AFTON L. GAURON
Partner

Afton is a Partner at CROKE FAIRCHILD DUARTE & BERES, where she leads the Private Client Services Group and counsels individuals, families, business owners and financial institutions on a wide range of estate planning issues.

Afton confidently advises her clients with her expertise in complex trust and estate law with over two decades of experience in this area of law. She enjoys getting to know her clients in the planning stages and continues to represent clients with trusts and estates throughout the administration process as well as corporate succession planning and governance. She represents both fiduciaries and individual beneficiaries in the context of trust and charitable administration.

In addition, Afton works closely with the litigation team at Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres advising on contested estate and trust proceedings.

Afton started her practice as an associate at Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP and joined Hamilton, Thies & Lorch LLP in 2005 with the founding partners where she practiced law as a partner through 2021.

Afton is actively involved in the Chicago Bar Association staying up to date with Illinois trust law as the Legislative Liaison for the Trust Law Executive Committee. Afton is also a current a board member for the Chicago Estate Planning Council and liaison for the Annual Outing Committee and Outreach Committee for the Council. Afton has recently lectured on digital assets in estate planning, planning with insurance trusts, Illinois law update and retirement planning for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education and various bar associations; and authored, “Estate Planning Forms and Commentary: Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts handbook” for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, updated and republished (2021 and 2024).