ESTATE PLANNING BLOG

Bradford Miller Law, P.C. focuses on real estate law, landlord tenant law and estate planning. This is the estate planning blog. If you are interested in reading about landlord tenant law, visit that blog at http://chicagoltlaw.blogspot.com/. If you are interested in real estate law, visit http://chicagorealestatelawyers.blogspot.com/. The law firm's main website is www.bradfordmillerlaw.com.



This blog will focus on estate planning. If you are in need of an estate plan, call Attorney Bradford Miller at 312-238-9298 for a free consultation. Located at 10 S. LaSalle, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60603.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Do you have a Disability Plan?

Often overlooked, planning for mental disability to avoid guardianship should be an important part of every estate plan. The two important aspects of mental disability planning are deciding who will take care of your personal well being, and deciding who will take care of your finances.

Guardianship or conservatorship as it is referred to in some states, is a court supervised process for handling a person's mental disability. This means that state law, not your loved ones, will decide how you should be taken care of and how your assets should be managed.

In order to avoid this, you need to have important legal documents in place. Bradford Miller Law, P.C. can help you with all your estate planning needs. We can help you prepare the legal documents needed, offer advice, and keep your estate plan current with the laws governing estate planning. And, you have the satisfaction of knowing that your affairs are in order. Visit our website for helpful information regarding Estate Planning and give us a call at 312-238-9298 for a FREE 15-minute consultation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 1040
Chicago, Il 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago building code violations, Chicago eviction attorney, Chicago Leases, Chicago real estate attorney fees. This is intended to be advertising. Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.


Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Roth IRAs and your heirs

Roth IRAs can be beneficial to your estate planning when leaving money to your heirs. If you can afford to leave your money intact, you will be able to pass on more to your heirs as compared to a traditional IRA due to income tax rules. If you inherit a traditional IRA, income taxes are due on each withdrawal.  When you inherit a Roth IRA, your heirs do not have to pay any income tax when they withdraw money.

Your financial and/or tax adviser can provide you with all the details concerning IRAs and Bradford Miller Law, P.C. can help you with your estate planning needs. We can help you prepare all the legal documents needed , offer advice, and keep your estate plan current with the laws governing estate planning. And, you have the satisfaction of knowing that your financial affairs are in order. Visit our website for helpful information regarding Estate Planning and give us a call at 312-238-9298 for a FREE 15-minute consultation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 1040
Chicago, Il 60602
312-238-9298

http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago building code violations, Chicago eviction attorney, Chicago Leases, Chicago real estate attorney fees. This is intended to be advertising. Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

What does an estate include?

Your estate is everything that you own including:
  • Your house or any other real estate 
  • Property owned by a trust over which you have control
  • Any business interests
  • Life Insurance policies
  • Your accounts or share of any joint accounts
  • The full value of your retirement accounts
Bradford Miller Law, P.C. can help you organize your estate. If you do not make proper legal arrangements for the management of your assets and affairs, state laws will take over upon your death or incapacity. Our experienced attorneys can help you avoid potential  problems when updating or planning your estate. Give us a call so we can help you through this process at a reasonable rate. We will help you prepare all the legal documents suited to your personal situation. Visit our website for helpful information regarding Estate Planning and give us a call.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago leases, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago real estate closings, Chicago building code violations, short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

5 simple steps to prevent bickering and hurt feelings

On April 24, 2013, Jean Chatzky, AARP's Financial Ambassador reported the steps you should  follow when leaving an an inheritance to your kids that can help prevent bickering and hurt feelings. She states that if you're among those leaving a tidy sum to those you love, you want to do it right. Her 5 simple suggestions are as follows:

1. Manage expectations with open communication. Parents should give kids a basic sense of where they stand financially, noting that the situation can change if more money needs to be spent on medical care. Clear instructions about whom to contact and where important papers are kept should also be known.

2. Level the playing field. One of the most frequently asked questions by anyone leaving an inheritance is whether they have to treat the kids equally. Experts say it certainly helps. That applies not just to assets but also to responsibilities for settling your affairs. Appointing responsibility makes a statement as to who is worthy, capable, and trustworthy. It's important to be concerned about people's feelings and anyone who has any level of capability should at least have a small role.

3. Do the distributing yourself. Don't name one child as the beneficiary of  your life insurance policy and trust them to divvy it up among the siblings. If you want all your siblings to inherit equally, put them all down as beneficiaries. If you have jewelry, art or other items to bequeath, leave a list of who gets what, along with a method for dividing up whatever is left so that people can take turns calmly.

