Death and Taxes
Death and Taxes provides commentary on estate planning, estate administration, and real estate issues. It provides links to news stories and explains the law.
Author: Author Joel A. Schoenmeyer is an Oak Park, Ill., attorney whose practice focuses on estate planning, probate administration and residential real estate.
Blawg Related Categories: Trusts & Estates • States • Illinois • Solo / Small Firm
Recent Posts from Death and Taxes
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How to File a Will in Cook County
I've published a legal guide over at www.avvo.com on "How to File a Will in Cook County." It's available here....
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For Sale: www.probateblog.com
Sorry for the shameless sales pitch, but I own the domain name www.probateblog.com. If anyone is interested in purchasing it, I've placed it for sale at www.tdnam.com. Initial bidding is $200, and there's no reserve…
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Coming Soon: Supreme Courtship
Next week I'm hoping to post my review of Christopher Buckley's new novel, Supreme Courtship. I recently mentioned Mr. Buckley's novel Boomsday in this blog, and his publisher was nice enough to send me an…
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Mary Ellen Bendtsen Will Contest
This article tells the pretty interesting story of a Will contest. Some of the facts are typical of these types of cases -- a Will signed when the testator may or may not be competent,…
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African Americans and Heir Property
"Heir property" is a concept that's new to me -- it's a way of holding property that is somewhat common about African American farmers in the rural south. Basically, the idea is that property is…
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Petitions to Terminate Independent Administration
I'd like to address one of my pet peeves re. Illinois probate law and how it's carried out. But first, a little background: Most estates in Illinois are handled via what's called "independent administration." This…
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Jerry Orbach Potential Probate Fight
In the probate litigation system, there are two separate yet equally important parties: the second wife (who usually inherits the decedent's property), and the children of a prior marriage (who sue her). This is their…
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Boomsday and the Estate Tax
I first became a Christopher Buckley fan in 1995, when I read Thank You For Smoking. Mr. Buckley is a satirist of the first order, and usually turns his eye to Washington politics (his father…
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Estate of Hale: New Statutory Custodial Claim Case
I've written extensively, in this blog and on my website, about statutory custodial claims. These types of claims can be filed by family members if they meet certain requirements for the care of a decedent.…
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Will and Trust Provisions Against Public Policy
This is a fun topic. Are there public policy limits to how you can give away your property in your Will or trust? The answer is yes -- some obvious examples of provisions that would…