Blog Articles

Info About Wills, Trusts, and More…

Hello and welcome! I am Eileen Kerlin Walsh, and I will bring you valuable and topical information on Estate Planning. Estate Planning is the legal process of protecting your assets and your loved ones in the event of disability or death.

Why do you need an estate plan? If you don’t have a valid Will or Trust, Illinois law determines how your assets pass, to whom and when. Having no estate plan can lead to unnecessary taxes, creditors, probate court and other undesirable results. This is the most costly way to pass assets to your loved ones. You can do much better and my column will show you how!

Assisting Your Client: Which Trust Is Right For Your Client?

Evidence suggests that many people are establishing trusts as part of an estate plan. Some motivations for creating a trust include avoiding probate, preserving privacy, planning for incapacity, protecting a beneficiary’s inheritance from creditors, minimizing estate...

Assisting Your Client: Show your clients a richer planning approach

Discussions about money are never just about the exact dollar amounts listed on paper. They are inherently emotional because a person’s wealth is tied to everything they have worked for and hope to pass on as their legacy. Clients can incorporate their values, life...

Assisting Your Clients: Planning for Conflict Prone Families

Unfortunately, the battle over family wealth is as timeless as family itself. Regardless of how prepared your clients might be, there is no predicting how otherwise rational people will behave after the loss of a family member. A will or trust contest can cause...

Assisting Your Client: Helping Clients Pass on Their Wealth

Is Outright Distribution the Right Choice for Your Clients? An inheritance can be life-changing. Many younger Americans, stuck in a cycle of debt and rising costs, are anticipating their cut of the $84 trillion “Great Wealth Transfer”—a term financial experts use to...

The Wrong Successor Trustee Can Derail Your Final Wishes

Many estate plans contain revocable living trusts that will become irrevocable (cannot be easily changed or terminated) when the trustmaker dies. Such trusts may benefit the surviving spouse during their lifetime and may continue for the benefit of several additional...

Property Sisters: 4 Tips to Avoid a Will or Trust Contest

Fighting over provisions in your will or trust can derail your final wishes, rapidly deplete your financial legacy, and tear your loved ones apart. However, with proper planning, you can help your family avoid a potentially disastrous fight.  If you are concerned...