by Lauren Jackson | Sep 28, 2026 | Attorney, Lawyer, Limited Liability Company
To form an LLC in Illinois, you file Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) with the Illinois Secretary of State and pay a $150 filing fee. Filing is only the first step, though. A well-set-up LLC also needs a registered agent, an EIN, an operating agreement, and a...
by Lauren Jackson | Sep 13, 2026 | Attorney, executor, Lawyer, Probate
If you’re trying to find out whether a probate case has been opened for someone who has passed away, here’s how to check. Which county handles the probate case? Probate cases are filed with the circuit court in the county where the deceased person was...
by Lauren Jackson | Sep 7, 2026 | Attorney, Estate Planning, Power of Attorney
Years ago, I wrote about an investigative report that caught some of the country’s largest life insurers sitting on death benefits — their position, more or less, was that it wasn’t their job to tell you a policy existed. You had to know to ask. A lot has...
by Lauren Jackson | Aug 15, 2026 | Attorney, Billing, Estate Planning, Joint Trust, Lawyer, Trusts, Wills
Choosing the right estate planning attorney matters as much as the plan itself — a poorly drafted will or trust is one of the leading causes of legal malpractice claims in Illinois. Before you hire anyone, ask these seven questions. 7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring an...
by Lauren Jackson | Aug 2, 2026 | Attorney, buying a home, Real Estate, real estate closing, selling a home
One of the biggest numbers on your closing statement, and the one clients ask me about most, isn’t the price of the house. It’s the real estate tax credit. If you’re selling, it can feel like a big chunk of your proceeds. If you’re buying, it...
by Lauren Jackson | Jul 3, 2026 | Attorney, Lawyer, Power of Attorney
A lot of the calls I get about adult guardianship start the same way: an adult child has noticed their mom or dad can no longer keep track of their bills, or a family member calls because a brother was in an accident and can no longer make his own medical decisions....
by Lauren Jackson | May 5, 2026 | Estate Planning, Trusts
An Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust (IDGT) is a sophisticated estate planning strategy designed to shift future appreciation out of a client’s taxable estate while intentionally preserving certain income tax obligations. When properly structured, it allows the...
by Lauren Jackson | Apr 30, 2026 | Attorney, executor, Lawyer, Probate
Losing someone you love is hard. And somewhere in the middle of that grief, you may find yourself named executor of an estate, holding a will you’ve never seen before, and wondering where to begin. You don’t have to figure it out alone — and you...
by Lauren Jackson | Mar 6, 2026 | Attorney, buying a home, Lawyer, Real Estate, selling a home
What Happens When a Home Doesn’t Appraise? If you are in the process of buying a home, you probably have a lot of unanswered questions. One common concern buyers and sellers share is whether the home will appraise at the contract price. Everyone involved in the...
by Lauren Jackson | Jan 23, 2026 | Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Trusts, Wills
In the aftermath of a divorce, updating your estate plan is rarely a top priority. Many people are emotionally drained, overwhelmed, and focused on simply getting through the next day. Unfortunately, failing to update your estate plan after a divorce can lead to...
