Trustworthy Trusts?

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Trusts have become the some of the most widely known and misunderstood documents in estate planning practice today. Skilled trust lawyers use them to help their clients achieve their estate plan goals. Do-it-yourselfers misuse them to avoid “probate” and create wealth sinkholes that devour assets. […]

Read More »

Conciliation: Bridge-Building When Relationships Matter

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] When someone disagrees with you, the disagreement threatens to deprive you of something you that want or load a burden upon you that you do not want. Disagreements end in various ways, including physical violence, smoldering grudges, court orders, arbitration decisions, and negotiated settlements, but […]

Read More »

Taking Care Of Sick People – What’s My Job?

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

  [See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Most of us become seriously injured or deathly ill sooner or later and depend upon other people to take care of us. We should all plan for this problem ahead of time so that our caregivers can be well prepared to do the job […]

Read More »

Planning with Retirement Plans, Annuities, and Life Insurance

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

Retirement plans, annuities, and life insurance policies are great tools to accumulate and protect wealth for some people. However, all investments require some attention to details regarding beneficiary designations and ownership choices. None of these tools fits everyone and some tools can be inappropriate for some people. A knowledgeable estate planning attorney uses these financial […]

Read More »

Insuring Your Investments: FDIC & SIPC

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Most banks indicate in their advertisements and letterheads that they are members of the FDIC. You may also notice that securities brokers and investment advisers advertise their membership in the SIPC. What do these memberships mean?  FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION The FDIC’s full name is the […]

Read More »

Elder Abuse & Abuse Prevention

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] We have all heard about cases of child abuse and spouse abuse, but elder abuse tends not to draw much attention. As the “Baby Boomer” generation ages, it makes sense that the number of elder abuse cases will increase. This article shares information from national […]

Read More »

Gift Legends & Myths About Nursing Homes, Medicaid & Taxes

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] We began writing about estate planning and elder law topics almost 13 years ago because we kept hearing people recite laws and rules that either did not exist or did not work the way people thought. Even some lawyers have misunderstood rules about gifts and […]

Read More »

Planning For Minor Children & Multi-Generational Objectives

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Estate planning includes planning with wills and trusts to pass money and possessions from one generation to the next. Too often, an older generation ignores the effect of its plans upon younger generations. That poor foresight allows poorly planned inheritance to vanish quickly, sometimes without […]

Read More »

Tax Sale Properties – A Great Deal?

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] So, you  just bought a nice little house in the country for $2,000 at the county tax sale. “Wow!” You think. “I can’t believe I bought this property for next to nothing! What a deal!!!” Did you really get a great deal? Maybe…or maybe not. […]

Read More »

More Scams Targeting Senior Citizens

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Jeff Hawkins recently attended the Illinois State Bar Association’s Second Annual Elder Law Boot Camp continuing education program in Chicago, Illinois, where Joseph H. McMahon and Diana M. Law presented a session on trends in elder law abuse. This article showcases some of the frightening […]

Read More »

Verified by MonsterInsights