I have represented local governmental bodies my entire legal career, including municipalities, school districts, fire protection districts, sanitary sewer districts and others. As a more or less objective observer, one who is neither sitting in the hot seat nor part of the angry mob, I seen what works and what does not work. The statement, “No…
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You have probably heard the stories about what happens when a family member dies without doing any estate planning… and if you have not heard them, I could fill a book! The vacuum left by the death of a loved one sometimes leads to some strange and unfortunate reactions. Perceived slights or unfairness during life are magnified…
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The sign is a clue to what a recent article in the Trusts & Estate section of WealthManagement.com identifies as a trend away from estate planning and, therefore, toward more probating of estates. (The Shift from Estate Planning to Estate Probating) In other words, the author believes the national trend indicates a penchant for putting off doing estate planning. The…
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Today marks the beginning of National Pro Bono Week for 2014. “Pro bono publico” means for the public good and is usually shortened to “pro bono” (Wikipedia), which is often interpreted to mean “for free”. The term, “pro bono” has specific application to attorneys, and for good reason. While many people volunteer their time for…
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Most people have charitable thoughts, but few people set up their own foundations or funds to put feet on those charitable thoughts. Many people see a need that is not being met and want to do something about it, but the process of setting up a private foundation is daunting. If you are one of…
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Dr. Bernard J. Cigrand, a long time resident of the City of Batavia, set up a scholarship endowment fund with the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley, but he is best known for bring the impetus behind National Flag Day. Watch the story here…. The Dr. Bernard Cigrand Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund was established…
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Attention local tax exempt, charitable organizations! Did you know that the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley has a discretionary grant program for local non-profits? Well, they do! The Community Foundation awarded $336,000 in discretionary grants to local tax exempt organizations in 2013 alone! Here is a list of the grants and the community…
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The title is a little misleading, of course. We are not going encourage 6 ways to fumble your estate planning. The idea, of course, is to avoid fumbling the ball. Following are 6 areas in which a little understanding will help people avoid some potential estate planning fumbles and to hang on to the ball. 1. Failure to Understand How…
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The Drendel & Jansons Law Group is hosting a mini-seminar on real estate for the Fox Valley Young Professionals Network. The Drendel & Jansons office is at 111 Flinn Street, Batavia, IL 60510 The date and time is Tuesday September 23rd at 7:00 PM The topics are: Claudio Prunotto, Loan Originator, People’s Home Equity – “The…
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The handling of small estates has always been problematic. The probate process is not quick, or easy or cheap. The probate process can particularly be a burden on small estates. For years, the State of Illinois has provided an alternative mechanism for handing small estates, but the limitations excluded many estates that might otherwise qualify, making it…
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