Estate planning is critical. It is impossible to predict when, during the course of our lives, the basic estate planning documents may become of paramount importance with regard to so many issues: the care and nurturing of minor children and the protection, management and preservation of the assets we leave for them; insuring that accumulated assets pass with ease to our heirs and designated beneficiaries; and providing for trusted individuals to make decisions with regard to our medical care and the management of our financial affairs should we be unable to do so. The Law Offices of Michael S. Grant offer a variety of estate planning options and each estate plan is individually crafted to meet the client's needs and budget and to minimize the impact of estate taxes and the necessity of probate where applicable.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Last Will & Testaments
Should you become incapacitated and unable to make health-related decisions or handle your financial affairs, it is imperative that you have designated someone you trust to handle these matters on your behalf. With regard to medical decisions, the Power of Attorney for Health Care allows you to make wishes known in writing and to appoint and advocate insuring that medical providers abide by your choices. With regard to financial affairs, the Power of Attorney for Assets (Durable General Power of Attorney) allows you to legally appoint a trusted individual to manage and handle you assets while you are unable to do so.
- Powers of Attorney
A valid Last Will & Testament allows you to determine the beneficiaries of your estate, and to choose and appoint guardians and trustees of minor children. As well, in your Will, you appoint the Executor, the person whom you choose to administer your estate and to insure that your wishes are carried out. Without a valid Last Will & Testament, you increase the likelihood that the State will determine the disposition of your assets and the guardians of your minor children.
- Private Land Trusts
Real Estate does not automatically pass to your heirs by virtue of a Last Will & Testament. If your estate plan does not consist of a Living Trust, a Private Land Trust will allow for an immediate and simple transfer of real property to your heirs or beneficiaries upon your death.
Our firm has been preparing Private Land Trusts for the past 20 years and has eliminated the costly maintenance and transfer fees charged by financial institutions while still affording the same privacy of ownership and ease of transfer provided by the traditional Land Trust.
- Asset Transfers on Death
To minimize the possibility of probate and costly delays in transfer of assets, we assist and advise our clients regarding naming beneficiaries, establishing joint tenancies and taking advantage of transfer-on-death provisions offered by the financial institutions which hold our clients' financial and retirement assets.
LIVING TRUSTS
Living Trusts are our most comprehensive and effective asset transfer and preservation tools. The greatest advantage of the Living Trust is the preservation of a marital estate by taking advantage of two estate tax exemptions, thus insuring that your heirs, and not the government, are the beneficiaries of the assets you have spent a lifetime accumulating. As well, the Living Trust is the best probate-avoidance tool and in the majority of cases, asset transfers are accomplished simply, swiftly and without the intervention of the Probate Court. The full Living Trust includes all necessary ancillary documents and Powers of Attorney as well as the transfer of real property into the Trust.
At the Law Offices of Michael S. Grant, we are committed to providing the best Living Trust products, including Preservation/Insurance Trusts, Generation-Skipping Trust, Catastrophic Illness Trusts, as well as specially crafted trusts to meet any special needs of our clients. We will also insure that your Trust is properly and completely funded, and that all assets are properly transferred and/or titled in the name of the Trust.
Mr. Grant has long been an attorney/advisor with The Estate Plan, the premier producer of Living Trusts in the country. No matter where you may reside, or how many times you may move, you may be assured that, with only slight modifications, your Living Trust will remain viable and have the support and expertise of The Estate Plan staff and attorneys. Please fees free to visit their website at www.theestateplan.com.
The attorneys at The Law Office of Michael S. Grant have extensive experience in both residential and commercial real estate transactions in Cook, Lake, McHenry and DuPage Counties. Our attorneys and staff are extremely well-versed in the intricacies of accomplishing timely and successful closings for both buyers and sellers. Knowing that selling or purchasing a home or a commercial property is a very critical and often stressful undertaking, we pride ourselves on the service and level of attention we provide to our clients. Our fees are extremely competitive and we welcome by-owner sellers, offering contract-preparation services for their potential buyers in an effort to help secure a sale.
A misdemeanor or criminal conviction may result in jail time and can adversely affect your employment opportunities. A traffic violation may result in increased automobile insurance rates. While, a DUI is a serious charge which can result in the loss of your driving privileges and negatively impact your life in many ways. The first step in protecting your rights and increasing your chances of maintaining your driving privileges is to retain an experienced defense attorney. Our attorneys bring thirty years of experience in defending criminal and traffic offenses in Lake and Cook Counties. We provide our clients with aggressive legal representation and are committed to protecting your rights
For those who find they have been appointed as Executors or Trustees of Decedents' Estates which require a formal probate, the Law Offices of Michael S. Grant offer an extensive background in handling Cook and Lake County probate estates. From the opening of probate to the closing and distribution of assets, we will guide the Executor through the process while insuring that all documents and filings are properly and timely prepared in the administration of a decedent's estate. We will assist in procuring the proper tax professionals for preparation of estate, fiduciary and inheritance tax returns. Our goal is to ease and minimize the Executor's duties through the probate process.
The Law Offices of Michael S. Grant will also undertake the resolution of intestate estates wherein the decedent has left no Last Will & Testament and are also experienced in the procedures for appointing Guardians of minor or disabled individuals.
Sensitive to the needs of those wishing to start or expand a small business, the Law Offices of Michael S. Grant offers a full service package for small businesses, from preparing and recording Articles of Incorporation to obtaining an EIN and filing S-Corp Elections. Additionally, we frequently act as the Registered Agent for our clients, insuring that Annual Reports are timely filed and preparing, maintaining and updating Corporate Books. Should our clients require assistance from tax professionals, we have a full range of referrals for accountants and CPA's depending the specific requirements. We also offer a full range of services for establishing Non-Compete Agreements, Buy-Sell Agreements and other vehicles for protecting and preserving the small business.
At the Law Offices of Michael S. Grant we offer comprehensive representation of landlords for eviction and forcible entry and detainer proceedings in Cook, Lake and McHenry Counties. We will insure that Notices are properly executed and delivered to tenants and call upon our long-established relationships with professional process servers to quickly and effectively serve difficult tenants when traditional methods fail. In addition to advising on the proper eviction process, we work to insure that monetary judgments are properly awarded by the Court in favor of the landlords we represent. Our attorneys also prepare and review leases for our clients.
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Law Offices of Michael S. Grant LLC
936 S. Arthur Avenue
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
T: (847) 259-6647
F: (847) 259-6652
E: info@grantandtrailovlaw.com
M-F 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Evening & Weekends by appointment