SKZolno

SHARON K. ZOLNO

SUMMARY

Paralegal/Trust Officer with over ten years of experience. Particular expertise in probate, estate and trust administration and guardianships. Additional experience in litigation, real estate and corporate. Ability to prioritize, attention to detail, multi-task, written and oral communication and organization skills. Computer literate using MS Office suite of tools: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Access. Adept at using the Internet as a research tool for searching for financial information. Experienced with Trust Accounting Systems of SEI and Marshall & Ilsley.

CAREER

Harris N.A., Chicago, IL 1999 to 2009

Trust Officer – Estate and Trust Administration

Administration of probate estates, trusts, and guardianship accounts.

• Located and marshaled assets of decedent

• Secured and reviewed financial records and all relevant documents of decedent

• Gathered documentation required for the preparation of various tax returns for decedents, including estate, gift, generation-skipping, fiduciary, and final personal income tax

• Knowledge of legal terms in regards to wills, revocable and irrevocable trust agreements

• Point of contact for beneficiaries, attorneys, financial institutions, brokerage houses, transfer agents

• Established and maintained strong relationships with beneficiaries responding to their needs and explaining issues that arose during the estate settlement period

• Evaluated assets (date of death and alternate valuation date)

• Maintained files and kept records for all decedent accounts

• Prepared required probate court documents

• Administered accounts on SEI Trust Accounting System: check requests; deposit of assets and transfers of funds

• Prepared inventories of assets

• Drafted distribution schedules for the distribution of assets at the termination of the probate estate and/or trust administration

• Planned, reviewed, and completed all fundings and distributions coordinating the input of co-fiduciaries and beneficiaries

• Designed Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to monitor death-related estate administration fees

• Utilized Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program for the preparation of annual current accounts for guardianship estates and first and final accounts for decedent estates

• Prepared Presentation Booklets for beneficiaries summarizing decedent’s estate plan, estate/trust administration process and procedures

Chicago Trust Company, Chicago, IL 1995 to 1999

Trust Administrator – Guardianship Administration

Administration of guardianship account for both minors and disabled adults

• Prepared inventories of guardianship assets

• Designed spreadsheet program on Microsoft Excel for generating annual current court accountings

• Opened, maintained and closed accounts Marshall & Ilsley Trust Accounting System

• Administered account on Marshall & Ilsley Trust Accounting System: check requests; deposit of assets and transfers of funds

• Kept records of all current account annual dates and closed accounts on Microsoft Excel

• Designed spreadsheet for keeping track of quarterly 1040 estimated tax payments and state payments

OTHER EXPERIENCE

Williams Goldfarb Sibrava Midura Kayne Rutstein, Ltd. - 1993 to 1995

Probate/Estate Planning, Real Estate, Corporate & Litigation Paralegal

Shaheen, Lundberg, Callahan and Orr - 1991 to 1993

Probate/Estate Planning Paralegal

Baum and Sigman, Ltd. - 1989 to 1991

Litigation Paralegal

Reif and Rosenbaum - 1987 to 1989

Real Estate & Litigation Paralegal

Mayer Brown & Platt – 1985 to 1987

Litigation Paralegal

EDUCATION

Roosevelt University

Lawyers’ Assistant Program Evening Generalist Course. ABA approved Graduate Level

Northeastern Illinois University

Graduate work: Accounting, Data Processing, Instructional Media

Northeastern Illinois University

B.A. in Education

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