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Just moved to McHenry, IL? Wondering if your out-of-state will is still valid?
Rest assured – it usually is.
As long as your will meets the requirements for a will that was executed in Illinois, your will should be valid, or enforceable in Illinois.
When a marriage ends in divorce, the spouses involved already know that a lot of transitions are headed their way. Whether or not the divorce is mutually agreed upon, one thing should remain a priority: the well-being of the children. One way that the state of Illinois helps to protect this is by encouraging a strong co-parenting relationship whenever possible.
The process of dividing up assets in a divorce can be tricky at times. After all, a marriage is a life built together, so dividing up assets can be like breaking your life into pieces.
It’s normal to have questions about what can be divided and how during a divorce. If you have a trust, you might wonder if your spouse can claim it in your divorce.
The CDC reports that roughly 2% of infants born in the United States every year are conceived using assisted reproductive technology (ART).
Techniques for ART include fertility treatments in which both eggs and embryos are handled, including artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization, cryopreservation (genetic material frozen for later use), and surrogacy.
But how do these techniques factor in when you’re building your estate plan for your family?
When you get divorced, it doesn’t just affect your life – especially if you have children. One of the things we help our clients to navigate are the complexities behind co-parenting agreements. Our goal is to protect your rights as a parent, but also to help you prepare for the responsibilities the court will require, as its first priority is the best interests of your children.
A medical power of attorney is a legal document that designates an individual, referred to as the attorney-in-fact, to make healthcare decisions on your behalf should you become unable to do so due to incapacitation. Unlike a general power of attorney, a medical power of attorney is durable, meaning it remains in effect even if you become incapacitated. This is critical in healthcare situations where swift and informed decisions often need to be made.
Life rarely turns out as expected, which is why you should carefully plan out how your estate will be distributed after you pass away.
Learn from the mistakes of these famous celebrities who died without an up-to-date estate plan. If they had had a will or trust properly set up, it could have saved their families a great deal of heartache, time, and legal fees.
There’s a lot of talk about healthcare coverage, but not much about having protection in place in the event that you aren’t able to make your own decisions – or in the case that a loved one can’t. Wondering what would happen if you were incapacitated, or even worse, if your spouse, child, or parent were in need of someone to make decisions for them, can be terrifying. Fortunately, there is an answer: a medical power of attorney.
While remarrying can be an exciting and joyous celebration of love, for someone that has accumulated substantial assets, it’s also a time to think logically about protecting those assets.
This is particularly true for those in parts of Illinois, including McHenry. Illinois has very specific laws that will affect how property is handled during divorce proceedings.
Making a plan for your Illinois estate is one of the most vital things that you can do to protect your family by ensuring that they receive their inheritance without any issues.
Whether you choose to write a will, enact a trust, or both, you must consider your estate whenever you think about settling your affairs.
However, estate planning should not be a one-and-done endeavor. Many significant changes in your life can justify changing your estate plan, so you must be ready to adapt to whatever life can throw at you if you want your estate to properly care for your family.