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I’ve been involved in an accident…What happens now?

I’ve been involved in an accident…what happens now?

When involved in an accident your well-being is most the important aspect and we will fight to ensure your physical and emotional injuries are compensated. A personal injury accident can result in any of the following injuries:

• Loss of income (current or future income)
• Permanent or temporary physical impairment
• Decreased quality of life
• Overall pain and suffering

Do I have a case?
you should begin by asking yourself three basic questions: First, did you suffer a personal injury and not just property damage? Second, were your injuries caused by the negligence of another person or entity? Finally, do you have recoverable damages? If the answer to all three questions is “yes,” you may be able to obtain financial compensation for your injuries by bringing a personal injury lawsuit

Here’s some basic DO’s and DON’Ts when

dealing with a personal injury situation.

DO…..

1. Report your accident as soon as possible.

2. Seek medical attention for any injuries.

3. Gather as much information as you can about the accident.

4. Contact a personal injury attorney.

DON’T…..

1. Volunteer information to your insurance company regarding your claim.

2. Give your insurance company any recorded statement without talking to your attorney first.

3. Admit fault.

4. Negotiate directly with the other driver.

5. DON’T accept or sign any settlements from any insurance companies before speaking to an attorney.

Contact our office when dealing with a personal injury matter: (773) 721-3333

 

 

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I’ve been involved in a accident…What happens now?

I’ve been involved in a accident…what happens now?

When involved in an accident your well-being is most the important aspect and we will fight to ensure your physical and emotional injuries are compensated. A personal injury accident can result in any of the following injuries:

• Loss of income (current or future income)
• Permanent or temporary physical impairment
• Decreased quality of life
• Overall pain and suffering

Do I have a case?
you should begin by asking yourself three basic questions: First, did you suffer a personal injury and not just property damage? Second, were your injuries caused by the negligence of another person or entity? Finally, do you have recoverable damages? If the answer to all three questions is “yes,” you may be able to obtain financial compensation for your injuries by bringing a personal injury lawsuit

Here’s some basic DO’s and DON’Ts when

dealing with a personal injury situation.

DO…..

1. Report your accident as soon as possible.

2. Seek medical attention for any injuries.

3. Gather as much information as you can about the accident.

4. Contact a personal injury attorney .

DON’T…..

1. Volunteer information to your insurance company regarding your claim.

2. Give your insurance company any recorded statement without talking to your Attorney first.

3. Admit fault.

4. Negotiate directly with the other driver.

5. DON’T accept or sign any settlements from any insurance companies before speaking to an attorney.

Contact our office when dealing with a personal injury matter

 

(773) 721-3333.

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Happy New Year!!!…have you done your estate planning yet?

If you haven’t…..we’re here to help!!!

  1. Land Trust – documentation used to simplify the transference of real estate upon one’s death. There are three important elements to a Land Trust:
  • The beneficial owner (the current owner(s) of the property)
  • The holder of the power of direction (the party with the power to direct the trustee to act)
  • The contingent beneficiary (the party who will inherit the property upon the owner’s death)
  1. Healthcare Power of Attorney – A Power of Attorney for Healthcare document allows a person, called the principal, to delegate another person, called the agent (a trusted friend or family member), the power to make decisions regarding healthcare that the principal is unable to make. The agent, who does not need to be an attorney, will speak for the principal and make decisions according to the principal’s wishes even when the principal is physically or mentally incapacitated.
  1. Durable (Property) Power of Attorney – A Power of Attorney for Property is a way for you to decide in advance who will handle, your financial affairs if you are not able to act on your own in the future. Executing this document will save your family from the burden of having to make financial decisions without knowing your wishes. It gives you (rather than for courts) more control over your life. For example, you may want to have the power to authorize real estate and stock transactions; to handle banking, tax or other types of business matters; to represent you in court; or to address other types of legal claims.

With these three documents, you can solidify your family’s future without the interruptions of probate court.

