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!
Difficult Conversations
I talk often about getting an estate plan in place. We all know we should do that but why don’t we do it? It’s because we must often face difficult issues within our family. We have to have difficult conversations. It’s hard to talk about who we’re going to put...
Sign a Will & Trust in the safety of your own home
New Illinois law (Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order 2020-14) permits us to witness and notarize your signature over video conference from your own home, thereby increasing your convenience and safety. Why does this matter to you? It benefits you and your loved...
Where The Road Rises : Following Your Passion – A Writer’s Perspective, Guest Neil Steinberg
Where The Road Rises as Aired on PHTV4 12/21/20. Topic: Following Your Passion – A Writer's Perspective. Guest: Neil Steinberg, Chicago Sun-Times columnist. Eileen's December podcast guest on Where the Road Rises is columnist Neil Steinberg. He is a prolific writer...
Advisors – Getting Your Clients Ready for 2021
This year is quickly coming to a close. For many of us, December 31 cannot come soon enough, as 2020 has been anything but a walk in the park. The first quarter of 2020 brought a worldwide pandemic. Not only did this raise concerns about everyone’s health and safety,...
Getting Ready for 2021
This year is quickly coming to a close. For many of us, December 31 cannot come soon enough, as 2020 has been anything but a walk in the park. The first quarter of 2020 brought a worldwide pandemic. Not only did this raise concerns about everyone’s health and safety,...
Advisors – Wills versus Trusts – Trusts Win
Find Out What a Trust Can Do That a Will Can’t Right now, the estate tax exemption surpasses $10 million (doubled if a client is married), and although it is due to revert back to $5 million (adjusted for inflation) in 2026, many clients believe their revocable trusts...
Wills Versus Trusts
A Quick & Simple Reference Guide Confused about the differences between a will and a trust? If so, you are not alone. While it is always wise to contact experts like us, it is also important to understand the basics. Here is a quick and simple reference guide:...
Revocable Trust Versus Irrevocable Trust
Which Is Best for You? A properly funded trust allows you to avoid probate, minimize taxes, provides organization, maintains control, and provides for yourself and your heirs. In its most simple terms, a trust is a book of instructions wherein you tell your trusted...
Ten Types of Trusts
A Quick Look Considering the myriad of trusts available, creating the right estate plan can seem daunting. However, that is what we, as estate planning attorneys, do every day. We know the laws and will design a plan which addresses your specific situation. Here is a...
Wealth Transfer Strategies to Consider in an Election Year
How might the coming election affect you? I think we can all agree, we have never experienced a year like 2020 with the difficulties presented by COVID-19 and the resulting volatility in the financial and employment markets. As the 2020 presidential and congressional...