Committed, Protected, Prepared: Estate Planning Tips for Unmarried Partners

by | Sep 23, 2026 | Blog, Common Questions, Education, Estate Planning, Healthcare Decisions, Kerlin Walsh Law, Living Trusts, News, Power of Attorney, Unmarried Partners, Wills & Trusts

KEY TAKEAWAYS Commitment alone may not give your partner legal protection. Without a plan, state law may decide who inherits your assets. Estate planning can protect more than what happens after death. Some accounts may not follow the instructions in your will or...

The Invisible Estate: Secure the Value You’ve Earned Through Loyalty and Reward Points

by | Sep 23, 2026 | Blog, Common Questions, Digital Assets, Education, Estate Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, News, Wills & Trusts

KEY TAKEAWAYS Your rewards may have more value than you realize. Loyalty points are not treated like traditional assets. What happens to your points after death depends on the program. An inventory can help keep valuable rewards from disappearing. Your estate plan...

Do Not Let Your Money and Property Go to the State: Why You Need an Estate Plan

by | Sep 18, 2026 | Blog, Common Questions, Education, Estate Planning, Healthcare Decisions, Kerlin Walsh Law, News, Power of Attorney, Wills & Trusts

KEY TAKEAWAYS Without an estate plan, state law may make important decisions for you. Some of the people who matter most to you may not automatically inherit. Even an existing estate plan can leave unexpected gaps. Estate planning gives you choices state law does not....

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...

Wondering Whether You Need to Update Your Estate Plan? You Do. Here Is Why.

by | Sep 14, 2026 | Blog, Client Relationships, Common Questions, Education, Estate Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, News, Power of Attorney, Wills & Trusts

KEY TAKEAWAYS An estate plan that worked years ago may not work for your life today. Family changes can affect more of your estate plan than you might realize. New property and financial assets can create unexpected planning gaps. The people you once chose for...

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....