Recent Blog Posts
What Does an Executor Do for the Estate?
One of the most important estate planning decisions you will make is choosing the executor of your estate. In most cases, the executor of an estate is usually a close relative or friend, but it does not have to be. The job of an executor includes managing and protecting the property of the decedent. The executor of your estate will be responsible for making sure that your final wishes are fulfilled and that your property is maintained until disbursement. He or she will also be responsible for paying estate debts and any outstanding tax obligations.
The person you select as executor of your estate has a tremendous responsibility. It is imperative that you choose someone who is capable of managing your estate effectively. Mismanagement of estate assets can result in losses to your beneficiaries as well as family arguments.
Executor Duties and Responsibilities
One of the first things an executor should do following the death of the estate’s original owner is to obtain at least several official copies of the state-issued death certificate. He or she will need these in order to fulfill executor duties. The executor must use these to access financial accounts and cancel government checks from programs like Social Security Disability Income (SSDI). A copy of the death certificate must also be included with the estate’s final federal tax return. It might also be the executor’s responsibility to handle the funeral and burial financial arrangements if arrangements were not already made.
How to Parent from a Distance After Divorce
Some parents are forced to have a relationship with their child from hundreds of miles away. This is common for military members, individuals who travel often for work, separated couples, and those going through the divorce process. No matter the circumstances, trying to care for a child with a long distance between you is not easy. The transition is usually the most difficult part, especially if this is a recent lifestyle change. You start to miss the little moments and sometimes the big ones, too. Gone are the days of dropping your child off at school each morning and putting them to bed at night, and while you try not to miss the big events, life sometimes gets in the way.
Here are a few tips about how to maintain a healthy parent-child relationship when many miles separate you.
Technology is Your Friend
Parenting from a distance has never been easy because all a parent wants to do is be there for their child. Although a long-distance relationship is not ideal, technological advances have made the job much easier. Being able to call or text your child at any time helps lessen the distance between you, especially if your child is old enough to have a cell phone. FaceTime or Skype calls are the best forms of communication between a child and parent. Face-to-face communication can make you feel closer, even if it is a digital image. This technological advancement is especially helpful if you have a young child. It helps them remember your face and mannerisms without your physical presence.
What You Should Know About No-Contest Clauses
When a person dies, the impact of the death can be great on the person’s surviving family members and friends. The emotions associated with a loss—especially one caused by a premature death—can make a grieving survivor act in uncharacteristic ways. Such behavior can lead to disputes over all sorts of matters, including the terms of the deceased person’s will. A battle over inheritances can be devastating to a family, and the resulting scars can last for years, if not forever. If you are currently drafting your will, you may want to think about including a no-contest clause to reduce the chances of such problems after your death.
What Is a No-Contest Provision?
No-contest clauses are also called in terrorem provisions, which is Latin for “by way of threat.” In essence, no-contest clauses threaten any named heir who contests the will, and they are used to discourage family in-fighting after the death of the will’s creator. Most no-contest clauses hold that an heir who formally contests the will automatically forfeits the portion of the estate that was originally intended for him or her. Sometimes, a no-contest clause might reduce the inheritance of a heir who challenges the will to $5 or another nominal amount.
What are the Most Common Reasons for Divorce?
Divorce may have been taboo in the past but it is far from uncommon in today’s society. Statistics fluctuate year-to-year, but divorce rates are actually decreasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state of Illinois had one of the lowest divorce rates in the country in 2017. From 1990 to 2017, Illinois’ divorce rate decreased from 3.8 to 1.9 divorces per 1,000 people. The number of divorces may be decreasing, but the common reasons for divorce have essentially remained the same.
Infidelity
This is one of the most common reasons for divorce because a single action, or a series of them, can break down an entire marriage. Cheating on a spouse often begins as an innocent friendship and eventually transforms into a physical affair. Infidelity usually results in divorce because many couples see this as an act of betrayal that can never be forgotten.
Financial Stress
High-stress situations become a breeding ground for arguments and distrust, especially when finances are involved. Many couples let money problems eat away at their relationship, little by little becoming a bigger problem and often leading to divorce.
Special Estate Planning Considerations for Blended Families
The number of remarriages has been gradually increasing over the past few decades. As a result, blended families have become more prevalent than ever before. Blended families face unique challenges when it comes to estate planning. If you are a part of a blended family or are remarried, read on to learn how estate planning can put you in control of your and your family’s future.
When a Relative Dies Without a Will
Although it can be a hard topic to discuss, it is crucial that blended families talk about estate planning together. Family arguments and other issues can arise when parents pass away without a will or trust to dictate how their property should be divided between children of different marriages. When someone dies without any estate plans, surviving family members are left to figure out inheritance dilemmas in probate court. This can be an incredible burden for a family to shoulder. Creating inheritance and estate plans now can give you peace of mind and a sense of control knowing that your family will not be forced to sort out your final affairs during an already challenging time.
