Category Archives: Newsletters
MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle is a Proud Sponsor of the Big Hero Charity Golf Outing
For the third year in a row, MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle, Ltd., has been a proud sponsor of the Big Hero Charity Golf Outing benefiting the Little Heroes League. This year’s event, the 6th Annual Big Hero Charity Golf Outing, was held at Ruth Lake Country Club on July 15, 2024. As always, we… Read More »
Department of Labor Introduces New Overtime Regulations
On May 16, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor issued final regulations relating to the base weekly salary and annual pay certain classes of workers must receive to qualify for the exemption from overtime pay. Effective December 1, 2016, the base weekly salary has been raised from $455 per week ($23,660 per year) to… Read More »
Estate Planning Strategies to Minimize Taxes and Expenses Your Beneficiaries Pay
No one likes to think about the end of his or her life. However, we all need to take the time to prepare for the day that we pass away, because if we do not, the loved ones we leave behind could be left to deal with financial difficulties unnecessarily. One of the things… Read More »
SCOTUS Denies Appeal in Illinois Pre-Embryo Implantation Case
An Important Decision on Assisted Reproductive Technology The Supreme Court of the United States recently rejected an appeal regarding the use of pre-embryos where the biological parents disagreed, meaning the lower court order will stand. The case is Scarfranski v. Dunston, 933 N.E.2d (App.Ct.Ill. June 18, 2013), and it was an issue of first… Read More »
Since Prince Died Without a Will, What Happens to His Estate?
While the world is still reeling from the sudden and tragic death of musical and cultural icon Prince last month, because he may have died without a will, the fate of his massive estate has become a source of great controversy. How Prince Died Without a Will According to a Chicago Tribune article, Prince… Read More »
Will ABLE Accounts Help Disabled Individuals in Illinois?
For someone like Patty Vasquez, whose son, Declan, has been suffering since birth due to the fact that the fibers that connect the right and left sides of his brain are missing, the news that Illinois lawmakers have authorized the use of Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts gives her and her family… Read More »
Can I Be Fired for Using Medical Marijuana?
In 2013, Illinois passed the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act (The Compassionate Use Act) to allow patients with select health conditions to possess and use marijuana. The Compassionate Use Act will be in place until late 2017, at which point state lawmakers will expand or cut the program. Some of the… Read More »
What Does the Recent Illinois Supreme Court Rule Mean for Unemployment Benefits?
Early in February, the Illinois Supreme Court reached a ruling in the case of Petrovic v. Department of Employment Security. The case involved the provision in the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act that allows employers to deny unemployment benefits to a former employee if that employee has been terminated due to “misconduct.” The ruling has… Read More »
Are All Your Children Covered Under Your Illinois Estate Plan?
When people talk about their children, it’s usually pretty clear to whom they are referring. However, when second marriages are commonplace and when assisted reproductive technologies allow many different types of couples to create children by various means, is the line always so clear? For estate planning purposes, parents must ensure all their children… Read More »
Wish to Leave Money to a Caregiver in a Will?
The Illinois legislature has updated its probate law that will affect a caregiver in a will and people who wish to leave gifts of money over $20,000 to a caregiver at the time of death. The probate code has a list of “Presumptively Void Transfers,” which are transfers of money or property at the… Read More »