What Do I Need After the Funeral?
No matter when it happens, the loss of a loved one is a moment we are often unprepared to address. You may have made many decisions related to the funeral, but you may not know what next steps may be…
The Basics of Estate Administration
Estate administration is the process of managing and distributing a person’s property (the “estate”) after death. If the person had a will, the will goes through probate, which is the process by which the deceased person's property is passed to…
A Brief Overview of a Trustee’s Duties
If you have been appointed the trustee of a trust, it is a strong vote of confidence in your judgment and trustworthiness. It is also a major responsibility. A trust is a legal arrangement through which one person (or an…
How to Make Your Funeral Wishes Known
How can you make sure your funeral and burial wishes will be carried out after you die? It is important to let your family know your desires and to put them in writing. Just don’t do it in your will. …
Woman’s Efforts to Change Will Without Professional Assistance Backfire
Just as making a will without the help of a qualified attorney can be dangerous, trying to change an existing will on your own can fail as well. A recent court decision in Minnesota serves as a cautionary reminder to anyone thinking of altering their estate plan on their own. Strohschein Law Group is here to protect what matters and just a phone call away to save you money and potential heart ache.
Six Ideas for Distributing an Estate’s Personal Property in a Fair Way
Often items of little monetary value have great emotional significance. This can make distribution difficult when more than one person feels attached to a particular item. The process can also become the venue for playing out old family insecurities and grievances. Everyone may revert to the relationships they had as teenagers.
How Do an Estate’s Debts Get Paid?
Dealing with creditor claims can be complicated. If you make mistakes as executor, it can lead to you being personally liable. It is important to get an attorney like Linda Strohschein. Linda, along with Strohschein Law Group's associate attorneys help families everyday to ensure estate administration is a process and not a hassle. Call us today at 630-377-3241.
The Ins and Outs of Estate Sales
We accumulate a lot of stuff over a lifetime and at some point – perhaps due to death, divorce, debt, or downsizing – we need to get rid of it. An estate sale is one way to dispose…
Five Things an Estate Planning Attorney Can Do – That You Probably Shouldn’t
Here is an interesting point of view that most estate planning attorneys would agree with. We know it is easy to run to an office supply store or even grab forms from the internet that guide you on how to write your own will, but it really isn't ever as "simple" as you imagine it to be. There are several issues that need to be thought of and addressed when preparing documents such as a will, powers of attorney, and a trust and you don't want loop holes to cause trouble for the family that ends up in probate. The unexpected can be planned for and consider issues typically not thought of.
Case Illustrates Dangers of Executing a Will without Legal Assistance
The irony is that using a boilerplate will form not only frustrated Ms. Aldrich's testamentary intent, but ultimately cost her estate far, far more than a simple consultation with an estate planning or elder law attorney would have.