Jeffrey Lewis has been appointed by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to serve as Public Administrator and Public Guardian for DeKalb County. This position is held by an attorney, and is supervised by the probate division of the Circuit Court. The Public Administrator role allows Mr. Lewis to be appointed to serve as the administrator of an estate (a position equivalent to an executor) when nobody else is available or qualified. The Public Guardian role makes Mr. Lewis available to serve as Guardian for a disabled adult who does not have anyone available to assist with making decisions regarding finances or medical care.
Jeffrey Lewis has developed an extensive probate practice at Klein, Stoddard, Buck & Lewis, LLC, dealing with guardianship and decedent’s estates. Mr. Lewis works closely with families on a wide variety of legal issues, usually during stressful times of loss or hardship. He collaborates with local hospitals, nursing homes, and senior service providers to coordinate care for disabled adults.
The position of Public Administrator and Public Guardian has been held for many years by DeKalb attorney John Corneille, who resigned in June 2016 to accept a full-time position outside of Illinois. “I often worked with Mr. Corneille when he held this position, and I have great respect for him,” said Mr. Lewis. “He has been a tremendous support and resource as I get up to speed.” Governor Rauner appointed Mr. Lewis to fill the balance of Mr. Corneille’s term through December 2017. Illinois law provides for a Public Administrator and Public Guardian to be appointed for each county in the state every four years.
For more information about adult guardianship is available at the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.