Melissa S. Rogatz

Melissa S. Rogatz advises individuals, families, and business owners on estate planning, wealth transfer strategies, and estate and trust administration. She believes effective estate planning should be practical, understandable, and grounded in the reality of a client’s balance sheet—not solely in the language of the documents. Her practice focuses on asset planning, with an emphasis on estate tax mitigation and coordinating estate plans with clients’ financial and ownership structures.

Melissa distinguishes her practice by translating her asset‑focused planning philosophy into a visual process that helps clients understand how their assets work together during life and across generations. She begins with a detailed understanding of how assets are owned and structured and from there develops customized Excel‑based estate flowchart models to illustrate asset movement during life and at death. These models transform technical legal concepts into actionable strategies and reinforce the importance of proper asset titling and thoughtful implementation.

Melissa’s practice also involves advising business owners on aligning corporate structures and ownership interests with estate planning objectives such as tax efficiency, succession planning, and long‑term family goals. She collaborates with accountants, financial advisors, and corporate counsel to ensure estate plans operate cohesively across disciplines. She also facilitates and guides clients, fiduciaries, and beneficiaries through estate and trust administration matters, including the preparation of Illinois and federal estate tax returns, providing steady direction through challenging and emotional processes.

Melissa considers herself a counselor in every sense of the word and takes a holistic approach to the deeply personal nature of estate planning. Melissa is committed to building lasting relationships and helping clients protect their families, businesses, and legacies for generations to come.

On a personal level, Melissa lives in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood with her husband and pet leopard gecko, Howard. Melissa and her husband are avid foodies and love to travel. 

Melissa's Practice