Recent Blog Posts
New Illinois Law Questions Bequests to Non-Family Caregivers
On August 26, 2014, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a brand new section in the Illinois Probate Act, at 755 ILCS 5/4-a, entitled “Presumptively Void Transfers.” While the intent of the new law is aimed squarely at non-family caregivers who may abuse their position by exercising undue influence, the law could have… Read More »
5 Ways to Wreck a Good Estate Plan
You’ve taken the important step of working with an estate planning attorney to create an estate plan tailored to your needs. Maybe you’ve created a trust, a will and powers of attorney. You feel a sense of peace of mind. And you should. Estate planning need not be on your mind on a daily… Read More »
Like Our Blog? Please Nominate for ABA Blawg 100
Do you like our blog? If so, please consider nominating our blog for the annual ABA Blawg 100. “Friend-of-the-blog” nominations are due by 4 p.m. CST on August 8, 2014. The nomination form can be filled out at the following link: NOMINATE OUR BLOG HERE The ABA Journal has this to say about nominations:… Read More »
The New ‘Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets’ (UFADA) Act
Last year I wrote an Introduction to Estate Planning for Digital Assets. One of the issues I highlighted is the lack of legal guidance addressing a fiduciary’s ability to access to digital assets. I noted that the Uniform Law Commission had formed a committee that was drafting model legislation known as the “Uniform Fiduciary… Read More »
How to Prepare for Meeting with an Estate Planning Attorney
You’ve decided that you want to create your estate plan. It’s a wise choice, and committing to the process is the first step. You want an effective and comprehensive estate plan that accomplishes your goals, but you’re busy so you want the process to be efficient. The key is preparation. Consider taking the following… Read More »
Illinois Emergency Contact Database
In July 2009, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office created an Emergency Contact Database. The program is free and voluntary and allows any Illinois ID cardholder (e.g. driver’s license, instruction permit or ID card) to designate one or two people to be contacted in case of an emergency, such as an auto crash. In… Read More »
Short Answers to Long-Tail Google Search Questions
Every once in awhile I check out our website’s Google Analytics page. It details things like how people find our website, what page they land on and where they are located. In the past, I would see almost all of the search queries. Over the last year though, Google changed its privacy settings such… Read More »
Estate and Trust Tax ID Numbers: FAQ on the EIN from the IRS
It probably won’t come as a surprise to anybody that income has to be reported on a Federal Income Tax Return. We’re all accustomed to providing our social security number to our employer, bank or brokerage institution so that income, dividends and capital gains can be reported to the individual and to the IRS…. Read More »
Illinois Same-Sex Marriage Law Now In Effect Statewide
On November 20, 2013, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a law legalizing same-sex marriage in Illinois. While some counties began implementing the law prior to its effective date, the law went into full effect on June 1, 2014. After several years of failing to pass similar legislation, this legislative accomplishment followed on the heels… Read More »
5 Things About Our Blog
We rolled out the welcome mat for this blog one year ago today (I thought about calling it blawg, but didn’t want to be punny). 41 posts later, I thought it would be a good idea to let you know some things about it. So here goes: 1. Yes, it’s me. Occasionally I check… Read More »