[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Pop quiz: Which of the following business transactions could involve criminal behavior? Your restaurant customer pays the tab in cash and leaves a cash tip on the table. The next door neighbor gives your child a $10 bill to shovel snow. You clean a friend’s […]

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Most people think of wills or trusts when they think of estate planning. However, powers of attorney are probably the most important estate planning documents that most people can have. A last will and testament is a good way to direct how people will distribute […]

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] (Updated March 14, 2018) Hollywood actress Betty Davis was quoted as saying, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you view it) more people are reaching older ages today than ever (such as Ira Chestnut, pictured at left as a high […]

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Congress changes federal tax law almost every year. Some changes are very dramatic, and other changes are so subtle that tax lawyers must scour them to find the nuances. Federal tax law changes for the 2015 tax year (affecting income tax returns filed in 2016) […]

[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 […]

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Swindlers and thieves have plagued the earth throughout time. Jesus was hung on a cross between two of them. They follow different paths into crime, but they all want the same thing – your money. If you don’t know the signs, they may sneak up […]

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Many farmers have already planned their next crop by the time their fall harvest ends. With wildly variable grain and livestock market prices and input costs, pennies quickly add up to dollars – whether as expenses or revenue. Planning to reduce expenses and avoid losses […]