Recent Blog Posts
Understanding the Significance of Lack of Testamentary Capacity in Contested Wills
Wills serve as legal documents that outline how an individual’s assets will be distributed upon their death. However, when a will is contested, one common argument made by challengers is that the testator lacked testamentary capacity at the time of creating the document. Today, we will examine the implications of a lack of testamentary capacity in contested wills and its impact on the validity of the document. If you have concerns over the validity of a will, contact an estate planning lawyer for legal representation as you work through your legal matter.
Definition of Testamentary Capacity
Testamentary capacity refers to the mental capability of an individual to understand the nature and consequences of making a will. It is a legal requirement that ensures the integrity of the testator’s wishes and protects against undue influence or coercion. Testamentary capacity involves a few key elements:
I Filled Out a Power of Attorney at the Hospital - is it Enough?
Most people who have gone under anesthesia for a procedure have been asked to fill out a power of attorney form at the hospital. This is a precaution meant to protect the hospital as much as it protects you. The physician performing your procedure needs to know who should step in to make decisions on your behalf if something goes wrong during your procedure. While this form will likely suffice to allow your chosen person to make medical decisions in the event that something does go wrong during your procedure, it should not generally be used as a long-term solution. The power of attorney forms that hospitals provide generally only cover one of the two major types of powers of attorney. Most if not all adults need both medical and financial powers of attorney. It is best to work with an attorney to create strong and specific powers of attorney.
Why You Also Need a Financial Power of Attorney
2023 Divorce Statistics You Should Know
There is a lot of information - and misinformation - about the realities of divorce to be found online. The fact is that divorce is very common. Over the last several decades, divorce has been rapidly destigmatized. In the past, people who wanted to divorce their spouse had to prove that they had a good reason for doing so. This is no longer the case. If you want a divorce, you will not likely need to show a judge evidence that your spouse has done something bad enough to warrant ending the marriage. In fact, most divorce cases in modern days are not heard by a judge at all. The vast majority of divorce cases are resolved out of court by mutual agreement of the parties. Divorce mediation has become the generally preferred option for settling most divorces. If you are beginning the process of getting a divorce, one of your first steps should be finding an experienced attorney to represent you.
Important Statistics About Modern Divorce
Divorce When One Spouse is Pregnant
Sometimes the best thing to do for yourselves and your child is to separate and begin the divorce process. It can be emotionally and legally challenging to get a divorce while a female spouse is pregnant. If your relationship with your child’s mother is ending in a difficult divorce, she may be motivated to keep you out of her life - and therefore, her child’s life. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to assert your rights as a parent. Even if your divorce finalizes before the child is born, you will likely still be considered a legal parent to that child. This remains true if the child is not biologically yours, but was meant to be the child of both of you. If you will need the court to intervene, it is best to work with an attorney. There are some steps that must be taken promptly, and an attorney can guide you through the process.
Will My Unborn Child Legally be My Child?
If your child is born within 300 days of the date your divorce was finalized, your child can likely be automatically deemed your legal child. This is true for same-sex couples as well as opposite-sex couples. Generally, the state will presume that if a person became pregnant during their marriage, the child is that of both spouses.
What Are Temporary Orders in an Illinois Divorce?
When a couple decides to divorce, there may be a significant amount of time between the filing of the petition and the final decree being issued, depending on the marital issues the couple needs to dissolve. However, there are often immediate issues that do need to be addressed. Temporary orders are court-issued directives that address these issues while the divorce is pending. These orders establish temporary arrangements and provide guidelines until the final decree is issued. The following is a brief overview. For more detailed information concerning your circumstances, contact a Lombard divorce attorney.
Why You May Need Temporary Orders
The purpose of temporary orders is to maintain stability and address pressing issues that arise during the divorce process. They help establish temporary guidelines to address matters such as child custody, parenting time, child support, spousal support, and the use of shared assets and properties.
When Can Non-Parents File for Visitation Under Illinois Law?
