‌

‌

Let us handle the hard stuff. ELDER LAW • ESTATE PLANNING • WILLS & TRUSTS • GUARDIANSHIP & PROBATE LITIGATION

‌

Ben Neiburger Founder, Generation Law

April 2019 Bidding RIP to DIY Estate Planning Countless people take on DIY projects to save a little money, only to wind up spending a fortune to undo the damage they caused. DIY estate planning is no different; in fact, it’s a recipe for disaster. And unlike other do-it-yourself projects gone wrong, mistakes made in estate planning can have lasting consequences for you and your loved ones. In this issue of The Elder Law Minute , we look at the dangers of DIY estate planning and how working with an experienced professional can help you avoid them. If you or your clients need help creating an estate plan, get in touch with our attorneys – we’ll help you make sure it’s done correctly the first time.

APRIL'S NEWS TO KNOW

3 Tales of DIY Planning Gone Wrong We like DIY sites like Legal Zoom at Generation Law. Why? Because they often mean more work for us, so we can fix the expensive legal problems these services cause for clients. But we like you, too, which why we’ll tell you right now: Don’t DIY your estate planning. READ MORE Leaving Behind a Mess: 3 Common Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid Are you haunted by what you have or haven’t done with your will? Many people who have had a will drawn up confess they aren’t really sure what they signed. Others don’t follow through on important next steps that cause problems later.  READ MORE

Firm Briefs

By Melissa Johnson, Generation Law

Ask an Attorney: Heir-Raising Tales of DIY Estate Planning I do not know an estate planning attorney out there who does not have a horror story about a client who tried to draft a will or trust on their own. One particularly unfortunate case I had involved two elderly parents, both of sound mind at the time, who created two powers of attorney – one for health care, the other for finance – using do-it-yourself online documents. READ MORE

Speeches and Events Earlier this month, attorney Melissa Johnson shared strategies for creating powers of attorney during the Huntington’s Disease Society of America Illinois Chapter conference in Palos Hills, Illinois. Founder Ben Neiburger presented to the Estate Planning Council of Greater Joliet this month on “Estate Planning for an Aging Population.” On May 7, Ben will break down the complex legal, ethical and practical issues that come with estate planning during the panel “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, but Mostly the Bad and Ugly: Difficult Trust & Estates Clients and How to Deal With Them.” The session is part of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Education’s annual estate planning program. On May 21, Ben is offering tips on how to keep your kids from fighting after you’re gone (and while you’re going) during “Family Feuds,” presented by the Cook County Farm Bureau in Joliet, Illinois. You don't need to be a member to attend. It’s a rare chance to see Ben speak to the general public – don’t miss it.  Interested in having one of Generation Law’s attorneys speak at your next event?  GET IN TOUCH HERE

‌

Get social with us for all the caregiver essentials: planning tips, checklists and a few laughs

‌

747 N. Church Road • Suite B4 • Elmhurst, IL 60126 408 S. Oak Park Ave • Suite 4 • Oak Park, IL 60302 630-782-1766 • www.generationlaw.com

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This email newsletter does not create an attorney-client relationship. It does not contain legal advice for you or anyone else (so don’t act on anything we say unless you speak with an attorney first). It does contain facts and stories we think you might be interested in. We tried to keep this short because we really like you.