Our Blog
Popular Posts
Avoid Nursing Home Poverty
We know firsthand that one of the greatest concerns for seniors is the fear of outliving their savings. No one’s vision of retirement includes going into a nursing home. It’s not what you want for you or your spouse. But if it happens, your income and savings can be...
7 Things Every Executor Needs to Know Before the Funeral
Being an executor is a big responsibility. One that requires great integrity and diligence. Many people will only experience this role once or twice in their life, and it can be hard to know what an executor needs to do. Here are 7 things for an executor to consider...
Get comfortable — no high-pressure sales tactics here
I remember a phone call I had with a company who sells software to law firms. Their product seemed like something that might be helpful, and I was interested to learn more. I spent an hour on the phone with this guy and things looked good -- until the salesman ruined...
Our Blog
How to pick an estate attorney – 4 questions to ask
Here are the questions I want any client to ask before they hire Edwards Group LLC to complete their estate plan.
Will your estate attorney outlive you?
Interesting article in State Journal-Register yesterday. Percentage of attorneys in Illinois who are are between 50-74 years old went from 22% in 1993 to 39% in 2008. https://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x2085729714/Number-of-lawyers-over-age-50-climbs?view=print Fairly...
Jigsaw Puzzles and Asset Titling
Let's think of estate planning as a puzzle. 1. WHAT'S THE PICTURE? Do you like to know what the picture is that you're putting together when you work a puzzle? In fact, when I go to buy a puzzle, I only have 2 criteria - the size (usually 500 pieces) and what the...
Transitions in Life
BAILEY'S "NEW SCHOOL" At our house, we are in the middle of a transition. 2 1/2 year old Bailey is switching to a new daycare. For the last couple of years, Bailey has gone 2-3 days a week to her "school" (Memorial Childcare) when Michelle is working as a nurse at...
What to say at a funeral
I wanted to share a couple things from a conference I attended last week in Indianapolis with the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys. WHAT TO SAY AT A FUNERAL As you go through the receiving line at a funeral, visitation, or wake, do you know what to say?...
The Nursing Home – 5 Ways to Pay For It
How will you (or your parents or grandparents) pay for a nursing home?
What is your job, what is the attorney’s job
Boring is defined as "so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness." Well, hopefully this post is not really boring, but I wanted to make a point. I have a theory that most of the estate planning information being said or written by attorneys out there is...
Am I Your Type?
There are 4 types of estate planning: Do nothing. Let others sort it out later. Do it yourself. Get a form and fill in the blanks. How hard can it be? Use a document-driven attorney. Pay lots of money for a fancier form that someone else fills out for you. Use a...
What are you proud of?
Do you ever feel pretty proud of yourself? Kind of interesting the stuff that we get proud of. Here are some of the things I have been proud of lately: 1. stopped drinking diet soda. Used to drink it all the time, for years, but my mom kept telling me it would give me...
I come from a people who…
I am sitting here at Springfield Clinic getting a bunch of allergy shots. 27 shots, 3 at a time, every 15 minutes (and on my birthday, even). What better time to post to my blog? Who do you act like? In my work with estate clients, I get to hear about the legacy that...