Your tenant stopped paying rent, or they are violating the terms of their lease, such as by subletting without permission. Or maybe their lease term is up, and they will not renew or leave. They could even be using your property illegally, such as by selling drugs out of it. Whatever the reason is, you need your tenant out and you need them out soon.

Depending on the grounds for eviction, and whether your tenant manages to fight back convincingly, it could take anywhere between a few weeks and a few months. While it may be frustrating to have a bad tenant essentially holding your property hostage, these rules and procedures are in place to protect people from being forced out of their homes on too little notice or for unlawful reasons. You will want to be represented by an attorney during this process. 

Factors That Can Impact the Eviction Timeline

In the best-case scenario, your tenant will receive your notice of intent to evict them and simply leave on their own. No one wants to have an eviction on their record if they can avoid it. If your tenant chooses to vacate on their own, you will not need to take any further action. 

There are a lot of different reasons that people ultimately choose to declare bankruptcy. Anything from a single unexpected medical emergency to a patch of unemployment can quickly cause a person to rack up debt they will not be able to pay off. Bankruptcy is based on the idea that people deserve a fresh start and there should be a way out of insurmountable debt. However, it is important that bankruptcies are handled correctly so that they do not lead to more legal issues. 

Mistakes during bankruptcy can cause further financial difficulty rather than relieving financial strain. It is quite easy to slip up and make a potentially costly mistake. Your best bet is to have your bankruptcy handled by an attorney. 

What Mistakes Should I Avoid When Declaring Bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy can be a very delicate legal procedure. Everything needs to be done correctly and in good faith. Some common mistakes people make during bankruptcy proceedings include: 

 Estate planning means more than just writing your will. While a good estate plan may certainly include a will, there is a lot more to it than that. Testamentary planning - deciding what should happen to your property after you pass away - is an important part of estate planning. When most people think of estate planning, they are really thinking only about testamentary planning. Incapacity planning is an equally important part of estate planning.

Incapacity planning allows you to prepare for the possibility that you could become incapacitated in your own lifetime as is common in old age. No estate plan is complete until both parts have been thoroughly addressed. The exact types of documents you will need to accomplish both goals depends on your own personal situation and preferences. It is best to work with a qualified attorney to develop a complete estate plan. 

What is Testamentary Planning?

Testamentary planning is the part of estate planning where you decide how your property should be distributed after you pass on. It is important to do this even if it is emotionally challenging. If you pass away without having a testamentary plan, state law determines who gets what and your family will have to go through the notoriously difficult intestate probate process. 

If you are considering filing for bankruptcy, you may feel like you have very little control over your financial life or the bankruptcy process. This is not entirely true - people who file for bankruptcy in Illinois still have options. For most personal bankruptcy situations, there are two different types of bankruptcy your attorney will discuss with you to help you choose the best option. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy filings can both lead to a new, debt-free life, but in different ways. Both types have benefits and drawbacks. The type of bankruptcy that will make the most sense for you will depend on your personal situation and preferences. It is important to speak with a lawyer to make sure that you have a complete understanding of how each type of bankruptcy will affect you. 

What Happens When I File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

Chapter 7 bankruptcy can create a quicker and cleaner path to freedom from debt, but the major drawback is that your assets will be liquidated. When you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the court will appoint a trustee. The trustee will then be responsible for identifying your assets and selling them off in order to pay off your creditors as much as possible. 

It is relevant here that not all of your property is subject to liquidation - there are statutory exemptions so that you can keep some personal property. An attorney can give you a better idea of which of your assets are or are not exempt. The benefit is that after liquidation, the rest of your eligible debt is forgiven, and you are free to start a new, debt-free life. 

Estate planning is full of choices. Completing the process can give you control over how your property will be distributed after you are gone, as well as control over some of your own end-of-life decisions. Once you have decided to use a trust rather than a will as your primary testamentary tool, you still have quite a few decisions to make. Trusts can be revocable or irrevocable, and there are even more subcategories. You also get to set most of the terms of your own trust - these are highly customizable legal instruments. 

Your best bet is to talk with an estate planning attorney who is highly knowledgeable about the different types of trusts and how they can be written. After you explain your goals and give some information about your beneficiaries, your lawyer will be able to guide your decision from there. 

Factors to Consider in Choosing a Type of Trust

You have quite a few things to consider when you go to create a trust. Be prepared for your lawyer to ask a lot of questions, some of which can be a bit personal. However, it is important that you answer openly so that your attorney knows what concerns to factor in when designing a trust for you. Things to think about include: