Hedeker Law

If you recently lost someone close to you, the grieving process is likely still a big part of your life. At some point, you will learn the contents of the Last Will and Testament executed by your loved one. What do you do if something about that Will doesn’t sound right? What do you do if you believe the Will doesn’t reflect your loved one’s wishes?  More specifically, what if you think someone else influenced your loved one during the execution of that Will? The Lincolnshire estate planning attorneys at Hedeker Law, Ltd. explain what is required to prove undue [Read more…]

When a family member, or close loved one, passes away, the grieving process that follows often overwhelms the survivors. Focusing on even the most mundane of tasks can be difficult in the wake of a loss. If you were appointed as the Executor of the estate by the decedent, however, you must find a way to focus on the duties and responsibilities involved in probating the estate. To help prevent costly mistakes, the Lincolnshire probate attorneys at Hedeker Law Ltd. point out several common probate obstacles to avoid. Understanding the Probate Process Most people leave behind an estate when they [Read more…]

Dealing with the loss of a family member or close loved one is never easy. If you were also notified that the decedent appointed you as the Executor of the estate, you are probably trying to handle both the grief that comes with losing a loved one and the pressure that comes with serving as an Executor.  One way to make your life easier, and to ensure that you don’t make a costly mistake, is to hire a probate attorney to help you. Probate attorneys understand the numerous and varied duties and responsibilities of an Executor. Consider the following five [Read more…]

When you think about estate planning, you likely focus on ensuring that the distribution of your estate assets after you are gone occurs according to your wishes. A well thought out estate plan, however, can do much more. For example, have you given any thought to the legal process that your estate will have to go through after your death? This process, known as “probate” can be time-consuming and expensive. The good news is that your estate may be able to avoid probate with careful estate planning. What Is Probate? Most people leave behind an estate when they die. That [Read more…]

If you have a Last Will and Testament in place, you undoubtedly executed your Will as a way to ensure that your wishes with regard to the disposition of your estate assets would be honored after you are gone. Unfortunately, even a flawlessly drafted and properly executed Will cannot ensure that loved ones won’t challenge your Will. There are, however, some steps you can take to decrease the likelihood of litigation during the probate of your estate. Including a no contest clause in your Will is a simple, yet often effective, option. The probate attorneys at Hedeker Law, Ltd. explain [Read more…]

Although every person who creates an estate plan has a unique set of needs and objectives in mind, a common estate planning goal is probate avoidance. There are several reasons why avoiding probate is so desirable, including the desire to save both time and money as well as a wish to keep the details of your estate plan private.  If probate avoidance is one of your estate planning goals, the Lincolnshire probate attorneys at Hedeker Law, Ltd. explain some common strategies to help you better understand how you can reach that goal. What Is Probate and Why Might I Want [Read more…]

The odds are very good that you will be required to oversee the probate of an estate at some point in your life. If that time is now because someone close to you recently passed away, and you have never before served as a Personal Representative, you are likely feeling a little intimidated by the prospect. In addition, if you are still grieving the loss of your loved one it can be difficult to focus on your job as Personal Representative. To help you get started and provide some direction, the probate attorneys at Hedeker Law, Ltd. have put together [Read more…]

If you recently lost a family member, or other close loved one, the last thing you may wish to focus on right now is the legal ramifications of the decedent’s death. If, however, the decedent appointed you as Executor in his/her Last Will and Testament, you will need to focus on the probate of the estate. You may also need to focus on the probate process if your loved one died intestate (without a Will) and you appear to be the person elected to volunteer as the Administrator of the estate. For anyone who has never before acted as an [Read more…]

Like most people, you likely have a vague notion of what the probate process entails and why it is required, but you probably don’t know much more than that. Why would you, after all, if you have never had reason to be directly involved in the probate of an estate?  There is a very good chance, however, that you will be involved in the probate of an estate at some point in your life, making at least a basic understanding of probate essential. Moreover, you should learn as much as possible about probate so that you can incorporate that knowledge [Read more…]