by Lauren Jackson | May 2, 2017 | buying a home, Real Estate, real estate appraisal, selling a home, Uncategorized
If you are in the process of buying a home, I am sure there are a lot of unanswered questions you have. One such question is: will the home appraise out? Everyone on both sides of the transaction wants the home to appraise out for what was offered on the contract, but...
by Lauren Jackson | Apr 26, 2017 | Limited Liability Company
A Limited Liability Company or LLC is a business structure that is both easy and affordable to form in Illinois. There are specific steps and details that you must know when starting one: Decide on a name There are some naming requirements when choosing a name but the...
by Lauren Jackson | Apr 14, 2017 | Attorney, Estate Planning, Life Insurnace
Recently, I watched a 60-minute news story about how some of the largest life insurance companies don’t pay benefits even when they know the policyholder has died. Insurance companies claim that it is up to policyholders’ beneficiaries to contact the insurance company...
by Lauren Jackson | Mar 23, 2017 | Estate Planning, intentionally defective grantor trust, Trusts
An intentionally defective grantor trust (IDGT) is a very interesting estate planning tool. It can be used to freeze certain assets for estate tax purposes, but not for income tax purposes. It is best used, for example, for a business that you own that is expected to...
by Lauren Jackson | Mar 16, 2017 | Divorce, Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills
In the aftermath of a divorce, updating your estate plan may not be at the forefront of your mind. You may still be distraught and emotionally and/or physically exhausted. However, many clients don’t realize what could result if they don’t update their...
