team-member

Kathy McNeely-Johnson

N/A

N/A

Law Degree

Awards

Primary Practice Area

Business

Language

English

About

Our MissionFinding serenity in life by planing for the future. This is achieved by assembling the right stratagy, documents, and approach so thier goals may be achieved.  The result may be a comprehesive estate plan, the negotiation and closing of a real estate transaction, or structuring the family business so that a smooth generational transition may allow for the preservation of not only the business but the family relationships.  My ExperienceAfter 15 years as an Assistant Public Defender (ten of which were spent doing major drug and murder cases) in Rockford, Il, I chose to set out on my own to practice law.  My time spent as an asst. pd, while rewarding, failed to allow me to use many of my skills and training.  I am licensed to practice law in both Illinois and the state of Florida.  With a degree in business, experience with taxes, a second major in psychology and practical experience with both large and small corporations, I felt I could provide both prospective and insight to clients in the areas of business and life planning.  This has made for a great combination of creative problem solving as well as pragmatisim.    Let my firm help you to find answers, guidence, and understanding in your legal matters.  

Practices Areas

Estate Planning

Business

Real Estate

Elder Law

Language

English

Contact

Legal Serenity403 Auburn StROCKFORD, IL, 61103

Office: (815) 242-4671

Website: N/A

Reviews

Abbigail & Michael
May 12, 2017

The whole team at Legal Serenity was a tremendous help to us during our home buying process. Kathy was informative, patient, knowledgeable, and very kind from our initial consultation all the way to post closing. With this being our first home purchase, we didnt always know what to expect but she gave us the extra guidance and advice we needed to make sound and confident decisions. Because of her expertise, the process went very smoothly which exceeded our expectation. We are very grateful to have worked with such a caring individual and would refer her to any homebuyer or customer looking for legal advice. Thank you to Kathy and the Legal Serenity Team!

Sheila
July 15, 2019

Kathy had a few challenges to face during my real estate transaction. I can't imagine any other attorney handling this case better than she did. Throughout this process she kept me abreast of her progress via email and phone calls. She always responded to my emails and answered my questions. Her brilliance as an attorney blended with her outstanding communication/people skills give her an edge over her competition. This attorney has integrity and compassion, yet can be tough when she needs to be. Thank you for everything, Kathy. I highly recommend her!!!

Loretta
April 13, 2021

Estate Planning with Pet Trust: Estate planning is something that is easy to put off. It’s not fun to think of one’s own mortality and I put it off for a long time. After all, I reasoned, I don’t have much money or many possessions to leave others. But I do have pets that I want to be assured will be appropriately cared for after my death. Kathy Johnson walked me through the process of creating end of life documents, and, most importantly, a pet trust. It wasn’t easy thinking about being separated from my beloved pets but Kathy gently guided me through the process of determining who will assume responsibility for them and how they should be cared for when I no longer can. She was endlessly understanding of my myriad questions and requests, patiently explaining to me all of my options in ways easily understandable for a non-legal mind. She made astute and intuitive suggestions so that I now feel assured that when I become incapacitated, any pets I have will continue to live their best lives in the homes of trusted friends. After she created the required documents and saw that they were all duly signed and notarized, she presented them to me in a lovely binder complete with easy to read instructions for whoever might need it someday. I feel that Kathy left nothing to chance, detailing every aspect of my end of life requests and from her estate planning work on my behalf, I derive great peace of mind. New Business Start-up: Kathy Johnson’s assistance was invaluable to me as I started my new, small business. She helped me understand Illinois laws, so I could make an informed choice about the legal structure of my business. Kathy obtained all of the required state and federal business identification numbers and permits; she registered my new business with all the required agencies, providing me with copies of the completed documents. She advised me on potential tax implications, wrote an iron clad liability (including COVID-19) waiver, created effective (and attractive) registration forms, and generally was available to me every time I had a question or concern. Kathy’s unswerving patience and good humor in answering my varied and sometimes atypical questions knew no bounds. It is because of her exceptional work on my behalf that I can concentrate on running my business and attending to my customer’s needs, knowing my business is in full compliance with all local and state rules, regulations, and requirements.

Melody
April 5, 2021

I was pleased with all the items this Attorney brought up that I had not thought of on my own. She was organized and easy to talk to. The final papers all came with typed instructions and copies for my power of Attorney. She kept me on track with decisions but I didn’t feel rushed.

