Death and Taxes Blog

Published by Chicago Estate Planning Lawyer Joel A. Schoenmeyer

Commentary on estate planning, estate administration, and real estate issues from a Chicago-area attorney.

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  • Who's The Boss? The Fiduciary-Beneficiary Relationship
  • What the heck is "bond in lieu of probate"?
  • Illinois Pet Trusts: An Introduction
  • Refuse or Lose: The Doctrine of Election
  • Lenders, Refinancing, and Retitling Assets In Trust: An Open Letter
  • Atticus Finch, Estate Planner
  • Confusing Terms in Estate Planning and Probate
  • Michael Jackson's Estate: An Update
  • A Late Reply To Jamie Johnson: Thoughts On Probate Disputes
  • Contesting a Will: The Limitations Period
  • Life As We Know It: Why am I reviewing the trailer to a new Katherine Heigl movie?
  • The Illinois Slayer Statute and Insanity
  • The Author Who Played With Fire
  • The Kindle, and Dr. Johnson's Naughty Executor
  • Statutory Custodial Claims article
  • How NOT To Amend Your Will
  • Failure To Communicate: A Duty For Attorneys And Clients
  • Illinois HB6477: Changes to Illinois Powers of Attorney
  • A Will Reading on "30 Rock"
  • Charitable Gifts: Points To Ponder
  • Small Estate Affidavits: Information Your Attorney Needs
  • Trust Funding and Big Banks
  • Milwaukee's Best: Captain Frederick Pabst's Letter
  • Personal Liability of an Executor or Trustee
  • Informality and Probate
  • Trusts and Consideration (why $10?)
  • The Art of the Steal
  • The Cancellation of Indebtedness "Scam"
  • Wired Magazine on Disposing of your Online Assets
  • Credit Reports
  • More on the Astor Trial
  • Scott Lee Cohen, the Estate Tax, and Traditional Media Failure
  • More Probate Litigation -- Because of the Recession?
  • A Little Advice For Young Attorneys
  • Property Schedules in Trusts
  • Movement in the Cook County Probate Court
  • The Ethicist on Switching Guardians
  • Trust-Administration Agreements
  • 5 Things You Need to Know About the Estate Tax in 2010: #5 (2011 and on)
  • 5 Things You Need to Know About the Estate Tax in 2010: #4 (State Death Taxes)
  • 5 Things You Need to Know About the Estate Tax in 2010: #3 (Trust Problems)
  • 5 Things You Need to Know About the Estate Tax in 2010: #2 (Retroactivity)
  • 5 Things You Need to Know About the Estate Tax in 2010: #1 (Capital Gains)
  • 5 Things You Need to Know About the Estate Tax in 2010: Introduction
  • The Summer Hours
  • Her Fearful Symmetry, the Victorians, and Decapitation Provisions
  • Audrey Niffenegger's Her Fearful Symmetry and Probate
  • Brooke Astor Saga Reaches Conclusion
  • Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, and Probate
  • Even More on Dunn v. Patterson
  • More on Dunn v. Patterson
  • Dunn v. Patterson: A Rant
  • 5 Tips for Dealing with Claims: Tip 5
  • 5 Tips for Dealing with Claims: Tip 4
  • 5 Tips for Dealing with Claims: Tip 3
  • 5 Tips for Dealing with Claims: Tip 2
  • 5 Tips for Dealing with Claims: Tip 1
  • 5 Tips for Dealing with Claims: Introduction
  • Wall Street Journal on Will/Trust Programs
  • The QTIP, Part 3
  • State Death Taxes
  • Unpaid Child Support in Probate
  • The QTIP, Part 2
  • The QTIP, Part 1
  • Inheritance Laws and the EU
  • More on Will Filing in Cook County
  • Will Depository, and Private Vs. Public
  • Michael Jackson's Estate, Part 8 -- More on the Allowance
  • Illinois Right To Life and "Patient Protection"? Not Really
  • Convenience Accounts
  • Nipsey Russell's Estate
  • Problems with Wrongful Death in Probate
  • Living Wills
  • The Health Care Debate: Death Panels and Living Wills
  • Motions to Substitute
  • Obama and Living Wills
  • Michael Jackson's Estate, Part 7 -- "Allowance"
  • Michael Jackson's Estate, Part 6 -- Will Contest?
  • Michael Jackson's Estate, Part 5 -- Estate Taxes and an Insurance Trust
  • Citations in Probate: Discharging and Amending
  • Michael Jackson's Estate, Part 4: Butterflies
  • Debbie Rowe, Michael Jackson, and Custody: Scream
  • Michael Jackson's Estate, Part 3: Beat It
  • The $8,000 Income Tax Credit for First-Time Home Buyers: Primary Sources
  • Michael Jackson's Will -- the PDF
  • Michael Jackson's Estate, Part 2: Wanna Be Starting Something?
  • Thomas Jefferson: Rogue Executor?
