Estate administration is the process of managing and distributing a person’s property (the “estate”) after death. If the person had a will, the will goes through probate, which is the process by which the deceased person’s property is passed to…
Turning 18 and leaving home is an exciting time for young adults, filled with a host of new freedoms such as voting and independent living. However, it is also a time in life where many young adults still rely on…
There are many unknowns when planning an estate, but you can’t let the uncertainties get in the way of creating any kind of plan. Having an imperfect plan is usually better than having no plan at all. When planning an…
Many types of property and investments pass outside of probate and allow you to designate who will receive them after your death. It is important that these designations are kept up to date and are consistent with the rest of…
Millions of people are affected by dementia, and unfortunately many of them do not have all their estate planning affairs in order before the symptoms start. If you or a loved one has dementia, it may not be too late…
While it is important to have an updated estate plan, there is a lot of information that your heirs should know that doesn’t necessarily fit into a will, trust or other components of an estate plan. The solution is a…
As we learn to navigate the COVID-19 reality, filled with uncertainty, there is one thing that we can all do to take control; establishing our Advance Directives and expressing our end of life wishes. While thinking about our own mortality…
On March 26, 2020 Governor Pritzker signed an executive order aimed at helping estate planning attorneys and their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The order outlines a remote signing process which modifies the rules that require witnesses to be physically…
Unless you are at least 102 years old, you weren’t even alive for the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918, much less remember it. While we do not recommend jumping on the panic bandwagon of hoarding all available toilet paper, being…
While estate planning is important for married couples, it is arguably even more necessary for couples that live together without getting married. Without an estate plan unmarried couples won’t be able to make end-of-life decisions or inherit from each other.…