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!
The Property Sisters: Selling A Deceased Loved One’s Real Estate
Selling a Deceased Loved One's Real Estate: Things You Need to Know After the death of a loved one, such as a parent, there are a variety of tasks that must be handled to wrap up your loved one’s final affairs. Selling your deceased loved one’s real estate is one of...
How to Talk to Mom and Dad About Creating an Estate Plan
Conversations about death and dying are rarely fun. Most people avoid them because they invoke feelings about our inevitable demise. Broaching this subject can be particularly difficult for parents and their adult children. Adult children may avoid bringing up the...
Statements of Intent or Purpose in Estate Planning Documents Can Make A BIG DIFFERENCE
The reasons you, as a trustmaker, create a trust are certainly special and important to you, but your intent or purpose for creating a trust can also have significant legal ramifications. For this reason, it is often critical that a trustmaker express in writing their...
Mental Health Considerations In Estate Planning
It is okay to not be okay. Removing the stigma of mental health starts with realizing that many people — about one in five of all US adults--are affected by mental illness. Understanding this fact can lead to more people getting the help they require, not only by...
The Property Sisters: Researching An Investment Property Before You Buy
Research every investor, novice and expert alike, should do when considering an investment property with hopes of renting out and/or flipping. HOW YOUR TENACITY CAN BE PUT TO WORK: Learn the area. Start by getting in the car and taking a drive. In addition to driving...
Make Sure Your Kids Are Prepared with This Summer Camp Checklist
Summer camps are expected to be back in full swing this year after two pandemic summers forced them to close or operate at limited capacity. Camp is a great opportunity for kids to make new friends, try new activities, and gain self-confidence and resilience. But as...
An Estate Plan Should Not Be a Set-It-and-Forget-It Endeavor
As we all know, life happens. There is really nothing we can do about it. However, some of the most common life events can have a dramatic effect on your estate plan. If you think your estate plan is like a slow cooker and you can set it and forget it, you and your...
The Property Sisters: Will you soon be trying to find your way as empty nesters?
When The Kids Head Off To College – It’s A Good Time To Evaluate Your Home As your children graduate high school, college, or start their own lives, you have new things to think about as an empty nester. And when it comes to the home, there may be some emotional ties...
To Spring or Not to Spring?
Springing Financial Powers of Attorney Estate planning is about more than preparing for the inevitable. A good estate plan should also consider the unexpected. Your plan may have detailed instructions for what happens when you are no longer around, but what if...
Women’s History Month: RBG’s Impact on the Practice of Estate Planning
Equal Justice under the Law: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the United States Supreme Court, and Lasting Impact on the Practice of Estate Planning Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, known by her initials RBG, left a long legal legacy in her wake. She was the first woman ever to have...