  • Contingent Fees in the Probate/Estate Context
  • Thoughts on Michael Jackson's Estate
  • Five Wishes: A Rebuttal
  • Advanced Estate Planning (Estate Planning 102)
  • More on George Allen Smith IV Cruise Ship Death
  • Handling Your First Illinois Probate Estate - CLE Video Presentation
  • Judge Sotomayor on Estates
  • Filing a Claim in Cook County, Illinois
  • Natasha Richardson's Will
  • Unclaimed Property and Probate Estates
  • Terry M. Shoultes Probate Litigation -- The Velvet Touch of Probate
  • Nina Wang Probate Dispute
  • Mediation Services in Probate
  • Powers of Attorney vs. The Five Wishes Advance Directive
  • Twitter and Facebook
  • Chang v. Lederman: Estate Planning Malpractice Case
  • Creditors and Trusts -- Society of Lloyd's
  • Ethics and Estate/Probate Attorneys
  • Cook County Probate -- New Order re. "Expedited" Service
  • More on Ethics and Estate Planning
  • Estate Planning and Ethics: Who's The Client?
  • Mrs. Astor Regrets
  • Know What to Ask Before Hiring an Estate Planner
  • Reopening (or just opening) a Probate Estate
  • Closing a Probate Estate, Part 2
  • Closing a Probate Estate, Part 1
  • Wall Street Journal Estate Tax Editorial
  • Representation, Part 2: Contingent Fee
  • Illinois Estate Tax Case
  • Representation, Part 1: Beneficiaries
  • Loans to Family Members, Part 2
  • The Oracle of Oak Park?
  • Loans to Family Members, Part 1
  • The Estate Planning - Probate Connection
  • Creditors and Non-Probate Assets in Illinois
  • E-Filing to Come to Cook County
  • Professor Layton and the Curious Village
  • More on Attorney Fees and Billing Arrangements
  • Tough Times and Probate
  • Intestacy Reform
  • All of Me and Honestly Dearest, You're Dead
  • Alternative Billing Arrangements
  • More domain names for sale
  • Same-Sex Marriage Probate Decision in New York
  • Roland Burris: Estate Planner
  • Probate in DuPage County, Illinois
  • Cook County's "Norris" Rule
  • Boot Camp for Executors and Trustees
  • Scott Boras and Ethics in Negotiation
  • The Residential Real Property Disclosure Act and Fiduciaries
  • If I Ran the Cook County Probate Court, Part 2
  • Details on Formal Proof of Will
  • Obama and the Estate Tax
  • Fiduciaries and Power of Attorney
  • ACTEC Commentaries on Model Rules of Professional Conduct
  • Peter Falk and Guardianship
  • Nudge, Shel Silverstein, Smart, and Negotiation
  • Transfer of Will
  • Illinois Bar Journal Resources
  • May a non-resident act as Illinois executor?
  • CBGB Probate Dispute
  • Renunciation of a Will, Part 2: Procedures
  • Renunciation of a Will, Part 1: The Basics
  • Cars and Beneficiary Designations
  • Receipts and Distributions, part 2
  • Slayer Statutes, Attempted Murder, and Updating Your Will
  • Receipts and Distributions, part 1
  • Paul Newman's Will and Codicil
  • Utah, the LDS, and Probate Rights
  • Claims and Secured Property in Probate
  • Slate article on Inheritance
  • Illiquidity and Probate
  • Making Gifts in Tough Economic Times
  • Other Presidential Candidates on the Estate Tax
  • How Much Information Should the Executor Give?
  • New Office, and Offices Generally (Advice for Solos)
  • More on McCain, Obama and the Estate Tax
  • A Rebuttal Re. Probate Investors
  • More on Taxes and President, VP Candidates
  • Dividing the Estate and Just Buried
  • Buckley Probate Mess
  • Step-Siblings, Half-Siblings, and Heirship
  • A Rant
  • Cutting Off Fights Over Your Estate
  • Heir Property and The Gridlock Economy
  • Client Work Breakdown
  • Trusts, Corporate Fiduciaries, and the Bailout
  • Wills and Trusts With Incorrect Family Information
  • Tax Plan Charts and Graphs
  • 2008 Year-End Gifting Made Easy
  • Stock Certificates and Probate
  • Probate Checklist
  • Powers of Attorney: Do You Want to Act as Agent?
  • Jurisdiction in Probate
  • More on Terminating Independent Administration
  • Agents and Reasonable Compensation
  • Slayer Statute Applicable To Minors?
  • Crazy Article Round-up
  • How to File a Will in Cook County
  • For Sale: www.probateblog.com
  • Coming Soon: Supreme Courtship
  • Mary Ellen Bendtsen Will Contest
  • African Americans and Heir Property
  • Petitions to Terminate Independent Administration
  • Jerry Orbach Potential Probate Fight
  • Boomsday and the Estate Tax
  • Estate of Hale: New Statutory Custodial Claim Case
  • Will and Trust Provisions Against Public Policy
  • John McCain and Tax Confusion
  • Who opens the probate estate? Getting organized
  • The Trust Name Game (Trust Terminology)
  • McCain and Obama Tax Policies
  • 5 Things You Can Do To Save Money and Time on Probate
  • The Reverse Mortgage Probate Problem, and Liquidity
  • An Update on Small Estate Affidavits
  • Small Estate Affidavits and Claims
  • Landheer and UPL
  • Planning for Couples in a Second Marriage
  • Premarital Agreements and Other Areas of Law
  • More on Amending Probate Papers
  • First Day of School
  • Seth Tobias Case Settlement
  • More on the Referral Problem -- ADR
  • Senator Clinton in Probate Court?
  • Conflicts of Interest and Referrals
  • Wills and Provisions That Fail
  • Tangible Personal Property and edivvyup.com
  • Bill Murray's Prenup -- with Extra Top 5 List!
