Patricia T. Gruber

Estate planning determines how your property will be taken care of in the event you are disabled or after your death. It can be a combination of trusts, wills, or powers of attorney, holding property in joint tenancy, and/or beneficiary designations. It should be coordinated to be sure that what you want would be done after your death to protect your family and your assets.

Probate is a court process where the property, bills, and assets of a deceased person are gathered, paid and distributed to the family. Probate in Illinois is primarily independent - which means the court is only minimally involved in supervising the executor or administrator in making sure the matters are completed before closing the case.

Trusts are used to avoid continuing court supervision of a deceased or disabled person's assets, bill paying, and property. After death, the successor trustee works to terminate the trust, get the bills paid and distribute the remaining assets as the deceased person directed in the trust.

Pre-Planning