Curtis
April 5, 2021

Very helpful, full of knowledge. Awsome and affordable service. Definitely hire again. She was very kind to say the least.

anonymous
February 21, 2016

Kathy was very informative and addressed all my concerns. Highly recommend if you have question she will answer them completly. Thank You Kathy

Rebecca
February 10, 2016

Kathy assisted with mediating property sorting after the end of a long relationship. My ex and I owned a home together and needed to figure out how to separate assets. Kathy prepared all of our separation documents and later assisted with filing a quitclaim deed on the house. It was great working with her and I would gladly used her services again.

anonymous
January 28, 2016

I was in college and got myself into a sticky situation with a landlord. Kathy was honest and fair. She explained exactly what my options were and used her wise counsel to help me determine how to proceed. The situation resolved and I am forever grateful for her help in what was a crisis situation.

Amber
August 17, 2015

Kathy is a warm vibrant person with a lot of experience and knowledge. I enjoyed her company and look forward to working with her on my house closing.

Janyce
July 12, 2015

Kathy assisted me with a house closing and assured that it went well. She was aware of the real estate law and reviewed all the necessary documents. The closing went smoothly.

Abbigail & Michael
May 12, 2017

The whole team at Legal Serenity was a tremendous help to us during our home buying process. Kathy was informative, patient, knowledgeable, and very kind from our initial consultation all the way to post closing. With this being our first home purchase, we didnt always know what to expect but she gave us the extra guidance and advice we needed to make sound and confident decisions. Because of her expertise, the process went very smoothly which exceeded our expectation. We are very grateful to have worked with such a caring individual and would refer her to any homebuyer or customer looking for legal advice. Thank you to Kathy and the Legal Serenity Team!

Sheila
July 15, 2019

Kathy had a few challenges to face during my real estate transaction. I can't imagine any other attorney handling this case better than she did. Throughout this process she kept me abreast of her progress via email and phone calls. She always responded to my emails and answered my questions. Her brilliance as an attorney blended with her outstanding communication/people skills give her an edge over her competition. This attorney has integrity and compassion, yet can be tough when she needs to be. Thank you for everything, Kathy. I highly recommend her!!!

Loretta
April 13, 2021

Estate Planning with Pet Trust: Estate planning is something that is easy to put off. It’s not fun to think of one’s own mortality and I put it off for a long time. After all, I reasoned, I don’t have much money or many possessions to leave others. But I do have pets that I want to be assured will be appropriately cared for after my death. Kathy Johnson walked me through the process of creating end of life documents, and, most importantly, a pet trust. It wasn’t easy thinking about being separated from my beloved pets but Kathy gently guided me through the process of determining who will assume responsibility for them and how they should be cared for when I no longer can. She was endlessly understanding of my myriad questions and requests, patiently explaining to me all of my options in ways easily understandable for a non-legal mind. She made astute and intuitive suggestions so that I now feel assured that when I become incapacitated, any pets I have will continue to live their best lives in the homes of trusted friends. After she created the required documents and saw that they were all duly signed and notarized, she presented them to me in a lovely binder complete with easy to read instructions for whoever might need it someday. I feel that Kathy left nothing to chance, detailing every aspect of my end of life requests and from her estate planning work on my behalf, I derive great peace of mind. New Business Start-up: Kathy Johnson’s assistance was invaluable to me as I started my new, small business. She helped me understand Illinois laws, so I could make an informed choice about the legal structure of my business. Kathy obtained all of the required state and federal business identification numbers and permits; she registered my new business with all the required agencies, providing me with copies of the completed documents. She advised me on potential tax implications, wrote an iron clad liability (including COVID-19) waiver, created effective (and attractive) registration forms, and generally was available to me every time I had a question or concern. Kathy’s unswerving patience and good humor in answering my varied and sometimes atypical questions knew no bounds. It is because of her exceptional work on my behalf that I can concentrate on running my business and attending to my customer’s needs, knowing my business is in full compliance with all local and state rules, regulations, and requirements.

Melody
April 5, 2021

I was pleased with all the items this Attorney brought up that I had not thought of on my own. She was organized and easy to talk to. The final papers all came with typed instructions and copies for my power of Attorney. She kept me on track with decisions but I didn’t feel rushed.

Curtis
April 5, 2021

Very helpful, full of knowledge. Awsome and affordable service. Definitely hire again. She was very kind to say the least.

anonymous
February 21, 2016

Kathy was very informative and addressed all my concerns. Highly recommend if you have question she will answer them completly. Thank You Kathy

Rebecca
February 10, 2016

Kathy assisted with mediating property sorting after the end of a long relationship. My ex and I owned a home together and needed to figure out how to separate assets. Kathy prepared all of our separation documents and later assisted with filing a quitclaim deed on the house. It was great working with her and I would gladly used her services again.

anonymous
January 28, 2016

I was in college and got myself into a sticky situation with a landlord. Kathy was honest and fair. She explained exactly what my options were and used her wise counsel to help me determine how to proceed. The situation resolved and I am forever grateful for her help in what was a crisis situation.