  • Foreign Wills
  • Jane Bryant Quinn on Prenups
  • Podcast #5 - The Estate Tax
  • Amending Probate Papers
  • Huck Finn and Holographic Wills
  • EIN PDQ FAQ
  • Intentional Interference with an Inheritance, and the Ellis Case
  • Wills with Testamentary Trusts
  • Nabokov's Laura and the Disobedient Executor
  • Estate Planning 101 -- Health Directives
  • Cook County Probate Procedure Changes
  • John McCain: The Prenup President?
  • Podcast #3 - Living Trusts
  • 30 Rock, Dr. King, and The Estate Tax
  • Will Contests and Philip Roth's The Ghost Writer
  • The Oak Park Ban on "For Sale" Signs -- The Controversy Continues
  • Podcast Status
  • Pleading Requirements in Will Contests, and Why Litigation Is So Expensive
  • Real Estate Transfer Taxes
  • Podcast #2
  • Estate Planning and Boston's Freedom Trail
  • Some thoughts on, what is reasonable compensation?
  • The Cronin House and Unique Real Estate
  • Powers of Attorney for College Students
  • Duty to File ALL Wills?
  • If I Ran the Cook County Probate Court
  • Podcast #1 Notes
  • Podcast #1
  • Housing Price Statistics
  • Facebook and "My Own Last Wishes"
  • Down to "The Wire"
  • Update #2: Britney Spears
  • Update #1: Anna Nicole Smith
  • Podcast delays
  • The Agnes Wright Case and Loans vs. Gifts
  • The Dirty Secret about Creditors and Claims in Probate
  • What I Learned About DNA Testing
  • A Peterson Update
  • Powers of Attorney and Emergency Consent for Children
  • Ernest Hemingway's Parents and the Premarital Agreement
  • Title Insurance, Bugs Bunny, and the Brooklyn Bridge
  • Re-Opening the Estate
  • Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) FAQ
  • Why I Don't Keep Original Documents for My Clients
  • The Return of the Death and Taxes Podcast
  • The Petticoat Will, and Beneficiaries as Witnesses
  • Specific Gifts and Drafting Flexibility
  • Estate of Bantsolas: Land Trusts, Acceptance, and Probate
  • Chicago BlockShopper: What Fresh Hell Is This?
  • New Developments: Small Trust Termination
  • Seth Tobias and the Sex Hex?
  • "Let Them Default"?: A (Former) Real Estate Lawyer's Response to the Lending Crisis
  • Good News Bad News
  • Estate of Talty and Breach of Fiduciary Duty
  • Collaborative Divorce
  • Selling Real Estate to a Beneficiary in Probate
  • Whoopi Goldberg, The Wall Street Journal, and Estate Tax Lies
  • Amy Winehouse, Drugs and Alcohol, and Guardianship
  • Cincinnati Bengals Probate Fight Update
  • Lindenwood U. and Estate Planning Conflicts of Interest
  • Gone With the Wind and Trusts
  • Larry King and Life Insurance Settlements
  • More on Missing Persons and Probate
  • The Dangers of Powers of Attorney
  • The Case of the Missing Fossett
  • Estate Status and Multiple Probates
  • Wills for Heroes
  • Sorry...
  • The Economist on "Death Taxes"
  • Living Trust as Guardianship Substitute
  • The State's Attorney and Unknown Heirs in Illinois
  • Notary Chic and Michael Clayton
  • Weekly Roundup
  • Follow-up: Amendment to Custodial Claim Statute
  • Dependent Relative Revocation
  • Insurance and Estate/Trust Administration
  • Nixon Peabody Theme Song
  • Phelan v. Baskin -- Trust and Will Execution
  • Blogging Break
  • Leona Helmsley's Will and the "Grave Visiting" Requirement
  • Disinheritance (and Possible Undue Influence) in the House of Mirth
  • The BiWeekly Disadvantage Plan?
  • Probate Notice: Part 3
  • Probate Notice: Part 2
  • Probate Notice: Part 1
  • Probate Investors Go Nutso!
  • Barry Bonds, David Wells, and Gift Tax
  • Nursing Home and Assisted Living Agreements
  • Forms for Opening an Illinois Probate Estate: Part 5 (Orders)
  • Forms for Opening an Illinois Probate Estate: Part 4 (Affidavit of Heirship)
  • Forms for Opening an Illinois Probate Estate: Part 3 (Copy of Will)
  • Forms for Opening an Illinois Probate Estate: Part 2 (Fiduciary Docs)
  • Forms for Opening an Illinois Probate Estate: Part 1 (Petitions)
  • Probate Attorneys, Conduct Before a Tribunal, and Legal Ethics
  • "Big Love" and Irrevocable Trusts
  • I Want To Be A Farmer!
  • Harry Potter, the Deathly Hallows, and Dumbledore's Will (Minor Spoilers)
  • Judge Malak on Citations
  • "Fun" Facts about the Gift Tax, Part 4: The End
  • "Fun" Facts about the Gift Tax, Part 3: The "Unified" Credit
  • "Fun" Facts about the Gift Tax, Part 2: Credits and Exclusions
  • "Fun" Facts about the Gift Tax, Part 1: An Introduction
  • Big Law Firms and Partner Demotion
  • Movie Review: What Rats Won't Do
  • Fun Quotes Edition
  • Hooters Probate Litigation
  • Cochonour Revisited
  • Anna Nicole Smith's Will -- An Update
  • Donna Tartt, The Secret History, and Trusts
  • New Statutory Custodial Claims Bill
  • Where Do Clients Come From?
