An updated will can protect assets that are meant to go to chosen family members and heirs when a person dies. Without a will, Illinois intestate succession laws will dictate through probate what happens to an individual’s business, savings, personal property, and possibly even minor children. If problems arise, a probate attorney can advise beneficiaries on how to settle the deceased person's estate. Updating a Last Will and Testament Statistics show that up to 70 percent of adults do not … [Read more...]
Archives for October 2016
How Probate Works in Illinois
Probate is the legal process by which a will is “recognized” and the court gives the executor of the estate permission to proceed with enforcing the terms of the will. Most wills are probated with few problems however, if a beneficiary disputes the terms or an excluded person believes they were unjustly omitted, then the process can become substantially more expensive. Illinois codified its probate process (prior to the law, it existed as common or “judge-made” law) with the Probate Act of … [Read more...]