4. If you distribute unequally, explain yourself. There are several reasons parents do this, but it can lead to resentment. At the very least, write a note to go with the will explaining the reasons why you distributed your assets the way you did.

5. Use a trust to eliminate uncertainty. If you want to make sure your children use the money wisely, consider putting it in trust with a few strings attached. Many recommend distributing the assets in chunks (typically one-third at age 25, one-third at age 30 and one-third at age 35). The thinking is that with maturity will come better financial decision-making. You can also include a provision that if your child is going through some sort of substance abuse problem at that time, the distribution can be held to a later date.

These are all great suggestions, Bradford Miller Law can advise and direct you in matters such as this. Our experienced attorneys can help you avoid potential  problems when updating or planning your estate. Give us a call so we can help you through this process at a reasonable rate. We will help you prepare all the legal documents suited to your personal situation. Visit our website for helpful information regarding Estate Planning and give us a call.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago leases, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago real estate closings, Chicago building code violations, short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Groundwork for your estate plan

Identifying your assets and thinking of your goals is the groundwork for a good estate plan.

First, you will need to take stock of all your assets. These include your investments, retirement accounts, insurance policies, real estate and any business interests.

Second, decide what you want to achieve with your assets and who you want to inherit them. This is also the time to think about people you would trust to handle your business affairs and medical care in the event that you become incapacitated.

Third, contact an Estate Planning Attorney to help you create the legal documents needed for your specific estate plan. Bradford Miller Law, P.C. can help with all your Estate Planning needs We will prepare all the legal documentation you need, offer advice, and keep your estate plan current with the laws governing estate planning. And, you have the satisfaction of knowing that your financial affairs are in order. Visit our website for helpful information regarding Estate Planning and give us a call at 312-238-9298 for a FREE 15-minute consultation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 1040
Chicago, Il 60602
312-238-9298

http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago building code violations, Chicago eviction attorney, Chicago Leases, Chicago real estate attorney fees. This is intended to be advertising. Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

What is Probate?

Probate is the legal process that the courts use to validate and implement a will. When a person dies, the will is filed with the county clerk and submitted to probate court  for validation.

If you die without a will, the time and expense of distributing your estate goes up. This means that your beneficiaries cannot immediately access their inheritance. And, your heirs will be required to pay costly court administrative fees and may even need to hire an experienced probate attorney.

Bradford Miller Law, P.C. can assist you in preparing all the legal documentation needed to streamline the probate process and/or avoid probate all together through the use of several different legal tools, including trusts, beneficiary designations for retirement and life insurance policies and joint tenancies with rights of survivorship. Visit our website for helpful information regarding Estate Planning and give us a call at 312-238-9298 for a FREE 15-minute consultation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 1040
Chicago, Il 60602
312-238-9298

http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago building code violations, Chicago eviction attorney, Chicago Leases, Chicago real estate attorney fees. This is intended to be advertising. Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Thank you for your Yelp reviews

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my clients for their great reviews of our law firm on Yelp. All the reviews were positive and I was happy to see that Bradford Miller Law, P.C., was given a 5 star rating from everyone. This is a huge accomplishment in my eyes. Once again thank you.

To see the reviews, visit our website at http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com and simply click on the Yelp icon in the upper left corner or go directly to Yelp's website at http://www.yelp.com/biz/bradford-miller-law-pc-chicago

Our office is located on LaSalle Street in the heart of downtown Chicago, near many major title companies' offices. We accomplish as much as possible for our clients by telephone and electronic communications to minimize demands on their valuable time. To discuss your pending or potential real estate transaction, your ongoing legal needs as a property owner or landlord, or your estate planning concerns, call us at 312-238-9298 for a free 15-minute consultation.

Our website also has testimonials from our clients and professional peers. I encourage you to read them to learn more about our approach.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago leases, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago real estate closings, Chicago building code violations, short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Review your Power of Attorney Documents

It is essential to review your Power of Attorney documents for healthcare and property on a regular basis. These documents allow the person you name as your attorney-in-fact to act for you in a wide array of matters. Ensuring that the person continues to be someone you trust to handle your affairs is very important. You must consider whether the designation you made is still fitting.

Bradford Miller Law can advise and direct you in matters such as this. Our experienced attorneys can help you avoid potential legal problems when updating or planning your estate. Give us a call so we can help you through this process at a reasonable rate. We will help you prepare all the legal documents suited to your personal situation. Visit our website for helpful information regarding Estate Planning and give us a call.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago leases, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago real estate closings, Chicago building code violations, short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.