  • Joe Jagger's Estate and Wealthy Family Members
  • Nancy Drew and the Missing Will
  • Proposed Regulations: Estate Tax and Claims
  • Probate Forms for Cook and Surrounding Counties
  • Jackie O's Will and a Disclaimer Issue
  • Power of Attorney/Elder Abuse Case in Cook County
  • Cook County Probate Online (Finally!)
  • Creditor Frustration
  • No Lender Approval for Due on Sale
  • Estate Planning for the Widow or Widower
  • The Juggle on Estate Planning-Related Topics
  • Trust funding and real estate
  • Basics of trust funding
  • What's a Grantor Trust?
  • Privacy and Probate Proceedings
  • The Name Game; or, The Benefits of Being a Schoenmeyer
  • Trust Flexibility and Tangible Personal Property
  • Articles on Small Estate Affidavits, Choosing an Executor
  • Notice in Probate
  • Claims Vs. Citations
  • Dr. Atkins Trust Litigation
  • More on Divorce and Estate Planning
  • Sibling Agreements About Parental Care
  • Estate Disputes Among Fairies
  • The Andrew Kissel Estate: Another State v. Federal Problem?
  • Per Stirpes vs. Per Capita
  • "Little Sweetie" and Probate on Presumption of Death
  • Northern Trust Formbook Online
  • "The Office" on Negotiation
  • The Effect of Divorce on Estate Planning Documents
  • Affidavit of Heirship - The FAQ
  • TrustManager
  • Irrevocable Insurance Trusts -- YOU CAN'T AMEND THEM!
  • Introduction to Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs) - Part 4
  • Introduction to Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs) - Part 3
  • David Copperfield, Probate Attorney
  • Introduction to Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs) - Part 2
  • Introduction to Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs) - Part 1
  • What is a Pourover Will?
  • Big Firms and Estate Planning: The Horses have Left the Barns
  • How NOT to Amend Your Will
  • Probate Fees and the Christian Science Monitor
  • Problems with Anna Nicole Smith's Will
  • Flexibility and Living Trusts
  • Equitable Apportionment and the Malik Case
  • More on Nonprobate Transfer Bill (Illinois SB 297)
  • Nonprobate Transfer Bill (Illinois SB 297)
  • 30 Rock on Marital Settlements
  • Attorney Fees for Probate: How Do You Want Your Sandwich?
  • The List of 53
  • Thoughts on Associate Salaries
  • Attorney's Bank as Trustee? Just Say No
  • 20 Short Facts about 529 Plans (Part 2 of 2)
  • 20 Short Facts about 529 Plans (Part 1 of 2)
  • More on Boras, Matsuzaka, and the Red Sox
  • A Little More on Surety Bonds
  • On the Subject of Surety Bonds
  • Does Intestacy Law Go Too Far To Protect Parents?
  • Say It Loud! I'm Dead and I'm Proud!
  • Sonnenschein and the Demise of Big Firm Estate Planning Groups
  • Introduction to Powers of Appointment, Part 2: Tax Issues
  • Introduction to Powers of Appointment, Part 1
  • You and Yours Blawg on Beneficiary Designations
  • Organize Your Financial Life in 2007
  • Probate Act Project... And on to 2007
  • "Shakespeare's Will"
  • Billy Graham Potential Probate Controversy
  • Seth A. Kaplan on In Terrorem Clauses
  • Boras and Matsuzaka vs. the Red Sox
  • Researching "This Old House" in Cook County
  • Ken Lay's Bequest
  • What is Equal?
  • What to Do with the Body?
  • A List of Oak Park-owned Real Estate
  • "Certified" Deed Scam
  • Zillow 2.0
  • Year-End Gifting Made Easy (2006-2007 Edition)
  • Filing a Will in Cook County, Part 2
  • Filing a Will in Cook County, Part 1
  • Brooke Astor and Guardianship Fees
  • Superman Returns - and knows nothing of probate
  • Initiating the Probate Process in Cook County, Part 1: Testate Estates
  • Medicaid Reimbursement and Estate Claims
  • Leopold Bloom, Frustrated Beneficiary
  • Ask Amy Tackles Prenuptial Agreements
  • Charitable Beneficiaries Play Hardball
  • Blogging Break
  • Timeframes and Cook County Probate
  • Missing Persons and the Illinois Probate Act
  • In Terrorem (No Contest) Clauses
  • Creditor as Administrator
  • Stealing a Decedent's Property
  • Death and Taxes the Movie: Stranger Than Fiction?
  • The Federal Government and Claims
  • Sometimes I Run, Sometimes I Hide, Sometimes I Blog About Britney and K-Fed
  • Oops! Britney Did It Again
  • North Carolina Estate Planning Blog
  • Virginia is For Lovers... Of Dumb Laws?
  • Patrick White's Executor and the Decedent's Wishes
  • More on Conflicts of Interest
  • Representing Spouses in Estate Planning
  • Negotiation and the Value of Reasonableness
  • Trustees, Loans, and the Duty of Loyalty
  • Florida Estate Planners Acting as Fiduciaries
  • Rosa Parks and Valuing the Property of Famous People
  • Executor Article and Checklist
  • A Real Estate Sale in Brentwood
  • The Suicidal Estate Planning Client
  • Probating a Lost Will
  • Probate, Claims and the 2-Year Bar
  • Estate of Hoellen and Guardianship Citations
  • Still Afoot: Changes to my Website
  • Ulysses and Shakespeare's Will
  • Should This Man Be a Judge?
