Tim Leighton |

Leighton Legal Group, LLC

Tim Leighton | Leighton Legal Group, LLC

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Firm Summary

Tim Leighton counsels clients in Central Illinois and metropolitan Washington, DC on trusts, wills, probate, business, charitable and tax matters.

Clients:

Clients come to Tim to secure peace of mind and to preserve, protect and grow their assets through trust and estate planning. Tim serves families who want to protect their estates and those with dependency and guardianship concerns.

Most of Tim’s business Clients are closely-held enterprises or tax-exempt organizations. They rely on Tim for business formation, transition, transaction, employment, development and succession planning needs.

Clients also rely on the firm for trust administration and probate. As a trusted advisor, Tim serves as trustee of several Client trusts. He implements Client priorities while managing their assets.

In recent years, Clients have asked Tim to help mediate disputes in order to resolve disagreements without the stress, uncertainty, and costs of court-based litigation. Mediation can be quite effective and efficient for business owners who split with partners and/or with spouses, as well as among beneficiaries of trusts and estates or between beneficiaries and the fiduciaries.

Community:

• 2021 Outstanding Pro Bono Community Honoree, Prairie State Legal Services of Bloomington, helping low-income, elderly and vulnerable people in the community with ready access to legal services through personalized estate planning
• General Counsel, Community Players Theatre, pro bono publico
• Former General Counsel, Normal CornBelters
• Former Organizing Committee Member, American Red Cross of the Heartland Heroes Breakfast, pro bono publico
• Former President, Community Cancer Center Foundation, pro bono publico
• Former President, Vice President, Treasurer, Director, Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, pro bono publico
• Adjunct Faculty, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2006 to 2016 (Business Law, Investments and Risk Management)
• Adjunct Faculty, Illinois State University, 2002 to 2015 (Probate, Insurance)
• Advisory Board Member, Challenger Learning Center, pro bono publico
• Former Bloomington Community Board Chair, Easter Seals, Inc., pro bono publico
• Former Board Member and Telethon Co-Chair, Easter Seals-UCP Peoria-Bloomington
• Former Treasurer and Council Member, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center Foundation Council, pro bono publico
• Former President, PrairieThunder Hockey, LLC and affiliates
• Former Vice Chair, Board of Governors, International Hockey League
• Founding Board Member and former Chair of Committee on Governance and Nominations, Recovery Starts Today, Inc., pro bono publico
• Former Member, Illinois Wesleyan University Associates Board, pro bono publico
• Former Member, Planned Gifts Committee, BroMenn Medical Center Foundation, pro bono publico

Pastoral:

In March 2017, Tim was ordained as a Deacon of the Episcopal Church. The Rev. Tim Leighton serves as chaplain for first responders, pastoral care provider, and as part of liturgical worship teams. The Episcopal Diocese of Springfield has elected him to serve as Secretary of the Diocese and to represent the Diocese as a Deputy to General Convention 2024.

Credentials and Education:

• Admitted to state and federal courts in Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, including U.S. Supreme Court
• Court-appointed Arbitrator
• Member and Vice Chair (formerly Secretary), Illinois State Bar Association Elder Law Section Council
• Member, Illinois State Bar Association Committee on Law Office Management and Economics
• Member, Illinois Bar Foundation Planned Giving Committee
• Speaker at Illinois State Bar Association’s Elder Law Bootcamp Continuing Legal Education program regarding how to use trusts to benefit Clients and their estate planning
• Speaker at Illinois State Bar Association’s Business Advice & Financial Planning Continuing Legal Education program regarding corporate formalities to secure benefits of incorporation
• President (formerly President-Elect and Secretary), Virginia Mountain/Valley Lawyers’ Alliance
• Former Member, Illinois State Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section Council
• Former Chair, American Bar Association and Illinois State Bar Association Business Advice and Financial Planning Section Councils
• Former President, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Bloomington-Normal Chapter
• Former Treasurer, McLean County Bar Association
• Former Certified Financial Planner
• Former Congressional staff member and Association Executive
• Former intern in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Relations
• Graduate of Georgetown University, George Washington University’s National Law Center and Nashotah House Seminary

Family:

Tim and Debbie Leighton make their home in Bloomington, Illinois. Debbie is a hospice volunteer and board member of Illinois Symphony Orchestra Guild. The Leightons have three adult children and two grandchildren.