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We’re in The Chicago Defender!

📰EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! 📰Check out this week’s The Chicago Defender to find out the good news about Estate Planning written by our office available everywhere TODAY! We will be contributing pertinent information on estate planning on a weekly basis! #thechicagodefender #estateplanningmatter 🗞

We will be contributing weekly, so stay tuned!!!

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Common misconceptions about Wills

Many people believe a will protects from having your loved one’s estate probated but this is not true! Having a will REQUIRES the estate to be probated. Read below to find out more about why a will IS NOT sufficient estate planning.

  1. I have a will, so my family will avoid probate when I pass. Unfortunately, this is not true. A will REQUIRES your property to go through probate after you pass. Probate is the legal process through which the court makes sure your assets are distributed according to the instructions in your will. A will is a set of instructions to the probate court and only works if there is a probate.

 

  1. I DON’T have a will, so my family will not have to go through probate. If you own assets in your name and you don’t have a will, the state in which you live will require your estate to be divided through the probate court. Also, the laws in most states allow for the inheritance of property only by bloodline or marriage, so an unmarried partner or close friend would not receive anything.

 

  1. If I become incapacitated, my executor will be able to handle my financial affairs. Unfortunately, any instructions in a Will are ignored if you become incapacitated. That’s because a will can only go into effect after you pass; it is of no use before then. Unless you have established Power of Attorney documents, the court will likely appoint an individual to take control of your assets and your care if you become unable to conduct business. This person is commonly referred to as a guardian, and the court will continue to supervise the actions of the guardian.

 

  1. Joint ownership is a good way to avoid probate. Joint ownership with right of survivorship (the most commonly used form of joint ownership) allows the jointly owned asset to transfer automatically to the other joint owner when one owner passes, without probate. However, if both owners pass simultaneously or if the surviving owner does not add a new joint owner before he or she passes, the asset will have to go through probate before it can go to the heirs. In most cases, joint ownership merely postpones probate.

 

  1. I don’t need to do any estate planning because I own much less than the federal estate tax exemption. Don’t confuse estate planning with estate tax planning. Estate planning is about making sure your assets will go to the people you want to have them with the least amount of delay and costs. Good estate planning also includes a plan for incapacity. This is something everyone needs to do, regardless of the size of your estate.
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We Care About Your Family… Do You?

The Family Care Expo is one-day resource fair and forum designed to provide you with the resources, products, and information to create a better future for you and your loved ones.

With over 30 exhibitors present, the expo will feature workshops , clinics, and one-on-one consultations. Looking to get informed? A broad range of topics will be covered, including:

-Immigration
-Expungement
-Estate planning
-Downsizing
-College planning
-Disability resources

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

There will be job opportunities available at WVON’s Family Care Expo on Saturday in the healthcare field. Become a Care Coordinator or learn how to earn while caring for your loved ones at home as a caregiver. This workshop starts promptly at 10am at Malcolm X College, 1900 West Jackson Blvd. The workshop is free because WVON is cool like that!

Sponsored by Meridian Health Plan!

 

Image may contain: 6 people, people smiling

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Cliff Kelley live at the radio station WVON 1690 AM.

What is the Value of the Trust?

To carry out their duties properly, trustees must first ascertain the value on the date of each asset held in trust. This requires an inventory and appraisal of trust assets. One reason for this is to determine the net worth of the decedent, and determine whether federal estate taxes apply. Once the trustee has an accurate inventory of items in the trust, he or she must update the inventory list as items increase or decrease in value.

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The Legal Line with Cliff Kelley – July 2017

The Importance of A Properly Administered Trust

A properly drafted and administered trust is an effective planning tool to help estates avoid going through probate. However, a trust cannot accomplish this goal unless it is administered correctly, ensuring the trustmaker’s wishes are carried out. A properly administered trust requires oversight. There are also costs and expenses associated with trust administration. An Illinois trust attorney advises and guides trustees through this often-confusing process.

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