  • American Family: A Living Trust Scam?
  • Storing a Client's Will
  • The Evils of Probate?
  • Del Close's Skull and the Executor
  • PA Elder, Estate & Fiduciary Law Blog
  • Porgy, Bess and Ira Gershwin's Executor
  • Something's Afoot
  • Six Types of Estate Planning
  • Cincinnati Bengals Probate Fight
  • Commissions in a Slow Real Estate Market
  • Intestacy Calculator
  • More on Wills and East of Eden
  • Real Estate Attorney's Fees
  • Heirship and Children Born Out of Wedlock
  • An Introduction to Apportionment
  • Does one of the M's stand for mediation?
  • Caregiver Contracts and Statutory Custodial Claims
  • Steps to Take After Death
  • Georgia O'Keeffe's Gift
  • Update #2: Oak Park
  • Update #1: The Wire
  • Settling Claims in Probate
  • Kirby Puckett, Powers of Attorney and Gifting
  • Considering the Corporate Trustee
  • Inheritance, Ethics and Classic Lit, Part 2: Persuasion
  • "The Wire," Season Four
  • Inheritance, Ethics and Classic Lit, Part 1: East of Eden
  • Attorney as Executor
  • The Dangers of Co-Executors
  • Google Book Search
  • Countrywide: Not On Your Side
  • Do You Want To Be the Executor?
  • Realtors and Oak Park's "For Sale" Sign Ban
  • The Ethicist on Debts of a Decedent
  • Oak Park's Kelo Problem, Part 2
  • Oak Park's Kelo Problem, Part 1
  • Removal of an Executor/Murder Suspect
  • Ronald Lipman on Pooled Trusts
  • An Estate Should Be an Open Book
  • Ken Lay and Claims Priority
  • Putting Together Your "Bye-Bye" File
  • Revoking Your Will, Pt. 1
  • Gifts to Pets In Action
  • Illinois Real Estate Blog
  • Artie Shaw and Contracts to Make a Will
  • Brooke Astor and Attorneys Who Overreach
  • Eleanor Spector Trust Problems
  • Google Real Estate Search: A New Tool
  • Inheritance Tax
  • Litigation Analysis: Risks and Rewards
  • Disclaimers and Grabby Hands
  • Title Transfer: The "Heart" of Probate
  • Hayley Kissel's "Allowance"
  • Prepaid Interest and Real Estate Closings
  • The Value of "I'm Sorry"
  • Deposition Smackdown
  • My Office Situation
  • This Site: General vs. Specific Information
  • Break From Blogging
  • Fun with Caselaw
  • Introduction to Land Trusts
  • Bob Bruss on Probate Property
  • Wrongful Death, Settlement Agreements and the Court
  • Basic Professional Responsibility and Estate Planning
  • The Uniform Probate Act, Death, and Divorce
  • Marlon Brando: Messy Life, Messy Estate
  • Andrew Kissel and Declining to Act as Executor
  • Creditor as Administrator
  • The Art of Drafting
  • Surviving Spouse and Child Awards
  • Warren Buffett's Charitable Gift
  • ADR Blogs
  • Inheriting Personal Property
  • Ruth Lilly Guardianship
  • Darrell "Wayne" Perry Probate Litigation
  • James Joyce's Literary Executor
  • "The Break-Up" and Unmarried Clients
  • A Rebuttal From Greg Magnesen
  • Sherwin Abrams on Real Estate Taxes
  • Melvin Dummar Returns
  • Lillian Glasser and Guardianship Costs
  • Some Personal Thoughts on the Estate Tax
  • The Swift Report on the "Deadly" Death Tax
  • Joint Accounts, Convenience Accounts and Donative Intent
  • Lower: New Statutory Custodial Claims case
  • Ethics and Disclosure
  • More Ghostwriting and Websites
  • Printers Row Book Fair
  • Powers of Attorney and Surgery
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Light Blogging
  • Follow-up #2: Disinheritance
  • Follow-up #1: Gifting a Home
  • Coretta Scott King and Lost Wills
  • "Big Love" and Guardianship
  • FutureShop and the Sale of Estate Property
  • Old-Fashioned Probate Litigation
  • A New (Not Recommended) Alternative To POAs
  • And You Thought Your Family Was Crazy
  • Another Reason Not To Gift Residence
  • Family Dispute Article
  • Estate Planning 101: Introduction to Estate Planning
  • Duty To File Will
  • Rosa Parks Probate Dispute to Mediation
  • Art Show for Urns
  • The Office on "Conflict Resolution"
  • Bloglet Problems and the Switch to FeedBlitz
  • Fiduciary Duty and Non-Probate Assets
  • Kirby Puckett's Ashes
  • Disclaimers
  • Living Trust Schemes and Probate Myths
  • "Dear Amy" and Kids Stealing From Parents
  • "The Office" and Conflict Resolution
  • Disinheriting: How Little is Too Little?
