Medicaid Planning in Illinois: How to Protect the Assets You Have Built While Qualifying for Care

by | Sep 17, 2026 | Blog, Common Questions, Education, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Healthcare Decisions, Inheritance Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, Living Trusts, Mental Health, News, Wills & Trusts

A single stretch of long-term care can consume in a year what took decades to build. That is the quiet financial risk sitting inside most family plans, and it is one of the few that a Will and a Trust alone do not fully address. Medicaid planning is how families...

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....

Life Insurance and Estate Planning: Why One Without the Other Leaves Your Family Exposed

by | Sep 3, 2026 | Blog, Common Questions, Education, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Inheritance Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, Living Trusts, Mental Health, News, Wills & Trusts

You bought life insurance to take care of the people you love. Whether that money reaches them the way you intended depends on something most policyholders never stop to check: how the policy fits inside your Estate Plan. September is National Life Insurance Awareness...

Avoid These Common and Expensive Mistakes: How to Leave Assets to Minor Children

by | Sep 1, 2026 | Blog, Common Questions, Education, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Inheritance Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, Living Trusts, Mental Health, News, Wills & Trusts

KEY TAKEAWAYS A simple will may not be enough when leaving assets to minor children. Your child’s guardian does not automatically control their inheritance. Court oversight can reduce the inheritance you intended for your child. A trust gives you greater control over...

A Dementia Diagnosis Changes More Than Healthcare: Seven Legal Moves to Make While You Still Can

by | Aug 19, 2026 | Blog, Common Questions, Education, Estate Planning, Healthcare Decisions, Kerlin Walsh Law, Mental Health, News, Power of Attorney, Wellness, Wills & Trusts

KEY TAKEAWAYS A dementia diagnosis does not automatically mean loss of legal capacity. Medical diagnosis and legal capacity operate on different timelines. Waiting can significantly reduce a family’s options. Several legal and financial matters should be reviewed...