Estate Planning
Naperville Estate Planning Lawyer Discusses “The Big Three” of Estate Planning
Posted on February 25, 2019
If something tragic happened to you on the way home today, do you have any idea what would happen to your assets and belongings? For the purposes of this hypothetical, assume that the same tragic thing happened to your spouse at the same time. According to recent estimates, more than half of American adults do not have any type of estate plan in place, which means they would have virtually no control over their assets in the event of a tragedy. As an estate planning attorney, I know how important […]
Naperville Estate Planning Lawyer on How to Discuss Estate Plans with Aging Parents
Posted on February 14, 2019
If you have parents nearing retirement and they do not have adequate estate plans, you may be worried about how to bring up the topic of estate planning with them. It can be incredibly hard to discuss what will happen after your parents pass away with them, but it is a crucial conversation. Dying without, at the very least, a last will and testament leaves surviving family and friends with the burdensome task of finalizing the deceased person’s affairs and guessing what he or she would have wanted. Not having […]
Naperville Lawyer Discusses Estate Planning as a Form of Insurance
Posted on January 24, 2019
In my practice as an estate planning attorney, I have heard all of the excuses that people make for not creating a will, establishing a trust, or choosing a power of attorney. “My estate is too small to worry about.” “I’m too young to think about estate planning.” “Estate planning now will just create bad luck in the years to come.” While I certainly understand that the ideas associated with estate planning can be difficult to think about—especially the idea of one’s own death—there are really no good reasons for […]
Is It Time to Choose a New Executor?
Posted on January 8, 2019
In a recent post, I outlined the importance of reviewing your estate plan regularly. The primary goal of such a review is to determine if your estate plan still matches your life’s circumstances well enough to give you and your family the peace of mind you deserve. As an estate planning lawyer, I realize that while many people perform their regular plan reviews, they often focus on their assets and their heirs. Of course, it is important to identify and address concerns over newly acquired property and those who are […]
Understanding Testamentary Capacity
Posted on October 25, 2017
In my practice as an estate planning lawyer, I have helped hundreds of clients draft wills that help provide long-term financial security for their family members and loved ones. I have also assisted a number of beneficiaries and others in contesting wills that they believed did not truly reflect the wishes of the individuals who created them. There are several grounds on which a will contest may be filed in Illinois, and among the most common is the alleged lack of testamentary capacity by a will’s creator. It is important […]
Naperville Estate Planning Attorney Offers Five Ways Your Will Can Become Obsolete
Posted on October 13, 2017
As you probably realize, a will often provides the foundation for a comprehensive estate plan. In some cases, a person’s will is the only instrument used to transfer his or her assets to heirs and beneficiaries. This is not uncommon, particularly among individuals with modest estates and few complex holdings. In my practice as an estate planning lawyer, I have helped hundreds, if not thousands, of clients draft and execute wills. I have also worked with many individuals in updating wills that have become outdated or obsolete. While a will […]
Naperville Estate Planning Attorney Discusses Stepparents and Stepchildren
Posted on August 9, 2017
In many ways, the concept of estate planning is similar to that of healthy living. Most people are aware that both are good ideas, but it can be very difficult to even get started. Much like eating right and exercising, estate planning is one of those things that many people will do eventually. Unfortunately, some wait too long and never actually get around to it. As an estate planning lawyer, I know that the process of creating a will or trust is not as challenging as many fear it will […]
Naperville Estate Planning Lawyer Discusses Handwritten Wills
Posted on February 24, 2017
For most people, a last will and testament is one of the most important documents they will ever create. Your will is likely to contain provisions that dictate how your assets are to be divided among your chosen beneficiaries but may also include many other considerations. You can use your will to establish guardianships for your children and make arrangements for heirs who may not be capable of managing their own affairs. Your will is also likely to name an executor to manage your estate and to oversee the distribution […]
The Basics of Intestate Succession From a Naperville Estate Planning Lawyer
Posted on August 12, 2016
For many people, even beginning the conversation about estate planning can be difficult. It is not easy to confront the fact that you will not live forever and drafting a will, trust, and other estate planning documents forces you to look beyond the end of your life. As an estate planning attorney with decades of experience, I truly understand the challenges involved in the process, but I also recognize how crucial it is to have a plan in place. If you die without having executed a will, there is a […]
Attorney-Client Privilege During a Will Contest
Posted on March 26, 2015
Lately, I have been hearing a great deal of talk about a case currently before the Illinois Supreme Court. The high court recently heard oral arguments in a case called Brunton v. Kruger, which asks the court to consider the scope of the accountant-client privilege during probate. Specifically, the court must determine what happens to the privilege after the client dies and to what extend this privilege can be waived. Here are the basic facts of the case: An elderly couple hired an accounting firm to perform estate planning services. […]
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