Special Needs Trusts in Illinois: What Every Family Should Know

by | Nov 6, 2026 | Blog, Common Questions, End-of-Life wishes, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Healthcare Decisions, Inheritance Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, Life Insurance, News, Real Estate, Wills & Trusts

KEY TAKEAWAYS A direct inheritance can push an adult child on SSI over the $2,000 limit overnight. Equal shares can put a disabled child’s inheritance in their own name, inviting court supervision. Naming your child directly on a beneficiary form means your Special...

How Life Insurance Is Taxed in Your Estate, and How a Trust Changes That

by | Sep 10, 2026 | Blog, Common Questions, Education, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Inheritance Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, Life Insurance, Living Trusts, Mental Health, News, Wills & Trusts

erson in 2026 and was made permanent under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (per the Internal Revenue Service). Most families will never owe a dollar of federal estate tax. That is the number people hear, and it is the number that creates a false sense of safety....

Types of Life Insurance and How They Can Be Used in Estate Planning

by | Sep 1, 2026 | Blog, Client Relationships, Common Questions, Education, Estate Planning, Inheritance Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, Life Insurance, News, Wills & Trusts

KEY TAKEAWAYS Life insurance should evolve with your life. The lowest-cost option is not necessarily the right long-term choice. Different policies involve different levels of flexibility, risk, and responsibility. Life insurance can help protect assets you want to...