What if I Don’t Have a Will?

What happens if I die and I haven’t done any estate planning? Well, the State of Illinois has a “default” Will for you (called dying “intestate”). The problem is that almost no one would distribute their assets the way that Illinois requires. Without a Will, you’ve lost control of how your family is protected.

How Do I Protect My Estate Planning Documents?

Congratulations! You’ve spent the time and effort to prepare and finalize your estate planning documents. But, there’s more work to be done. You need to safeguard your documents and ensure that they’re available when needed.

It’s Time to Protect Yourself: Illinois Sets the Rules about Digital Assets.

Act now to assure access to your digital assets if catastrophe strikes.  Otherwise, your digital assets and accounts may be lost to your family and loved ones forever.

Pre-Divorce Planning in Illinois

An important, but usually overlooked, aspect of pre-divorce planning is modifying your estate planning documents to correspond with your current situation. The failure to do so can have disastrous results.

We love them like family!

Of course, whenever we say this, we’re talking about our pets. Our pets are totally dependent on us for their survival. They don’t have a safety net if you die or become incapacitated. If you don’t provide for them, your pets will suffer the consequences.

Estate Planning – Step by Step

A Guide to the Estate Planning Process. Estate planning can be easy and straight-forward when you know what’s going to happen. Here are the basic steps.

Essential Estate Planning Documents

Old Standbys Will A Will is the traditional form of estate planning.  With a Will, you arrange for someone, upon your death, to wrap up your affairs and distribute your remaining property based on your directions.  You can also designate guardians for your minor or disabled children. To be valid in Illinois, a Will must […]

Is it Time to Review Your Estate Plan?

Your estate planning documents were not designed to be “carved in stone.” As our lives progress, invariably there are changes in our circumstances or changes in the law. These changes may require that you need a corresponding change in your estate plan.

Wills for Free – Really!

One of the obstacles clients must overcome when they make the decision to do their estate planning is a fear of the cost. This fear is unfounded. If I can show you how to get your estate planning for free, then one major roadblock to protecting your family will be gone (as will one of your reasons to procrastinate).

The reality is that you can probably save more money by having a Will than it costs to prepare your complete estate plan. In other words, your Will is free.

Welcome!

Welcome to ChicagoEstatePlanning.com.

The goal of this website and blog is to provide you with answers to your questions regarding estate planning and probate in Illinois and Cook County.