  • More on Rosa Parks Probate Litigation
  • Illinois Real Estate Blog
  • Julius Caesar and His Will
  • John Donovan's Estate of War, and Irrevocability
  • Madeleine Stockdale: New Jersey Probate Litigation
  • Twinkies, Shortstops, and Gangsters: Homes of Famous People
  • More Blogs of Interest
  • Dealing with Tangible Personal Property
  • Life Insurance Made Easy
  • New Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract
  • Will of Richard Nixon
  • Marilyn Monroe's Personal Property
  • Probate vs. Non-Probate Property: The Trump Card
  • Real Estate For Sale Websites
  • Take Your Adversary to Lunch
  • Different Types of Administrators
  • Probate By Mail or Phone
  • Estate of Doyle: Powers of Attorney, Revocation, and Guardianship
  • The Public Administrator
  • Premarital Agreements and Disclosure
  • Follow-up on John G. Kenedy Jr.
  • Celebrity Prenups!
  • Welcome Taxalicious
  • The Inheritance Surprise?
  • Removing the Representative
  • Ralph Haines Probate Litigation
  • More on Ghostwritten Blogs
  • The New Money Magazine
  • Contesting a Will and Statutes of Limitations
  • Joan Kroc, NPR, and Charitable Giving
  • Trust Construction and Personal Property Case
  • ADR-related Blogs
  • Pro Se Probate: Some Final Thoughts
  • Thoughts on Requiring an Attorney for Probate, and Related Issues
  • Blogs and Ghostwriting
  • Requiring an Attorney for Probate
  • Charles Dickens' Bleak House
  • Probate Forms for Chicago-Area Counties
  • Estate Planning for Farmers
  • Mediation in Estate Planning and Probate: A Survey (Part 3 - Court Links)
  • Five Things I Learned From Jury Duty
  • Estate Planning After Divorce
  • Anna Nicole Smith and the Probate Exception
  • Estate Planning For Collectors
  • McCartney-Eastman Probate Litigation
  • Mediation in Estate Planning and Probate: A Survey (Part 2 - Court Links)
  • Mediation in Estate Planning and Probate: A Survey (Part 1 - Articles)
  • Gifts to Charity: The Slate 60
  • Wills vs. Living Trusts: Now or Later
  • Florida: Enabling Bad Estate Planning
  • More on Will and Trust Construction: Ambiguities
  • The Onion on Personal Property Disputes
  • An Intro to Will (and Trust) Construction
  • Lillian Glasser and the Second Power of Attorney
  • Happy Valentine's Day!
  • Attorney's Fees: How Much Do You Charge?
  • Faerber and Claims Notices
  • Wills - Joint, Mutual, Reciprocal
  • zillow.com
  • Genealogy and Probate Records
  • Guardianships, Alzheimer's, and Love
  • More on Wieland, Brown, and Client Trust Accounts
  • Client Trust Accounts, IOLTA, and the Takings Clause
  • California Estate Planning Practice Blog
  • Howard Hughes and the Spammers
  • Mediation Nation: DC Baseball and Cicero Home Depot
  • Dickens on Pet Trusts, and Thomas Pynchon
  • Incentive Trusts
  • Claims and Limitations
  • Cryonics and Personal Revival Trusts
  • John Hodgman on Negotiation
  • The Bequests Quiz
  • ADR and George Washington's Will
  • Chancery and Bleak House
  • Sullivan on Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples
  • The Return of J.G. Banks
  • Lessons from the Lillian Glasser Case
  • Premarital Agreements and Insurance
  • Premarital Agreements: A Short Introduction
  • More on Lillian Glasser
  • Clark Allison on Buy-Sell Agreements
  • FLPs and Giving Away Property That Loses Value
  • Blogs of Note
  • ADR: Basics and Baseball "Final Offer" Arbitration
  • Thoughts on the Lillian Glasser Case
  • Lawyer Fun
  • State Estate Taxes: Problems in '06
  • Only in California
  • Citation to Discover Information: Cook County Procedures
  • More Thoughts on the Lender Report Card
  • Lender Report Card
  • Slate on Mortgage Foreclosures
  • Estate P.A.C.T.: A Service For Preparing Probate Property for Sale
  • Good Resource for Illinois Safety Deposit Boxes
  • Howard Hughes and the Mormon Will: Final Thoughts
  • Howard Hughes and the Mormon Will: "The Investigation," Part 2
  • Howard Hughes and the Mormon Will: "The Investigation"
  • Howard Hughes and the Mormon Will: Just the Facts
  • Howard Hughes and the Mormon Will: Part 1
  • Judge Perivolidis on Probate Mediation
  • Guardianships, Control and Pressure
  • Grieving "Peanuts" and Estate Planning
  • Do It Yourselfers, Probate, and Wills
  • Beneficiary Designations
  • Gifts, Trusts, and the "Generous" Parent
  • Year-End Gifting Made Easy
  • Offer and Acceptance: Contract Law and Real Estate
  • Real Estate Disclosures and Sales "As Is"
  • Pride, Prejudice and the Entail
  • Rosa Parks and Probate Litigation
  • Probate Fees
  • Trust Distributions, Part 2: Total Return Trusts
  • The Chicago Tribune on Mortgage Fraud
  • Trust Distributions, Part 1: Income and Principal
  • Probate Litigation Problems and the Kusbach Family
  • McAdam Probate Litigation and Attorney-Trustee Conflicts
  • Trustee Duties: Total Loyalty
  • "Roll Dem Bones": Illinois' New Disposition of Remains Act
  • Cheating and Escheating
  • Illinois Estate Tax Forms
  • Professor Langbein on Connecticut Probate
  • Simultaneous Deaths and Morbidity
  • Planning for an Inheritance
  • Mortgage Foreclosure Alternatives
  • Corporate Trustee Succession and Trust Administration
  • Scary Estate Planning and Probate Stories, Part 5
  • Scary Estate Planning and Probate Stories, Part 4
  • Scary Estate Planning and Probate Stories, Part 3
  • Scary Estate Planning and Probate Stories, Part 2
  • Scary Estate Planning and Probate Stories, Part 1
  • Intro to Buy-Sell Agreements
  • More on Problems with Charitable Bequests
  • Bill Frist and Blind Trusts
  • Charitable Bequest Problem: Yale, the Pequot Library, and Christopher Columbus
  • The Risky Business of Crazy Mortgages
  • More on Anna Nicole Smith's Probate Case
  • Changing your Estate Plan
  • Abatement
  • Change in Guardianship Requirements
  • Lapsed Legacies and the Anti-Lapse Statute, Part 2
  • Lapsed Legacies and the Anti-Lapse Statute, Part 1
  • Frank Lloyd Wright and the Life Estate Agreement
  • More on Mortgage Fraud
  • Anna Nicole Smith Goes to the Supreme Court
  • Probate Finality: Exhuming a Body in Texas
  • The Chicago Outfit and Real Estate
  • The Estate Tax and Katrina
  • The Great MLS Battle
  • Preemptive Use of the Slayer Statute
  • Advancements
  • Real Estate Closings and "The Nice Guy"
  • The Importance of Being a Vigilant Creditor
  • Gifting to your Attorney
  • What the Heck is Ademption?