Amber
August 17, 2015

Kathy is a warm vibrant person with a lot of experience and knowledge. I enjoyed her company and look forward to working with her on my house closing.

Janyce
July 12, 2015

Kathy assisted me with a house closing and assured that it went well. She was aware of the real estate law and reviewed all the necessary documents. The closing went smoothly.

Abbigail & Michael
May 12, 2017

The whole team at Legal Serenity was a tremendous help to us during our home buying process. Kathy was informative, patient, knowledgeable, and very kind from our initial consultation all the way to post closing. With this being our first home purchase, we didnt always know what to expect but she gave us the extra guidance and advice we needed to make sound and confident decisions. Because of her expertise, the process went very smoothly which exceeded our expectation. We are very grateful to have worked with such a caring individual and would refer her to any homebuyer or customer looking for legal advice. Thank you to Kathy and the Legal Serenity Team!

Sheila
July 15, 2019

Kathy had a few challenges to face during my real estate transaction. I can't imagine any other attorney handling this case better than she did. Throughout this process she kept me abreast of her progress via email and phone calls. She always responded to my emails and answered my questions. Her brilliance as an attorney blended with her outstanding communication/people skills give her an edge over her competition. This attorney has integrity and compassion, yet can be tough when she needs to be. Thank you for everything, Kathy. I highly recommend her!!!

Loretta
April 13, 2021

Estate Planning with Pet Trust: Estate planning is something that is easy to put off. It’s not fun to think of one’s own mortality and I put it off for a long time. After all, I reasoned, I don’t have much money or many possessions to leave others. But I do have pets that I want to be assured will be appropriately cared for after my death. Kathy Johnson walked me through the process of creating end of life documents, and, most importantly, a pet trust. It wasn’t easy thinking about being separated from my beloved pets but Kathy gently guided me through the process of determining who will assume responsibility for them and how they should be cared for when I no longer can. She was endlessly understanding of my myriad questions and requests, patiently explaining to me all of my options in ways easily understandable for a non-legal mind. She made astute and intuitive suggestions so that I now feel assured that when I become incapacitated, any pets I have will continue to live their best lives in the homes of trusted friends. After she created the required documents and saw that they were all duly signed and notarized, she presented them to me in a lovely binder complete with easy to read instructions for whoever might need it someday. I feel that Kathy left nothing to chance, detailing every aspect of my end of life requests and from her estate planning work on my behalf, I derive great peace of mind. New Business Start-up: Kathy Johnson’s assistance was invaluable to me as I started my new, small business. She helped me understand Illinois laws, so I could make an informed choice about the legal structure of my business. Kathy obtained all of the required state and federal business identification numbers and permits; she registered my new business with all the required agencies, providing me with copies of the completed documents. She advised me on potential tax implications, wrote an iron clad liability (including COVID-19) waiver, created effective (and attractive) registration forms, and generally was available to me every time I had a question or concern. Kathy’s unswerving patience and good humor in answering my varied and sometimes atypical questions knew no bounds. It is because of her exceptional work on my behalf that I can concentrate on running my business and attending to my customer’s needs, knowing my business is in full compliance with all local and state rules, regulations, and requirements.

Melody
April 5, 2021

I was pleased with all the items this Attorney brought up that I had not thought of on my own. She was organized and easy to talk to. The final papers all came with typed instructions and copies for my power of Attorney. She kept me on track with decisions but I didn’t feel rushed.

Curtis
April 5, 2021

Very helpful, full of knowledge. Awsome and affordable service. Definitely hire again. She was very kind to say the least.

anonymous
February 21, 2016

Kathy was very informative and addressed all my concerns. Highly recommend if you have question she will answer them completly. Thank You Kathy

Rebecca
February 10, 2016

Kathy assisted with mediating property sorting after the end of a long relationship. My ex and I owned a home together and needed to figure out how to separate assets. Kathy prepared all of our separation documents and later assisted with filing a quitclaim deed on the house. It was great working with her and I would gladly used her services again.

anonymous
January 28, 2016

I was in college and got myself into a sticky situation with a landlord. Kathy was honest and fair. She explained exactly what my options were and used her wise counsel to help me determine how to proceed. The situation resolved and I am forever grateful for her help in what was a crisis situation.

Amber
August 17, 2015

Kathy is a warm vibrant person with a lot of experience and knowledge. I enjoyed her company and look forward to working with her on my house closing.

Janyce
July 12, 2015

Kathy assisted me with a house closing and assured that it went well. She was aware of the real estate law and reviewed all the necessary documents. The closing went smoothly.