Casting a shadow over a popular tax avoidance device, a recent case disallowed an estate tax break for a decedent who maintained too much control over the business he transferred to his family limited partnership.
What about representing both members of a couple on an estate plan? Two or more partners to a business deal? You can do it – sometimes – if you take the proper steps.
The ceiling for small estate affidavits has doubled from $50,000 to $100,000. But will it make the well-meaning people who serve as affiants more attractive targets for lawsuits?
On June 17, 2004, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the appellate court and affirmed the circuit court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendants.
On April 1, 2004, the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the appellate court's determination that the plaintiff's will contest should not have been dismissed for lack of standing.
On December 18, 2003, the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fourth District, affirmed the trial court's judgment dismissing a creditor's claim against an estate as untimely.
If your client is seeking payment from an estate, make sure you file a claim with the probate court even if the estate representative knows about the debt; that knowledge might not put the estate on the hook, according to a new appellate court ruling.
On October 17, 2003, the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the appellate court, holding that a claimed biological father of a stillborn child has standing to prove his parentage and serve as administrator of the child's estate in a wrongful death case.
On October 15, 2002, the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, reversed in part and reversed and remanded in part the order of the circuit court of Cook County entering an adjudication of parental neglect pursuant to section 2-6.5 of the Probate Act.
Take steps during the divorce to protect ex-spouses/children after their ex-partner/parent's death, or they might get no higher priority in probate court than magazine subscriptions and utility bills.
Do a little probate work? Then take heed: failing to properly prepare an affidavit of heirship can lead to embarrassment or worse if the will falls through.
On July 13, 2000, the Third District of the Appellate Court of Illinois affirmed the trial court's grant of summary judgment to Northwestern University ("university").
Confused elderly parents, estranged (and strange) children; estate-planning practice can pose serious malpractice risks for the best of lawyers. Here's what to watch for.
Illinois' recently enacted rule-against-perpetuities statute permits estate planners to create perpetual trusts, and that opens new estate-planning possibilities. The authors describe the options.