Child Support in Illinois: Determining Payment Amounts
Child support payments are among the most important elements that must be determined for most couples as they begin the divorce process. While many people associate child support with divorce, parents who share a child but are not legally married may seek or be required to pay child support.
Although child support payments are typically determined through the court, some families decide to settle their payments through a mutual agreement. According to 2016 data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, 89.9 percent of custodial single parents have formal agreements through the court, which means only a small percentage of parents maintain an informal agreement.
Here is a look at the types of arrangements families can have and the aspects that figure into the determination process.
Types of Child Support Arrangements
Most parents have joint custody of their children after divorce since judges typically believe this is in the best interests of the child. For those who share custody, calculating payments can be complicated. There are two factors that go into the determination process: a parent’s income and the amount of time spent with the child. Often, the parent who has the highest income will contribute the most money. However, if the highest earning parent also spends the most time caring for the child, their required check will most likely be reduced in an attempt to equate the costs between both parents. For those who have never been married, determining payment sizes can depend on a variety of factors. These include who the child lives with, the resources available to the custodial parent, and each parent’s income.
Be Wary of Estate Planning Scams
Whether you have never written a will or you are decades into maintaining a comprehensive estate plan, everyone should be on the lookout for a new type of scam artist: the estate planning scammer. The complex nature of estate planning has given unscrupulous individuals an opportunity to scam money out of innocent victims.
Facing your own mortality when planning for your family’s future can be overwhelming and emotional. Sadly, it is this emotional vulnerability which scammers use to trick people into ineffective and unnecessarily expensive estate plan “assistance”. If you are planning to draft a will or other estate planning document, make sure to avoid taking legal advice from unqualified or untrustworthy individuals. A licensed estate planning attorney can help ensure that your estate plans are sound and legally binding.
Understand What You Need and What You Do Not Need
Everyone should have an estate plan of some kind. Many people make the mistake of thinking that only the wealthy or those with children need a will or other estate plan. Most people own items of value (whether financial or personal value) that they wish to pass on to loved ones after they die. Estate planning allows you to guarantee that your property ends up where you want it to be after you pass away. Estate plans can also include decisions about final arrangements. Making decisions like these in advance saves your surviving family and friends the burden of guessing what you would have wanted. If you have minor children, creating an estate plan allows you to choose a guardian to care for your children if you pass away before they reach adulthood. Individuals with greater or more complex assets will require more complex estate plans that those without much property.
What Types of Adoption Are There?
Adoption is a popular option for many couples and individuals who wish to start a family. More than 135,000 children are adopted in the United States each year. Although it is often said parents who adopt are saving the child’s life, adoption significantly benefits the lives of parents as well. Adoptions vary, including the processes involved. Here is a look at the different types of adoptions so you can determine which is best for you. Whichever method you choose, adoption is a legal process, and you want a skilled adoption lawyer to help you throughout.
Domestic Adoption
These adoptions are those completed entirely within the U.S. There are two ways in which a domestic adoption can be completed: through an agency or private adoption. Agencies facilitate the adoption process and connect prospective parents with potential adoptees. Independent adoptions are often the choice of couples who already know the birth mother or family.
How to Help Your Aging Parents with Their Estate Plans
If you have aging parents, you have probably already noticed a certain amount of role reversal. As children grow to adults and parents get older, it sometimes becomes the child’s job to help his or her parents manage life’s challenges. If you have worried that your parents do not have adequate estate plans in place but are unsure of how to broach the subject, experts have some tips to help.
The Risk of Dying Without a Will
Although they are arguably one of the most important documents a person could write, many people pass away without ever having written a will. When the world famous singer Aretha Franklin died last year at age 76, she had no will or trust to direct how her assets should be handled. Her lawyer explains that he encouraged her to draft a will or trust for years, but she never did. Her four children must now endure a public probate process which could take years. Passing away without a will leaves private decisions up to strangers and impersonal state laws. It can also have a negative financial impact on the decedent’s estate and his or her surviving family.
Military Pension Law Affects Military Personnel and Former Spouses
The annual military divorce rate is not as high as many people believe. The divorce rate has remained at 3 percent over the last four years. Numerically speaking, 21,290 of 689,060 married troops divorced in 2017.
The legal issues surrounding military marriage and divorce can be difficult to understand, as military law is different than civilian law. Over the past few years, many changes have been made regarding military pension and its division with divorcees.
The Frozen Benefit Rule
This law is meant to benefit military members of all branches. This includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Public Health Service’s Commissioned Corps. The law comes into effect for military personnel going through a divorce. Under this law, a member’s rank and pay are frozen at the time of their divorce. This means the pension received by the individual’s former spouse will match the rank and pay that the member was receiving at the time of the divorce. Therefore, if the military member receives a higher rank, the former spouse will not receive additional compensation.
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