Westchester Estate Planning Lawyer, Illinois, page 4

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Includes: Gift Taxation

Colleen Lynette Sahlas

Estate Planning, Adoption, Elder Law, Business
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  24 Years

Michael Deboer

Real Estate, Estate Planning, Business, Corporate
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  38 Years

Susan Shea Hickel

Estate Planning, Business
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  32 Years

Laura Sluis

Estate Planning, Estate, Elder Law
Status:  In Good Standing           

Cindy J. O'keefe

Traffic, Estate Planning, DUI-DWI, Transactions
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  22 Years

Cindy O'keefe

Traffic, Estate Planning, DUI-DWI, Transactions
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  22 Years

Michael Daniel Walsh

Estate Planning, Divorce & Family Law, Transactions, Personal Injury
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  45 Years

Lynn Macas Graham

Real Estate, Estate Planning, Estate, Transactions
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  15 Years

Martin Lillig

Landlord-Tenant, International Tax, Government, Estate Planning
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  58 Years

Gregory Francis Smith

Litigation, Estate Planning, Business & Trade, Corporate
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  44 Years

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Free Help: Use This Form or Call 800-943-8690

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Easily find Westchester Estate Planning Lawyers and Westchester Estate Planning Law Firms. For more attorneys, search all Estate areas including Trusts, Wills & Probate and Power of Attorney attorneys.

LEGAL TERMS

SUMMARY PROBATE

A relatively simple probate proceeding available for 'small estates,' as that term is defined by state law. Every state's definition is different, and many are ... (more...)
A relatively simple probate proceeding available for 'small estates,' as that term is defined by state law. Every state's definition is different, and many are complicated, but a few examples include estates worth up to $100,000 in California; New York estates where property, excluding real estate and amounts that must be set aside for surviving family members, is worth $20,000 or less; and Texas estates where the value of property doesn't exceed what is needed to pay a family allowance and certain creditors.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR

Someone appointed by a probate court to oversee probate proceedings when a person dies without a will or heirs, and his or her property is expected to pass to t... (more...)
Someone appointed by a probate court to oversee probate proceedings when a person dies without a will or heirs, and his or her property is expected to pass to the state. Some states have public administrators who are responsible for temporarily preserving the assets of an estate if there are disputes about specific provisions in the will or about who will be appointed the regular administrator.

PROBATE COURT

A specialized court or division of a state trial court that considers only cases concerning the distribution of deceased persons' estate. Called 'surrogate cour... (more...)
A specialized court or division of a state trial court that considers only cases concerning the distribution of deceased persons' estate. Called 'surrogate court' in New York and several other states, this court normally examines the authenticity of a will -- or if a person dies intestate, figures out who receives her property under state law. It then oversees a procedure to pay the deceased person's debts and to distribute her assets to the proper inheritors. See probate.

PROVING A WILL

Convincing a probate court that a document is truly the deceased person's will. Usually this is a simple formality that the executor or administrator easily sat... (more...)
Convincing a probate court that a document is truly the deceased person's will. Usually this is a simple formality that the executor or administrator easily satisfies by showing that the will was signed and dated by the deceased person in front of two or more witnesses. When the will is holographic -- that is, completely handwritten by the deceased and not witnessed, it is still valid in many states if the executor can produce relatives and friends to testify that the handwriting is that of the deceased.

INTESTATE

The condition of dying without a valid will. The probate court appoints an administrator to distribute the deceased person's property according to state law.

BANKRUPTCY ESTATE

All of the property you own when you file for bankruptcy, except for most pensions and educational trusts. The trustee technically takes control of your bankrup... (more...)
All of the property you own when you file for bankruptcy, except for most pensions and educational trusts. The trustee technically takes control of your bankruptcy estate for the duration of your case.

EXEMPTION TRUST

A bypass trust funded with an amount no larger than the personal federal estate tax exemption in the year of death. If the trust grantor leaves property worth m... (more...)
A bypass trust funded with an amount no larger than the personal federal estate tax exemption in the year of death. If the trust grantor leaves property worth more than that amount, it usually goes to the surviving spouse. The trust property passes free from estate tax because of the personal exemption, and the rest is shielded from tax under the surviving spouse's marital deduction.

UNIFORM TRANSFER-ON-DEATH SECURITY ACT

A statute that allows people to name a beneficiary to inherit stocks or bonds without probate. The owner of the securities can register them with a broker using... (more...)
A statute that allows people to name a beneficiary to inherit stocks or bonds without probate. The owner of the securities can register them with a broker using a simple form that names a person to receive the property after the owner's death. Every state but Texas has adopted the statute.

SECONDARY MEANING

In trademark law, a mark that is not inherently distinctive becomes protected after developing a 'secondary meaning': great public recognition through long use ... (more...)
In trademark law, a mark that is not inherently distinctive becomes protected after developing a 'secondary meaning': great public recognition through long use and exposure in the marketplace. For example, though first names are not generally considered inherently distinctive, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream has become so well known that it is now entitled to maximum trademark protection.

SAMPLE LEGAL CASES

Dunn v. Patterson

... for them. The circuit court of Will County entered judgment on the pleadings, finding, as a matter of law, that provisions in certain estate planning documents prepared by defendant were contrary to public policy and void. The ...

Fitch v. McDermott, Will and Emery, LLP

... Around the same time, defendants Joseph Dietrich and John Dietrich (hereafter the Dietrichs), both certified public accountants, provided financial and accounting services for estate planning purposes to Victoria and her husband, plaintiff Thomas Fitch. ...

In re Estate of Henry

... Accordingly, the estate petitioned the court to allow the estate to execute estate planning documents for Henry which, it contended, were consistent with his known wishes and which would be "free from the taint of the undue influence and fraud which was assembled upon the ...