An “estate” refers to the money, property, and assets owned by an individual at the time of their death. The term estate also encompasses all debts owed by a person. Estate planning is necessary to hep you manage your estate during your life and after you pass away. An estate plan will allow you your family to manage your affairs should you become hospitalized or unable to manage your affairs while you are living. Additionally, an estate plan will describe your wishes with respect to how you would like your assets divided and how you would like your post-death matters administered (for example, your funeral rites).
If you are in the process of putting together your estate plan, you’re probably considering seeking the help of an attorney. Regardless of how simple or complex your plan is, you’ll need the legal expertise of a law firm to help manage your estate. At Mohammed, Shamaileh & Tabahi, LLC, our team of attorneys can create cost-effective estate plans that suit your individual situation. We review financial, personal, and familial circumstances to determine the best option for managing your estate.
How We Can Help
Our estate planning attorneys can assist you with any of the following tasks:
- Educating you on the estate planning and probate process
- Drafting a will
- Designating beneficiaries
- Finding ways to reduce/avoid estate tax when possible
- Identify ways to avoid the probate court process (saving your heirs time, expense and heartache)
- Establishing a durable healthcare power of attorney
- Establishing a durable property power of attorney
When you work with our estate law attorneys, you’ll get the benefit of an individualized plan that covers your legal needs. We will offer the most valuable legal advice for your situation.
Document Updates
Every so often, you’ll need to update your estate planning paperwork. This documentation may include wills and trusts and powers of attorney, among other documents. Circumstances change: your plan is not something you look at one time and never revisit. Life brings unexpected events that will need you to re-evaluate.
Regardless of what’s happening, your documents must reflect what you want. At Mohammed, Shamaileh & Tabahi, LLC, our team will review these documents and, if necessary, update them to ensure they meet your wishes.
Legal Compliance
Our attorneys will make sure your documents comply with Illinois state law. Probate and trust laws need to be in accordance with state laws, and we make sure all your forms are in order. Another reason to revisit your estate planning is that state laws do change occasionally—it may be time for an update!
Peace of Mind
Knowing your documents say what you need them to say is a significant relief. It will give you peace of mind, knowing that your estate plan fits not only with regulations of state and federal law but also your personal goals and desires. Working with our team of lawyers makes this possible.
If you decide to create your own estate planning, you’ll be at risk. Estate planning verbiage can be complex and confusing. It’s easy to overlook something, and often, these errors won’t turn up until the individual dies. At that point, it will be too late to make any changes.
Professionally Drafted Documents
If you purchase an online will or a fill in the blank document, you’re not customizing it to your needs. You may also be leaving benefits on the table that you did not even know existed. For example, many people believe they want a last will and testament, but when they learn about our revocable trust packages, they switch. Why? Because a trust avoids probate court and allows for more flexibility and potential tax savings.
With a lawyer, your documents will gain the benefit of professional drafting and execution. An experienced estate planning attorney’s drafts will better encompass what you need. More importantly, you can rest assured you knew of the different estate planning benefits available to you and you have chosen an estate planning package that best suits your needs and provides you the most benefits. A lawyer will also ensure your documents are executed legally and counsel your loved ones to ensure there are no surprises after a person’s death.