About Attorney Michael Biederstadt

Michael Biederstadt is an author, speaker, certified mediator, collaborative and estate planning attorney in Illinois. He is a graduate of Loyola University and earned his Juris Doctorate in 2½ years from Valparaiso School of Law. From 2005 through 2007, he worked for the Illinois State’s Attorney prosecuting class X felonies, a civil Judge and the Indiana Supreme Court to re-write the statewide jury instructions, representing Olympic and college athletes, and the Indiana Family Law Clinic. In 2007, he began working for a boutique family law firm in the Chicagoland suburbs. In 2014, he assisted a former client in co-founding Rise From the Ashes, a non-profit providing legal assistance to victims of domestic violence in Illinois. In 2016, he formed his own law firm, Biederstadt Law, P.C., and in 2023 he founded Family Wealth and Legacy Legal Solutions (FWLLS) to better serve Illinois’ families, their children and the legacy they will leave behind.

After nearly twenty years of witnessing the mental, emotional, and financial devastation of families at the hands of an adversarial legal system, Mr. Biederstadt considered hanging up the towel and leaving the practice of law altogether. As a family law attorney, he saw far too much pain and the long-lasting effect of divorce and domestic violence. Even worse, the life-long effect litigation was having on children caught up in the controversy. It was heartbreaking and he realized he could no longer be a part of the problem, perpetuating conflict in a broken legal system.  He knew that there must be a better way and was determined to find it, or a new career.  

From 2017-2020, Mr. Biederstadt became a certified mediator, trained in collaborative law and estate planning. After doing so, he quickly discovered his first-hand experience in a courtroom and witnessing the devastation that comes along with probate and divorce litigation allowed him to see things differently. He recognized that there was a significant overlap in these areas of the law and obvious solutions to prevent common problems that weren’t being offered to the public. It became apparent that when it came to life’s most common legal problems: Death, Disability and Divorce, the public simply wasn’t aware of their options and how to avoid the potential pitfalls that can destroy their family financially, morally and emotionally along the way. To cure these all-too-common problems, Mr. Biederstadt came to the realization that if couples were simply educated before marriage, or as a young family, and put a plan in place before anyone was unhappy, sick or dead, a majority of life’s most common legal problems could be prevented to keep families out of court and out of conflict. That discovery is what led to the formation of FWLLS and the creation of the Family Wealth and Legacy Plan™, Children’s Protection Plan™, The Asset Protection Plan™ and The Legacy Plan™. 

Mr. Biederstadt has now committed his life and legal practice to providing education and solutions to potential problems before the damage has been done, and settling cases in a healthy manner, to make sure families will never see the inside of a divorce or probate courtroom. 

On a personal level, Michael is an avid reader, who enjoys anything related to the markets, finance, estate planning and personal development. He is a proud father and husband, who loves scuba diving, hiking and traveling (the Morton Arboretum, Kauai, Snowbird and Grand Cayman are his family’s home away from home).