The Truth about Probate

Marty Fogarty founded the Heartland Law Firm nearly a decade ago. As a lawyer he sees firsthand the difficulty of moving between life’s transitions and feels families shouldn’t have to stress by going through them alone. Therefore the Heartland Law Firm is dedicated to helping families plan ahead to avoid a future path that avoids stress. Even if you are not dealing with a legal issue right now, the Heartland Law Firm Podcast has tips that may come in handy at some future point in your life. Tune in to this episode where Marty discusses the topic of probate with host Kimberly Henrie. After you listen you can head over to www.heartlandlawfirm.com to learn more or ask any specific questions you have. Having a Will Alone Is Not Enough As Marty points out during the podcast, when you pass away the question is, “Who owns your stuff when you are no longer here?” The probate court is a public route that will take the necessary steps to answer that question. A will is a letter to the probate court that tells the judge where you want your stuff to go, and asks the judge to appoint an executor, who then: - Changes a deed - Transfers bank funds - Handles anything else in the will However going through probate causes more harm than good, especially financially. But during the podcast Marty explains other ways probate can cause harm to families, not only in regards to wills, but also in regards to things like living wills. Because of this, probate should be a safety net, or final resort. The Importance of Having a Personal Estate Plan Audit Having a personal estate plan audit allows you to control where your stuff goes after you die, whether you want to donate it to charity or spread it among your family and friends. In this podcast Marty explains exactly how you can control your assets and avoid probate via this method which could end up saving you and your survivors both time and money in the long run. Because Marty and the others at the Heartland Law Firm respect family values, they take extra care to respect family wishes when planning someone’s personal estate plan audit. Listen to the entire episode now and then contact the Heartland Law firm now to learn how you can benefit from this and other legal services for estate planning! Heartland Law Firm 1545 N Waukegan Rd #2 Glenview, IL 60025 Call: (847) 729-3300 Please call us today for a free consultation to discuss your needs and how we can best be of service to you and your family. We serve the communities of Skokie, Niles, Desplaines, Wilmette, Winnetka, Deerfield, Northbrook, Morton Grove, Chicago, Park Ridge, Evanston, Northfield, Glencoe, Wheeling, Lake Forest, Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, Cook, Lake Dupage, Mchenry County, Woodstock, Hebron, Crystal Lake, Mettawa, Barrington, Libertyville, Mundelein and Harwood Heights. Don’t let your legal issues worry you any longer, call today!