retirement plan assets. Her practice includes more sophisticated estate planning devices, such as family limited partnerships, grantor-retained annuity trusts, sales to defective grantor trusts and split-dollar agreements. For the charitably inclined client, Rebecca has planned for, or assisted in creating, directed funds, charitable remainder trusts and private foundations. In addition, she reviews and prepares fiduciary tax returns, private foundation information returns and estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax returns.

Rebecca also represents a variety of fiduciaries and beneficiaries in the administration of estates and trusts, including addressing fiduciary risk issues, tax issues and litigation matters, such as will and trust construction, breach of fiduciary duty and contested probate matters. She advises institutions on the creation and administration of Individual Retirement Trust products and on transactions involving trusts or estates.

In 2011, Rebecca was named to the Law Bulletin Publishing Company’s “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch” list of outstanding lawyers. In 2012, she was elected to the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a prestigious professional organization for skilled and experienced lawyers in the trusts and estates practice.

Rebecca serves as the firm’s Co-Pro Bono Partner and manages the volunteer efforts of Chapman attorneys.