Under Illinois law, when the parents of a child are no longer together, the court will issue an order that stipulates the allocation of parental responsibilities and what the parenting time schedule for the child will be. However, Illinois law also recognizes the importance of maintaining meaningful relationships between a child and non-parental figures who the child has a significant bond with. In these situations, that person can petition the court in order to seek visitation time with the child. The following are some of the relationships that may qualify.
Grandparents
Grandparents are one of the parties that have the right to petition the court in order to request visitation. The grandparent must be able to show the court that awarding visitation is in the child’s best interest. They must also be able to show one of the following conditions are met:
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The child’s parent has been dead or missing for at least three months.
Signs it is Time to Consider a Guardianship for Your Elderly Relative
While most people would not want to be placed under a guardianship unless it were absolutely necessary, the fact is that in many cases, obtaining guardianship over an elderly loved one is truly necessary. When an older adult begins to lose the capacity to care for themselves or to manage their own healthcare and finances, initiating guardianship proceedings is often the best way to protect them. Having guardianship over your elderly family member can allow you to step in and begin making important decisions for them and managing their affairs. It is not an easy decision to make. Rather, making the choice to begin seeking guardianship can be emotionally fraught. You may feel as if you are taking their independence, when in fact, it is the natural effects of aging that have done so.
A. Traub & Associates is committed to helping family members and loved ones of aging adults pursue guardianship as a means of protecting the elder. We understand the difficulty involved in making the decision to pursue guardianship and strive to maintain privacy and dignity for all involved.
Termination of Parental Rights in Illinois Adoption Cases
In the eyes of the law, a child can only have two parents. Although stepparents and other family members often play essential roles in a child’s life, they do not have the same rights and responsibilities as parents unless they formally adopt the child.
Whether you are interested in a relative adoption, private adoption, or another type of adoption, it is important to understand how the termination of parental rights may play a role in your case.
Voluntary Termination of Parental Rights
In some cases, a child’s parents willingly give up their parental rights. A parent may make the decision to surrender their parental rights if they suffer from severe substance abuse or other personal problems that make them unable to care for a child.
Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights
In other cases, a parent’s parental rights are revoked against the parent’s will. Illinois courts only revoke parental rights if it is in the child's best interest. The courts want to keep families intact whenever possible. However, there are some situations in which it is better for the child if the parent’s parental rights are terminated.
Leaving Money to a Non-Family Caregiver? Read Illinois Law First
Home health aides, skilled care providers, personal care aides, and other types of home care workers provide a valuable service to individuals who require consistent, ongoing care. If you suffer from health conditions and require assistance with medical needs or daily living tasks, you may grow very close to your caregiver. You may even come to think of the caregiver as if he or she was family.
Some people wish to express their gratitude for a home care worker by leaving them an inheritance in an estate plan. If you intend to leave money or other property to a caregiver, it is very important that you understand how Illinois law addresses inheritance left to caregivers.
Presumptively Void Transfers to Caregivers
Many people who receive care from an in-home health worker have significant medical problems that may make them vulnerable to exploitation or abuse. In order to combat this, Illinois law has established strict rules regarding asset transfers to non-family caregivers.
What Should I Do If My Child’s Other Parent Is Not Following the Parenting Time Schedule?
Separated and divorced parents often worry about how the separation will impact their relationship with their children. It can be extremely hard for a parent who is used to tucking their child into bed every night to go days or weeks without seeing the child.
Most divorced parents are subject to a parenting time schedule that describes when each parent will spend time with the child. Parents are expected to comply with this schedule and transfer the child on time. While most parents will understand a few late drop-offs or early pickups, when the parenting time schedule is repeatedly violated, the other parent may need to take legal action.
Unlawful Visitation Interference
The parenting plan is not a suggestion. It is a legally binding court order. Parents who intentionally and consistently fail to comply with the provisions of the parenting plan may be subject to significant consequences.
According to Illinois law, withholding a child from the other parent, called “unlawful visitation interference,” is considered a crime. Although it is a petty offense only punishable by a small fine, if a parent is found to have committed visitation interference for a third time, this is a Class A misdemeanor. A parent may also be found in contempt of court for violating the parenting plan.
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