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Widows at Risk for Being Taken Advantage Of
It may be hard to believe, but when a husband (or wife) dies, there are plenty of people there to take advantage of the situation. A recent article in a national newspaper column highlighted this risk with a local Springfield woman. Trustworthy helpers are vitally...
The Unique Planning Needs of Women
Women today have many unique situations that require special treatment when it comes to estate planning. Well, maybe not special treatment, but women need to take extra care that they are protected through good planning. Here are some examples: Young mom stays home...
Caring for an Aging Loved One? Get Organized Around These 6 Areas to Save Time and Stress
Caring for an elderly parent can be so stressful. It can feel like you're just moving from one crisis to another without having time to catch your breath. Every twist and turn comes with new challenges. Figuring out how to deal with those challenges is like starting a...
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Estate Planning: What’s in your tool box?
What tools do you want to use? Is this the first question that your contractor asks you when you decide to hire him to build a house? Or, if you're car stops running and you take it to the mechanic to be fixed, do you quiz him on which tools he plans to use...
Wealth Transfer or Wealth Reception – Part #1
You might ask yourself: How do you define a successful estate plan? or How do you define a successful life?
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...