Below is a summary of activities of this section from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. While past activity is no guarantee of future activity, it may give a idea of what to expect this year.
Section Stats
Newsletters
Issues: 12
CLE
Live Programs: 9
Discussions
Posts: 1,876
Legislation
Bills Reviewed: 53
Continuing Legal Education
Section members receive discounts on section-sponsored CLE programs. During the 2025–26 bar year, the Section sponsored the following programs:
- Co-Sponsor Putting the “Pro” in Pro Bono: How To Help Your Community Through the Pro-Bono Pilot Project (10/03/2025)
- Co-Sponsor Death and Deductions: Estate Tax Tips to Start the Year Off Right (12/17/2025)
- Sponsor Back to the Basics: Opening a Probate Estate (02/19/2026)
- Sponsor Back to the Basics: Closing a Probate Estate (03/18/2026)
- Co-Sponsor Estate Planning for the Modern Family (03/20/2026)
- Co-Sponsor Understanding the Tax Implications of Special Needs Trusts (04/08/2026)
- Co-Sponsor The Intersection of Guardianship and Mental Health Law (04/15/2026)
- Co-Sponsor Limited Guardianships (04/22/2026)
- Sponsor Common Problems and Solutions in Administering Special Needs Trusts (04/22/2026)
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 2025–26 bar year.
Trusts and Estates
- Community members: 2,417
- Total discussion posts: 1,876
Transactional
- Community members: 24,715
- Total discussion posts: 386
Litigation
- Community members: 24,710
- Total discussion posts: 706
Legislation
The Section Council reviewed 53 bills that may affect their members’ practice area. Highlights of the most recent legislative session include:
- House Bill 4206 creates the Charitable Organization Beneficiary Act, establishing a process to ensure charitable organizations receive assets left to them through nonprobate beneficiary designations (excluding wills or trusts) such as payable-on-death accounts or retirement plans. It requires the holders of such property to notify the charitable organization within 45 business days after verifying the owner’s death, and to provide key details, including the exact beneficiary designation language and a description of the property while allowing charities to request information or transfer of the assets. The bill also expands and clarifies what counts as a beneficiary designation (while excluding life insurance and annuities for this purpose), imposes specific obligations on insurers to respond to charities within 120 days, and requires holders to explain and help resolve any legal barriers to payment. It creates enforcement mechanisms, including potential court-ordered relief and penalties up to $10,000 for bad-faith noncompliance, while giving liability protection to institutions acting in good faith and clarifying that existing unclaimed property and insurance laws still apply. Effective January 1, 2027.
- House Bill 4462 amends the Illinois Power of Attorney Act. It deletes two reasons for which it is deemed reasonable cause for a third party to refuse to honor a power of attorney for property: (i) the refusal by the agent to provide a copy of the original document that is certified to be valid by an attorney, a court order, or governmental entity; and (ii) the refusal of the principal's attorney to provide a certificate that the power of attorney is valid. Effective January 1, 2027.