After years of preparation and planning, your child is set to go off to college – perhaps nearby; perhaps several states away. Part of the preparation was helping your child make decisions about important issues.  Part of the learning process at college will be how to refine the decision-making process. Upon reaching age 18, your college student is considered an adult and will be required to make decisions on his or her own. What if Your Child Is Unable to Make Decisions Due to an Injury … [Read more...]

A farmer who lay on his deathbed asked his son to make sure that the land would always stay in the family. Upon his death, the farmer’s will leave 320 acres for his wife and 160 acres for each of his four children. While some family members were overjoyed with their inheritance, others did not expect the million-dollar mortgages that came with the land. According to Iowa Farmer Today, several of the farmer’s children were not equipped to handle inheriting that level of debt. In Illinois and … [Read more...]

Illinois estate planning attorneys suggest updating your estate plan when a spouse moves into an Illinois nursing home as this is a change in life circumstances. Wills and other legal end-of-life documents should evolve as people’s lives and needs change. Just as people often make updates following marriage, the birth of a child, or a divorce, so too should they consider making modifications when they move a spouse into a long-term care facility. Protecting Assets When a Spouse Needs Long-Term … [Read more...]

The fate of retirement funds after death depends on the type of accounts held, whether designated beneficiaries exist, and the way accounts are set up. By making sure the right types of accounts are correctly set up and proper beneficiary designations are in place, people can ensure that their retirement money is available for surviving family members when they die. Annuities Annuities are retirement benefits in which individuals pay a set amount over time (monthly, annually quarterly, etc.) … [Read more...]