Sweetwater Wills & Probate Lawyer, Illinois

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Includes: Estate Administration, Living Wills, Wills

Richard E. Mann

Wills & Probate
Status:  In Good Standing *Status is reviewed annually. For latest information visit here           

Charles A. Chapin

Oil & Gas, Wills & Probate, Real Estate, Tax
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J. Randall Cox

Family Law, Construction, Wills, Personal Injury
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Daniel J. Beard

Education, Estate Administration, Corporate, Banking & Finance
Status:  In Good Standing *Status is reviewed annually. For latest information visit here           Licensed:  46 Years

Bradley W. Wilson

International Tax, Agriculture, Wills & Probate, Estate, Banking & Finance
Status:  In Good Standing *Status is reviewed annually. For latest information visit here           Licensed:  38 Years

C. Matthew Smith

Tax, Wills & Probate, Estate Planning, Transactions
Status:  In Good Standing *Status is reviewed annually. For latest information visit here           Licensed:  43 Years

Mark D. Thielen

Real Estate, Wills & Probate, Trusts, Banking & Finance, Tax
Status:  In Good Standing *Status is reviewed annually. For latest information visit here           Licensed:  37 Years

Gwendolyn Marie Thomas

Federal Appellate Practice, Wills & Probate, Estate Planning, Civil Rights
Status:  In Good Standing *Status is reviewed annually. For latest information visit here           Licensed:  19 Years

Barry Hines

Agriculture, Wills, Wills & Probate, Trusts, Real Estate
Status:  In Good Standing *Status is reviewed annually. For latest information visit here           Licensed:  53 Years

David Vance White

Wills & Probate, Family Law, Insurance, Administrative Law, Personal Injury
Status:  In Good Standing *Status is reviewed annually. For latest information visit here           

Free Help: Use This Form or Call 800-814-6700

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LEGAL TERMS

PREDECEASED SPOUSE

In the law of wills, a spouse who dies before the will maker while still married to him or her.

FAMILY ALLOWANCE

A certain amount of a deceased person's money to which immediate family members are entitled at the beginning of the probate process. The allowance is meant to ... (more...)
A certain amount of a deceased person's money to which immediate family members are entitled at the beginning of the probate process. The allowance is meant to help support the surviving spouse and children during the time it takes to probate the estate. The amount is determined by state law and varies greatly from state to state.

AUGMENTED ESTATE

In general terms, an augmented estate consists of property owned by both a deceased person and his or her spouse. The concept of the augmented estate is used on... (more...)
In general terms, an augmented estate consists of property owned by both a deceased person and his or her spouse. The concept of the augmented estate is used only in some states. Its value is calculated only if a surviving spouse declines whatever he or she was left by will and instead claims a share of the deceased spouse's estate. (This is called taking against the will.) The amount of this 'statutory share' or 'elective share' depends on state law.

LAPSE

Under a will, the failure of a gift of property. A gift lapses when the beneficiary dies before the person who made the will, and no alternate has been named. S... (more...)
Under a will, the failure of a gift of property. A gift lapses when the beneficiary dies before the person who made the will, and no alternate has been named. Some states have anti-lapse statutes, which prevent gifts to relatives of the deceased person from lapsing unless the relative has no heirs of his or her own. A lapsed gift becomes part of the residuary estate.

GENERATION-SKIPPING TRUST

A trust designed to save on estate tax. The trust principal is preserved for the trust maker's grandchildren, with his or her children receiving only income fro... (more...)
A trust designed to save on estate tax. The trust principal is preserved for the trust maker's grandchildren, with his or her children receiving only income from the trust. Because the children (the middle generation) never legally own the property, it isn't subject to estate tax at their death. See generation-skipping transfer tax.

MARITAL LIFE ESTATE TRUST

See AB trust.

GRANTOR RETAINED INCOME TRUST

Irrevocable trusts designed to save on estate tax. There are several kinds; with all of them, you keep income from trust property, or use of that property, for ... (more...)
Irrevocable trusts designed to save on estate tax. There are several kinds; with all of them, you keep income from trust property, or use of that property, for a period of years. When the trust ends, the property goes to the final beneficiaries you've named. These trusts are for people who have enough wealth to feel comfortable giving away a substantial hunk of property. They come in three flavors: Grantor-Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs), Grantor-Retained Unitrusts (GRUTs) and Grantor-Retained Income Trusts (GRITs).

ENDOWMENT INSURANCE

Provides that an insured person who lives for the specified endowment period receives the face value of the insurance policy--that is, the amount paid at death.... (more...)
Provides that an insured person who lives for the specified endowment period receives the face value of the insurance policy--that is, the amount paid at death. If the policy-holder dies sooner, the beneficiary named in the policy receives the proceeds.

EXECUTOR

The person named in a will to handle the property of someone who has died. The executor collects the property, pays debts and taxes, and then distributes what's... (more...)
The person named in a will to handle the property of someone who has died. The executor collects the property, pays debts and taxes, and then distributes what's left, as specified in the will. The executor also handles any probate court proceedings and notifies people and organizations of the death. Also called personal representatives.

SAMPLE LEGAL CASES

In re Estate of Ellis

... Bauman was the pastor of the church of which Ellis was a member. When Ellis died in 2003, the 1999 will was admitted to probate. ... The circuit court of Cook County dismissed all counts as untimely pursuant to section 8-1 of the Probate Act of 1975 (755 ILCS 5/8-1 (West 2006)). ...

Wackrow v. Niemi

... James Woods died in August 2002. Letters of office were issued and Woods' will was admitted to probate on October 23, 2002. ... The estate did not deliver the property or the $300,000 to plaintiff. On October 24, 2003, the probate court denied plaintiff's claim against the estate. ...

In re Estate of Feinberg

... freedom. The Probate Act places only two limits on the ability of a testator to choose the objects of his bounty. ... desire. Under the Probate Act, Max and Erla had no obligation to make any provision at all for their grandchildren. ...

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