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Back in 1994, Kevin Costner separated from his first wife of 16 years. This divorce settlement cost him $80 million dollars, one of the largest Hollywood divorce settlements in history. Costner learned his lesson, and before the second time around at marriage with handbag designer, Christine Baumgartner, the two entered

Trial is the final hearing date in your case and is the process of each side putting on their evidence, refuting the other side’s evidence, and the delivery of opening and closing arguments. After trial, the court enters a judgment. But does this mean the case is officially over? Not

You’ve worked hard to accumulate your assets over your life. Like most people, you want the future of your property after your death to be in your control. If you do not use proper estate planning tools to prepare for death, you risk leaving your loved ones behind with the

5/14/2023 The Illinois Supreme Court’s recent decision regarding Supreme Court Rule 102 has made headlines in the Illinois litigation realm this Spring. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 102 determines how a summons (i.e. an official notice of a lawsuit) must be served on a defendant/respondent. Prior to the April amendments, the

What is an estate inventory? An estate inventory is essentially a list of assets that the deceased owned. It can include personal property, real estate, automobiles, bank accounts, investment accounts, business interests, and animals. It is the responsibility of the executor or personal representative to marshal these assets and administer

Many individuals incorporate annual gifting into their estate planning strategy for good reason – it is an easy way to remove assets from what may otherwise be a taxable estate without any gift tax consequences to the donor.   What is considered a gift?   Generally, any transfer between individuals where full