  • Probate Fights: A "Poor Little Rich Boy"
  • Home Seller's Blog
  • California "Cash Advances" for Beneficiaries
  • Out of Town
  • Intro to Mortgage Fraud
  • Estate Planning for College Students
  • Living Trust Fallacies
  • James Fenimore Cooper's Will
  • Assessments and Privacy
  • Handling Small Estates, Part 1
  • "Hobo Joe" and Probate Detective Work
  • Trust Funding
  • An Introduction to Citations
  • Slayer Statute Follow-Up
  • The Great Wealth Transfer
  • A Family Lawyer on Guardians
  • Ethics for Estate Planning Attorneys
  • Forbes vs. Kinsley on the Flat Tax
  • The Rashidi Wheeler Case and Fiduciary Duty
  • Using a Will for Non-Probate Property
  • Blogging About Blogs, Part 2: Lawyers and Legal Marketers
  • Will Contests, Part 3: Melvin Dummar and Howard Hughes' Will
  • TOD Accounts in New York
  • Will Contests, Part 2: Notice, and the Right to Terminate Independent Administration
  • Will Contests, Part 1: Formal Proof of Will
  • Blogging about Blogs
  • Thoughts about Attorneys as Fiduciaries
  • Anna Nicole Smith and the Best. Correction. Ever.
  • Fiduciary Duty and the Mikrut Case
  • Cook County Public Guardian vs. Preservationists
  • The Murdoch Family's Inheritance Fight
  • Federal Estate Tax Repeal, Part 11: The Vote Postponed, and The Wall Street Journal Speaks Up
  • Federal Estate Tax Repeal, Part 10: NPR Weighs In
  • "Unforeseen Circumstances" and the Capital Gains Exclusion
  • The Longest Probate
  • Realtor Battles in Missouri
  • A Bit More on Disclaimers
  • Thanks for Nuthin' -- When a Gift Isn't a Gift
  • Federal Estate Tax Repeal, Part 9: The Senate Vote Approaches
  • Guardianship of a Minor: A Few Basics
  • Deciding When a Living Trust Is Appropriate
  • ADR Language in Trust Documents: A Problem?
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Probate?
  • Living Trusts and Asset Protection
  • Privacy for the Pritzkers?
  • Very Good New Estate Planning and Probate Blog
  • www.taxalmanac.org
  • Friendship, or Undue Influence?
  • More on the Cochonour Case
  • Federal Estate Tax Repeal, Part 8: The Family Farm (Non)Issue
  • Resource Page: Local Transfer Tax Information
  • Real Estate, Probate and the "Chain of Title"
  • Resource Page: Lender/Payoff Letter Information
  • Probate and Minor Beneficiaries
  • Google Earth and Chicago Real Estate
  • Investment Real Estate Case Study, Part 2
  • Investment Real Estate Case Study, Part 1
  • Two New Real Estate Resources
  • Probate Judge Misconduct
  • Estate Planning Foulups of the Rich and Famous
  • The "Get a Will" Express Leaves the Tracks
  • Powers of Attorney and Real Estate Closings
  • Gifts of Real Property and the $250,000 Capital Gains Exclusion
  • Just Say No - To Acting as Executor or Trustee?
  • Spousal Rights in Probate, Part 1
  • States Recouping Medicaid Costs
  • Scooped! Illinois' New Rule 1.17 (Sale of a Law Practice)
  • Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples
  • Safekeeping for your Will
  • Tax Prorations and Reproration Agreements
  • Fiduciary Responsibility, Even for Judges (kind of)
  • Dear Lender or Mortgage Broker,...
