Deerfield Estate Planning Attorneys

Deerfield Estate Planning Attorneys

It is never too early to draft a comprehensive estate plan. Estate plans help ensure that your assets are distributed to the people you love in the manner that you choose. Those without estate plans have their assets distributed in accordance with state laws. While this might work for some estates, it may not work for yours. The Deerfield estate planning attorneys at Wilson & Wilson Estate Planning & Elder Law LLC can help you draft a full estate plan that meets the needs of your family members when you pass. Contact our Deerfield or LaGrange office today to get started.

Services Provided by Our Deerfield Estate Planning Attorneys

Wilson & Wilson Estate Planning & Elder Law LLC can provide any of the following services (and more) to our clients:

• Last will and testament – Your last will and testament is a document that can manage your assets when you pass. The will also names whichever individual will act as executor of your estate. It needs to be notarized and signed by two witnesses. Our Deerfield estate planning attorneys help clients draft last wills and testaments that hold up in court and cannot be disputed by angry relatives. 

• Durable power of attorney – This document legally establishes who has power of attorney over your financial matters. This person will be authorized to act in your best interests, and the DPOA remains in effect if you can no longer make those decisions for yourself. Spouses and adult children are often selected as POAs.

• Living will declarations – A living will is a document that details what type of medical services you want under special circumstances. This can include do-not-resuscitate orders, whether you want to be on artificial life support, and what types of procedures you authorize doctors to perform when you are unable to give consent yourself. A living will speaks on your behalf when you are unable to.
• Healthcare power of attorney or health care proxy – A living will establishes your wishes when you are unable to express them yourself. You can also assign a trusted family member or friend as your healthcare proxy. They would be authorized to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable. They cannot countermand directives in the living will, but they can make the same decisions they believe you would make under the same circumstances.

Setting up a Trust in Illinois

While the essential estate planning documents are covered above, you may also opt for a trust to hold and distribute assets. The benefit of a trust is that it is triggered immediately upon your death and distributes assets directly to your heirs as opposed to passing through probate. Those with tax considerations may benefit by transferring assets out of their estate using a special type of trust. It will often cost less to administer an estate that transfers assets through a trust. It is also generally more difficult for creditors to sue against a trust than it would be to come after assets passing through probate. While not everyone will need a trust, trusts can be a powerful legal vehicle for those who want to avoid exposing their assets to probate. Working with knowledgeable Deerfield estate planning attorneys can help you determine if a trust is right for your estate.

Talk to a Deerfield Estate Planning Attorney

Wilson & Wilson Estate Planning & Elder Law LLC helps residents in Northern Illinois prepare the essential estate planning documents they need to give them peace of mind. Our LaGrange and Deerfield estate planning attorneys also offer trusts, estate administration, and more. Call today to schedule an appointment, and we can discuss your options moving forward.