Amy E. McCarty - Chicago, IL
Attorney at Monahan Law Group, LLC
Guardianship Lawyers in Chicago, IL
55 West Monroe St. Suite 3700 Chicago, IL 60603
Chicago Guardianship Lawyer
Updated: 03/10/2026
Areas of Practice
- Guardianship
- Adoption
- Child Welfare/Juvenile Law
- Community Based Services
- Elder Law
- Health Care Law
- Litigation & Appeals
- Mental Health & Confidentiality Law
- Probate & Estate Administration
- Risk Management
- Special Needs Planning
- Trusts
- Wills
Attorney Information
Overview
Amy E. McCarty (1969 – 2026) was widely regarded as a leading guardianship and probate attorney in the Chicago-land area. She litigated well over a thousand guardianship cases, routinely obtaining favorable rulings for her clients in often complex and difficult matters. Her background as a former Assistant Public Guardian made her especially skilled at pursuing cases involving abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of both adults with disabilities and minors. She litigated numerous exploitation cases that resulted in significant financial recovery on behalf of persons with disabilities.
In addition to guardianship and probate, Ms. McCarty's practice included child welfare and juvenile law, elder law, mental health and confidentiality, litigation and appeals. As part of her legal services, she worked with over 90 hospitals and health care agencies, assisting them with all of their surrogate decision making, child welfare and mental health matters. Whether appealing DCFS findings, arguing the confidentiality of custody records in the circuit and appellate courts, or handling the countless other cases she pursued, Ms. McCarty was a fierce and compassionate advocate for her clients.
Ms. McCarty was an Adjunct Associate Professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she taught mental health law for many years. She was a former Chair of the Chicago Bar Association's Mental Health Law Committee and served as a member and legal advisor to the adult protective services M-Team for both Pathlights and the Sinai Institute. She routinely provided in-service trainings and presentations on a wide range of topics, including guardianship, surrogate decision making, elder law, child welfare and mental health and confidentiality.
Attorney McCarty was active in numerous community service organizations and Boards, including, but not limited to, serving as a Member and Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors of Meals on Wheels Chicago, Board Member of Greenlight Family Services and Member of the Human Rights Committee for Misericordia.
Ms. McCarty's achievements resulted in her selection as a Super Lawyer from 2021-2026. She earned her Juris Doctor from the John Marshall Law School now University of Illinois Chicago Law School, and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan. She was admitted to practice in Illinois and before the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Selected to Super Lawyers, 2021-2023
Education
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Legal Education
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The John Marshall Law School
Juris Doctor
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The John Marshall Law School
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Non Legal Education
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University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor,
Michigan
Bachelor of Arts
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University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor,
Michigan
Current Employment Position(s)
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Partner
Past Positions
- Cook County Public Guardian’s Office, Assistant Public Guardian
Classes and Seminars
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Adjunct Professor of Law, Mental Health Law, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Health Care Institute, Chicago, Illinois, 2006 - 2015
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Scheduled Presenter, Illinois Elder Law, PESI, Inc., January 28, 2016 - January 29, 2016
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Presented, Capacity and Guardianship, IILCE 11th Annual Elder Law Short Course, November 12, 2015 - November 13, 2015
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Presented, Illinois Mental Health and the Law, PESI, Inc., September 24, 2015 - September 25, 2015
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Presented, Informed Consent, Powers of Attorney and Guardianship, Aperion Care Corporate Training, Bloomington, Illinois, February 23, 2015
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Presented, Adult Protective Services/Remedies and Nursing Home Resident’s Rights, HEALTH ED/PESI Illinois Elder Law 2015, January 22, 2015 - January 23, 2015
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Presented, Practical and Legal Options for Persons Diagnosed with Mental Illness, Health Ed Illinois Mental Health and the Law, October 30, 2014 - October 31, 2014
