by Jonathan Cole | Sep 16, 2026 | Uncategorized
Illinois Intestate Succession: How Natural-Born, Adopted, and Stepchildren Are Treated in Probate When someone dies without a will, Illinois law, not necessarily the family’s expectations, determines who inherits. For blended families, the difference between a...
by Jonathan Cole | Sep 15, 2026 | Uncategorized
Borrowed Language: Why the Words We Use Matter When Helping Clients When someone comes to a lawyer, they are often dealing with a problem they never expected to face. The last thing they need is to feel like they are speaking a different language. A recent column in...
by Jonathan Cole | Sep 14, 2026 | Uncategorized
USCIS Backlog Grows Even as Fewer People File: What Illinois Immigrants and Families Need to Know If you have an immigration case pending with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), you may already know that immigration processing can take months or...
by Jonathan Cole | Aug 24, 2026 | Uncategorized
Why I Would Not Recommend Storing Your Original Will With the County Under Illinois Senate Bill 3291 A new Illinois law will allow county circuit court clerks to establish will depositories beginning January 1, 2027. But just because the government offers to store...
by Jonathan Cole | Jul 29, 2026 | Uncategorized
When a Parent’s Memory Begins to Fade: An Estate Planner’s Guide to Protecting Your Loved One It’s one of the most difficult conversations many families will ever face. Maybe Mom has started forgetting appointments. Dad keeps paying the same bill...
by Jonathan Cole | Jul 23, 2026 | Uncategorized
BIPA, Flock Cameras, and Facial Recognition: What Illinois Residents Need to Know Illinois has one of the strongest biometric privacy laws in the country: the Biometric Information Protection Act (BIPA). Originally enacted in 2008, BIPA has become a powerful tool for...
by Jonathan Cole | Jul 22, 2026 | Uncategorized
How Charitable Gifts Are Distributed During Probate in Illinois Many people choose to leave part of their estate to a favorite charity, church, school, or nonprofit organization. Whether it’s a small percentage of an estate or a substantial bequest, charitable...
by Jonathan Cole | Jul 21, 2026 | Uncategorized
Funding Your Trust: Why Signing the Trust Isn’t the Final Step You’ve signed your revocable living trust. Congratulations! But here’s something that surprises many people: Creating a trust is only half the job. The other half is making sure your...
by Jonathan Cole | Jul 20, 2026 | Uncategorized
Illinois Creates a New Legal Pathway for Immigrant Children: What Families Need to Know About Special Immigrant Juvenile Status As immigration enforcement continues to evolve across the country, Illinois has enacted new legislation designed to help vulnerable...
by Jonathan Cole | Jul 17, 2026 | Uncategorized
Illinois Appellate Court Clarifies Child Support, Name Changes, and Post-Trial Issues in Parentage Cases: What In re Parentage of A.L.G. Means for Illinois Families Family law cases rarely end with a single court hearing. Questions about child support, parenting time,...
