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Recent Blog Posts
How Can I Help My Beneficiaries Avoid Probate in Illinois?
Some people who are meticulous planners otherwise do not take time for estate planning. While contemplating your own death is uncomfortable, you may leave your family facing a mountain of problems after you pass if you do not prepare.
Probate is a term you have probably heard but do not understand. What is probate? How could it affect your beneficiaries? Can you do anything to help them avoid it? The experienced Barrington, IL lawyers at Lucas Law can help you understand probate and decide how to plan for it.
What Is Probate?
When someone dies, they likely have assets and debts. Whether or not the deceased has a will, probate courts use those assets to pay debts and distribute the remaining assets among beneficiaries. If you do have a will, the court should abide by your wishes regarding property division. If not, the court will decide.
The probate process includes notifying the courts of the death, assessing personal and real property values, listing outstanding debts, and presenting a will for verification, if applicable. An open period for creditors to make claims against the estate lasts for six months. Your estate includes all of your assets, even if you do not have many.
What Can I Do If I Was Injured in an IL Hit-and-Run?
Dealing with an insurance claim after being injured in a car accident is bad enough when you know the identity of the driver who hit you. When that driver flees the scene, it literally adds insult to injury.
What should you do after a hit-and-run collision? Can you still get a settlement? Working with a knowledgeable lawyer from Lucas Law can alleviate your stress and make the process smoother. Call us now for your free consultation.
Why Do At-Fault Drivers Leave Accident Scenes?
Although Illinois laws require anyone involved in a crash to stay at the scene until police officers respond, not everyone does. Common reasons that drivers flee include:
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Impaired judgment due to alcohol or drugs
What Happens If You Die Without a Will in Illinois?
Many people mistakenly believe that they do not need a will or that estate planning is unnecessary. Whether due to a younger age, few assets, or thinking, "There will be time for that later," the lack of a will can have many consequences for your surviving family, especially if you have minor children.
Whether you need to create or update a will or estate plan, the skilled estate planning lawyers from Lucas Law can help.
What Does "Dying Intestate" Mean?
This legal term refers to someone dying without a will in place that designates beneficiaries, division of assets, and guardianship for minor children. If this happens, the State of Illinois has laws that govern who can get your assets and how they are distributed. Various potential situations are addressed in these laws to cover things like:
How Can Social Media Affect My Personal Injury Case?
For better or worse, social media is an integral part of our lives. While you might enjoy how it helps you stay connected and share experiences with others, you should also be cautious about what you post, especially if you are in the midst of a personal injury case. This article will explain some of the ways that your case can be affected by your social media posts and what you can do to help. If you have more questions, speak with a skilled Barrington, IL personal injury lawyer.
Gathering Evidence
Anything you post on social media can be evidence in a personal injury case. Defense lawyers and insurance companies often scrutinize social media to find anything that could discredit your claim. Any photos that show you doing something seemingly inconsistent with your reported injuries can be used by the other side to show that you were not hurt as severely as you say. Something you post about your daily life could be misinterpreted to show that you are not suffering as much as you claim to be.
Incapacity Planning in Illinois
Although no one can predict the future, there are several ways to try to plan for what it might bring. Whether you have children, a robust estate, lucrative assets, or not, it is always a good idea to try to plan today for what could happen tomorrow. One of the possibilities to consider is that you might not always have the same level of physical or mental capacity that you do now. Incapacity planning is a very important component of estate planning that addresses how decisions will be made for someone who can no longer make them for himself due to physical or mental limitations. If this is of interest to you, speak with a skilled Barrington, IL estate planning attorney who can help explain what is involved and guide you as you formulate your plans.
Key Elements of Incapacity Planning
There are many aspects of incapacity planning that stem from the attempt to plan for any eventuality in the future. These aspects of estate planning include:
What Are the Long-Term Costs of a Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal cord injury is generally considered a catastrophic injury, as these injuries greatly impact the way a person can live his or her life. In many cases, total recovery from a spinal cord injury may not be possible, and the medical bills associated with treating and managing a spinal cord injury are often extensive.
Understanding the expected long-term costs and expenses associated with a spinal cord injury is important if you wish to pursue a claim against the responsible party or parties for your injury. A skilled Illinois spinal cord injury attorney can help you further explore your options.
What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?
The spinal cord is the part of the human body that sends and receives signals from the brain to the other body parts. A spinal cord injury is an injury that damages any part of the spinal cord, interrupting its function.
Why Is Illinois Estate Planning Important?
A common misconception about estate planning is that this process should only be completed by people who have literal estates, but this is not the case. Your estate consists of your possessions, including your home, car, investments, life insurance, and other possessions, and estate planning is an important step in ensuring that your choices are followed upon passing away or being otherwise unable to make decisions about your estate.
An experienced Illinois estate planning lawyer can help you navigate the complexities of this process and help you settle vital decisions about your estate.
What Documents Are Included in Estate Planning?
While the planning of every estate is different, there are a few types of documents that are commonly created for most estates. You may need to include one or all of these documents as part of your estate plan.
- Last will and testament – outlines how your wishes for taking care of your pets, children, or other dependents and how you want your possessions to be distributed.
How Can an Illinois Lawyer Help Me After a Drunk Driving Accident?
Drunk driving accidents are totally avoidable tragedies, and injuries associated with drunk driving accidents are often severe. Because of this, victims of drunk driving accidents may also deal with numerous medical costs and bills that can be incredibly difficult to manage. An Illinois lawyer can help you navigate your legal options and pursue a compensation claim against the party responsible for the drunk driving accident.
Consequences of a Drunk Driving Accident
Drunk driving accidents can be severe, as many drunk drivers are completely unaware of their surroundings and act recklessly as they operate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. If you or a loved one is involved in a drunk driving accident, you could experience any of the following consequences:
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Serious injuries that result in permanent disability or disfigurement
How Can a Catastrophic Injury in Illinois Affect Me and My Family?
Catastrophic injuries can be life-altering for you and your family. These injuries involve much more than immediate physical harm. They can affect the emotional, financial, and social well-being of a victim and their loved ones. Understanding the various types of catastrophic injuries, their potential long-term effects, and the steps that may be taken to recover compensation is crucial for injury victims and their families. In these situations, an experienced attorney can explain your options and provide you with effective legal representation to ensure that you will receive the compensation you deserve.
Types of Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries can occur in a variety of different situations, including motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents, or slip and fall accidents that are caused by dangerous property conditions. These injuries may include:
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Illinois?
Losing a loved one due to someone else's negligence or intentional act is an incredibly painful experience. While nothing can truly compensate you for the loss of a family member, Illinois law allows surviving family members to seek justice and financial compensation through wrongful death claims. A civil lawsuit may be brought by the deceased person's estate or a representative of their surviving family members. An attorney who has experience representing clients in these types of cases can provide guidance on who can pursue a wrongful death claim, the time limits for when a lawsuit can be filed, and the types of damages that can be recovered.
Eligible Family Members
Under Illinois law, certain specific family members are entitled to file a wrongful death claim. These include:
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