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Presented, Adult Protective Services/Remedies and Nursing Home Resident’s Rights, HEALTH ED/PESI Illinois Elder Law 2014, January 17, 2014
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Presented, Practical and Legal Options for Persons Diagnoses with Mental Illness, HEALTH ED/PESI Illinois Elder Law, September 26, 2013
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Presented, Illinois Children's Mental Health and the Law, HEALTH ED/Illinois Juvenile Law, January 25, 2013
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Presented, Illinois Mental Health and the Law, PESI/HealthEd, 2013 - 2014
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Presented, Citations to Discover and Recover Assets and Related Probate Issues, Probate Practice Part 1, The Chicago Bar Association Continuing Legal Education, November 8, 2012
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Presented, Illinois Children's Mental Health and the Law, HEALTH ED Illinois Juvenile Law, October 12, 2012
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Presented, Mental Health, Confidentiality and the Practice of Social Work, Josselyn Center for Mental Health, September 10, 2012
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Presented, Citations to Discover and Recover Assets, Elder Law Practice in the Circuit Court of Cook County: The New Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division of the Circuit Court, Judge Banks Seminar, March 23, 2012
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Presented, Elder Abuse/Remedies and Nursing Home Resident's Rights, HEALTH ED Illinois Elder Law, January 27, 2012
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Presented, Elder Abuse/Remedies and Nursing Home Resident's Rights, HEALTH ED Illinois Elder Law, September 23, 2011
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Presented, Elder Abuse/Remedies and Nursing Home Resident's Rights, HEALTH ED Illinois Elder Law, January 21, 2011
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Presented, Guardianship and Advance Directives: The Law of Surrogate Decision Making in Illinois, NASW Illinois Virtual Symposium on Ethics, September 14, 2010
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Presented, The Limitations of a Legal Guardian: Immigrants and John Doe Cases, National Guardianship Association National Colloquium on Guardianship, April 23, 2010
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Presented, Elder Abuse/Remedies and Nursing Home Resident's Rights, HEALTH ED Illinois Law, February 12, 2010
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Presented, The Law of Surrogate Decision Making in Illinois, NASW Statewide Conference, September 11, 2009
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Presented, Social Worker Ethics Seminar, Lake Forest Hospital, August 12, 2009
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Presented, Child and Elder Abuse Reporting, Resurrection Health Care, April 22, 2009
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Presented, Healthcare Risk Management, Chicagoland Healthcare Risk Management Society's (CHRMS) Law Day Program, November 7, 2008
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Presented, Guardianship for Disabled Adults, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, June 8, 2007
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Presented, Elder Law Panel, The John Marshall Law School, November 29, 2006
- Presented, Guardianship and Advocacy: Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare, Regency Healthcare, May 19, 2005
Pro Bono Activities
- Meals on Wheel Chicago, President, 2019
- Meals on Wheels Chicago, Board Member, 2014 - Present
- Meals on Wheels, Celebrity Chef Committee Member, 2010 - Present
- Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS), Pro Bono Guardian Ad Litem in Guardianship Cases, 2004 - Present
- Misericordia Human Rights Commission, Member, 2014 - Present
Published Works
Articles
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Contributing Editor, §§ 28:7 to 28:27, Chapter 28, Mental Health Issues, Law of Medical Practice in Illinois, 3rd, Vol. 22 (Illinois Practice Series), 2008 Supplement
Bar Admissions
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
- Supreme Court of the United States of America
Other Affiliations
- The Chicago Bar Association, Mental Health and Disability Law Committee, 2012 - 2013 (Chair)
- Multidisciplinary Team (M-Team), PLOWS Council on Aging, Illinois Department on Aging, Elder Abuse and Neglect Program (Member)
- Multidisciplinary Team (M-Team), Sinai Institute, Illinois Department on Aging, Elder Abuse and Neglect Program (Member)
- Illinois State Bar Association (Member)
- National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) (Member)
Photo
Contact
55 West Monroe St.
Suite 3700
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: 312-419-0252
Fax: 312-419-7428
Email: Send a message
Website: https://www.monahanlawllc.com
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