Below is a summary of activities of this section from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. While past activity is no guarantee of future activity, it may give a idea of what to expect this year.
Section Stats
Newsletters
Issues: 9
CLE
Live Programs: 10
Discussions
Posts: 89
Legislation
Bills Reviewed: 116
Continuing Legal Education
Section members receive discounts on section-sponsored CLE programs. During the 2024–25 bar year, the Section sponsored the following programs:
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Sponsor LIVE WEB - Civil Remedies and Other Avenues to Address Elder Financial Exploitation (09/25/2024)
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Sponsor LIVE WEB - Navigating Medicare: Appeals and Long-Term Care Benefits (09/26/2024)
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Co-Sponsor LIVE WEB - Recent Amendments to the Illinois Power of Attorney Act: Unreasonable and Reasonable Refusal to Honor Property Powers (12/10/2024)
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Sponsor LIVE WEB - Advocating for Nursing Facility Residents (01/21/2025)
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Co-Sponsor LIVE WEB - Estate Planning Basics (02/26/2025)
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Sponsor LIVE WEB - Navigating Artificial Intelligence with an Ethical Compass (04/10/2025)
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Sponsor LIVE WEB - Planning with Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts (04/17/2025)
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Sponsor LIVE WEB - An Introduction to Pooled Special Needs Trusts (04/24/2025)
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Sponsor LIVE WEB - Understanding ABLE: The Achieving a Better Life Experience Program (05/01/2025)
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Sponsor LIVE WEB - Don't Let a Romance Scammer Steal Your Client's Heart and Life Savings (06/26/2025)
ISBA Central Discussions
ISBA Central communities allows section members to pose questions, answer questions, and share information with fellow section members. Members of the section get free access to the section’s community. Joining any section also grants you access to the Transactional and Litigation communities. Below are the total number of discussion posts during the 2024–25 bar year.
Elder Law
- Community members: 1,146
- Total discussion posts: 89
Transactional
- Community members: 24,715
- Total discussion posts: 406
Litigation
- Community members: 24,710
- Total discussion posts: 1,251
Legislation
The Section Council reviewed 116 bills that may affect their members’ practice area. Highlights of the most recent legislative session include:
- House Bill 12 amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act to increase the exclusion amount from $4,000,000 to $6,000,000 for persons dying on or after January 1, 2026.
- Senate Bill 1411 amends the Illinois Living Will Act. Provides that the Illinois Power of Attorney Act governs the applicability of the Act if a patient has a health care agency. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision in the Illinois Living Will Act, a declaration is not operative as long as an agent is available who is authorized to make decisions concerning life-sustaining or death delaying procedures for the patient. Provides that a physician, health care provider, employee, or facility may not require the execution of a POLST or other similar form to make effective the qualified patient's declaration if a patient has been determined to be a qualified patient. Provides that a physician, health care provider, employee, or facility may rely on and must comply with a qualified patient's declaration that is apparent and immediately available if a patient has been determined to be a qualified patient. Provides that nothing in the Act impairs or supersedes a surrogate decision maker's authority to make decisions regarding life-sustaining treatment on behalf of a patient who lacks decisional capacity and has a qualifying condition as defined in the Health Care Surrogate Act. Provides that a declaration under the Illinois Living Will Act becomes operative when: (1) it has been validly executed; (2) it has not been properly revoked; (3) the patient is unable to give directions regarding the use of life-sustaining or death delaying procedures; and (4) the patient is a qualified patient.
- Senate Bill 1667 is an unclaimed property bill.