My husband both have grown children from previous marriages. do we need seperate wills?

You should have separate wills. A joint will can not be changed after the first spouse dies which could lead to unintended consequences if their...

Husband has a son out of affair. The child support has always been paid on time for entire 18 years. Please read below-

Judy's answer is very good. I would add that a trust for the child may be a good idea even if he is an adult. If the son's mother was living...

My mother receives a couple pensions from her late husband. Would these annuities be part of her estate as well?

If the pensions will continue after your mother passes away, it is likely that she would be able to name beneficiaries. She should check with the...

Can a trustee donate land to a charity that one of the beneficiary wants?

From your question I am not sure if we are dealing with a trust or a probate estate. You used the term trustee but referred to an estate. I am...

I need advice about the validity of a handwritten document upon my death.

For a will to be valid in Illinois it needs to be in writing (which includes printing and handwriting), signed by the person making the will and...

If you only write one check per child you would need to file a gift tax return in order to be able to split the gift between the two of you. ...

As Mr. Frederick said a will does not have to be notarized to be valid in Illinois. A properly notarized will is self-proving which means that the...