It is not unusual for families to drift apart. Life happens, differences grow, contact fades and sometimes relationships do not heal in time. When someone passes away and their will excludes an estranged child, it can raise deep questions. If you have found yourself...
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Heirs And Beneficiaries
How should you go about disinheriting someone?
If you are making an estate plan, you are fully within your rights to disinherit someone. You could remove a beneficiary from your will, revoking the assets they otherwise would have inherited. If you have a direct descendant who would automatically inherit in the...
Do all children in a family have a right to an equal inheritance?
The loss of a parent is a life-altering experience for a child. Regardless of their age, they lose out on one of their closest relationships and a crucial source of support. Children are often among the main beneficiaries of a parent's estate. Especially when parents...
What if an estate beneficiary is under 18?
One issue you may run into as you make your estate plan is that you have beneficiaries who are under 18. Maybe you’re thinking about leaving financial assets to your grandchildren. You know that they can use the money to pay for their college education a decade from...
Does Illinois enforce no-contest clauses in wills?
No one likes the idea of their family tearing itself apart with lawsuits and will challenges after they are gone. That’s why many Illinois residents who create their wills insist that their attorneys include a no-contest clause, in an attempt to force their family...
Heirs of Boy Scouts founder purchased dams to avoid taxes
When the sale of a property occurred in connection with the estate of the man who founded the Boy Scouts of America, the money from the sale needed to be reinvested. If the heirs of the BSA founder did not reinvest the money within a year, they would have to pay taxes...
Support for Illinois heirs and beneficiaries
Every Illinois estate owner can execute a unique plan to protect assets, transfer property, list instructions for business succession and more. Many estate owners include documents in their plans that pertain to heirs and beneficiaries. Issues pertaining to a person...
Incident sparks change in beneficiaries in woman’s estate plan
When an Illinois resident executes an estate plan, it may not be enough to sign off on the documents and then be done with it. To the contrary, it is important to periodically review one's plan, especially if life changes prompt a need to update an existing plan. A...
Heirs of former motel owner gridlocked with business partner
Two men in another state went into business together in the 1990s. They were co-owners of a motel and remained partners in business for approximately 25 years. One of the men has since died, leaving his three heirs his half of the business. As sometimes occurs in...
Avoid the contention these heirs and beneficiaries have faced
If adult children in Illinois are named as heirs in a parent's will, it is logical to assume they would hope to avoid legal obstacles when the time comes to administer their loved one's estate. In the past, several celebrities have taken legal steps to protect their...