  • Statutory Custodial Claims, Part 2: Problems
  • Statutory Custodial Claims, Part 1: An Introduction
  • Terri Schiavo: The Autopsy
  • Another Google Maps-Based Real Estate Resource
  • An Intro to Guardianships, and The Health Care Surrogate Act
  • New Cook County Recorder Site vs. Privacy
  • Living Trusts and Multiple Probates
  • The Listing Agreement: Keeping Your Eye on the Ball
  • Steve Bogira's "Courtroom 302"
  • Even the Rich May Not Have Estate Plans
  • Brigham Young's Will: SOLD
  • Standing to Contest a Will
  • Eli Lilly-related Probate Litigation
  • Home Funerals/Caskets for Sale
  • Decedents, Safety Deposit Boxes, and the Chicken-and-Egg Problem
  • New Blog on Probate Litigation
  • Funeral Trusts, Part 2: A Checklist
  • Federal Estate Tax Repeal, Part 7: More Resources
  • Living Trusts, Probate Records, and Privacy
  • Guardians and Fiduciary Duties
  • Estate Planning for the "Problem Child"
  • Bridge Loans: Is There a Better Way?
  • Funeral Arrangements for Soldiers
  • Are We In a Real Estate Bubble?
  • FindLaw Survey: Most Americans Don't Have a Will
  • Patti Blagojevich and Realtor Commissions
  • Disposing of Personal Property
  • Oak Park's Ban on "For Sale" Signs: Unconstitutional?
  • Isaac Stern's Bad Executor
  • The Law of Averages: Earnest Money
  • Chicago Crime and Google RSS
  • Ads for Cremation Society of Illinois, J.G. Banks
  • Legal Documents and Burial Instructions
  • www.deathandtaxesblog.com
  • Federal Estate Tax Repeal, Part 6: Judge Posner and Professor Becker
  • FSBO (“For Sale By Owner”): Points to Ponder
  • Federal Estate Tax Repeal, Part 5: The Media Catches On, and Another Repeal-Related Problem
  • Fees for Real Estate Closings, Part 3: My Fees
  • Fees for Real Estate Closings, Part 2: Title Insurance and Attorney Agents
  • Three Things You Can Do For A Better Funeral
  • "Fear Factor" Creator's Will (Satire)
  • Jessica Mitford's "The American Way of Death Revisited" (the conclusion of my 2-part review)
  • Jessica Mitford's "The American Way of Death Revisited" (part 1 of my 2-part review)
  • Fees for Real Estate Closings, Part 1: An Introduction
  • Estate Planning Links
  • The Mortgage Contingency Provision: Myths and Reality
  • Gifting, Part 3: Naming a Joint Tenant
  • Federal Estate Tax Repeal, Part 4: Economists Debate
  • Problems for the "Death Care" (Funeral) Industry
  • Intro to TOD and POD Accounts
  • Great Resource for Charitable Giving
  • Law Quadrangle Notes on Drafting Errors, Living Wills
  • Craigslist + Google Maps = The Future of Real Estate
  • The Rabbi on Estate Tax Repeal
  • Gifting, Part 2: Tuition and Medical Expenses
  • Gifting, Part 1: The Easiest Gifts to Make
  • Oprah and the Employee "Gifts"
  • More on Slayer Statutes
  • Death and Frequent Flier Miles
  • Technology Inventory Follow-up
  • "Veronica Mars" and Myths of Estate Planning
  • Schiavo and the Slayer Statute
  • The Town Gift, and Will and Trust Amendments
  • Down with the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction?
  • Federal Estate Tax Repeal, Part 3
  • Client List Analysis
  • Federal Estate Tax Repeal, Part 2
  • Death and Taxes: The Death of the Federal Estate Tax
  • Guardianship Revenge?
  • The Case of the Grand Send-off
  • Independent Administration: Monitoring the Process
  • My Final Word on Advance Directives (for a while)
  • "Per Stirpes"
  • More Thoughts on Intestacy
  • An Intestacy Primer
  • Home Sale Contingencies
  • Podcast #1: Estate Planning and Disability Issues and the Schiavo Case
  • The Pourover Will: Your Insurance Policy
  • The Schiavo Case: The Aftermath
  • Supervised Administration
  • Senator John Heinz III, Probate Privacy and Independent Administration
  • Non-Blog Site Update
  • Joan Bennett Kennedy Follow-up
  • Appraising a Haunted House
  • Registering Your Living Will or Power of Attorney
  • Buying New Construction
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution and Probate Litigation
  • Investigating the Professionals
  • The Little Princess vs. The Pritzker Trustees
  • Fiduciary Responsibility (Even for Priests)
  • Bad Mortgage Lenders
  • Hunter Thompson's Gonzo Trust and Literary Executors
  • Powers of Attorney: The Best Solution?
  • Missing the Point of Living Wills
  • HIPAA and Powers of Attorney
  • Business Succession and DisneyWar
  • Confusion, Part 2
  • Chicagoland Real Estate Confusion
  • Ethical Wills?
  • Litigation-Proof Estate Planning?
  • Family Settlement Agreements
  • Elderly Drivers and Probate Litigation
  • Coors Family Estate Litigation
  • The Lighter Side of Tax Excuses
  • Even More Thoughts on Claims
  • More Thoughts on Claims
  • Insolvent Estates
  • Taking Care of Toto
  • The Guardianship of Joan Bennett Kennedy
  • Judges, Land Trusts, and Privacy
  • Technology Inventory
  • Power of Attorney Forms
  • The Rogue Economist vs. Real Estate Agents
  • A Pour-over Will in Action
  • Terri Schiavo: The Real Lesson
  • Transfer Tax Information
  • Appraisals: Art, Not Science
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    Who's The Boss? The Fiduciary-Beneficiary RelationshipIf you grew up in the 1980's like I did,...
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