2027 Illinois Farm Leases: What Landowners and Farmers Should Negotiate Before Harvest Ends is a conversation many Illinois farmers and farmland owners should be having before the combines are parked for the season. Farm lease discussions often happen in the fall, but waiting until the last minute can leave both sides rushing through important decisions involving rent, expenses, improvements, conservation practices, and the future use of the land.
The economic environment makes those conversations particularly important heading into 2027. University of Illinois farmdoc reports that Illinois cash rents remained relatively strong in 2026, while most farm managers surveyed expected 2027…
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August Is National Make-a-Will Month: 7 Estate Planning Documents Illinois Families Should Review is a timely reminder that estate planning is about more than deciding who receives your property after you die. A good estate plan can also address who may handle your finances if you become incapacitated, who can make health care decisions for you, and how a family business or farm should continue.
Many people put off estate planning because they feel too young or assume they can deal with it later. But marriage, divorce, children, buying property, starting a business, or losing a loved one can quickly…
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Your Child With a Disability Is Turning 18: Is Guardianship the Only Option in Illinois? is a question many parents ask during the final years of high school. After years of coordinating medical care, school services, finances, and daily support, families are often told they need guardianship to continue helping.
Guardianship may be appropriate for some young adults, but it is not automatic simply because a child has a disability. Illinois law emphasizes that guardianship should be used only to the extent necessary and should preserve as much independence as possible.
What Changes When a Child Turns 18?
At age…
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Who Pays College Tuition After Divorce in Illinois? What Parents Need to Know Before Move-In Day is a question that often becomes urgent in late summer. Tuition statements arrive, housing deposits are due, and parents may suddenly realize that their divorce judgment never clearly explained how college costs would be divided.
In Illinois, contribution toward a child’s post-high-school education is not automatically a 50/50 obligation, and it may extend beyond tuition. The answer can depend on the divorce agreement, existing court orders, each parent’s resources, the student’s finances and academic performance, and whether a timely request is filed with the…
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Continue Reading Agricultural Law Updates for Illinois Farmers and Agribusinesses: July 2026

Rural Lawyer Shortages and Access to Justice: What Illinois Communities Can Learn From National Trends examines a growing challenge facing small towns and rural communities throughout Illinois and across the country. In the July 2026 issue of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Rural Practice newsletter, Rincker Law attorneys Cari Brett Rincker and Sam Ellis co-authored “Rural Law Practice in the News,” an overview of recent efforts to address legal deserts, strengthen rural legal services, and recruit attorneys to underserved communities. Cari also serves as a co-editor of the Rural Practice newsletter.
The developments highlighted in the article show that…
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Illinois HB 4462: Proposed Changes to Power of Attorney Acceptance Requirements addresses a practical problem that can arise when an agent attempts to use a valid power of attorney for property, but a bank, financial institution, title company, or other third party demands additional documentation before honoring it. The enrolled bill would amend Section 2-8 of the Illinois Power of Attorney Act by removing two specific grounds currently identified as reasonable cause for refusing to honor a power of attorney.
As of July 27, 2026, HB 4462 has passed both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly and was sent to…
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7 Farm Succession Planning Mistakes That Can Tear a Family Apart addresses a problem many farm families quietly postpone. Parents, farming children, and off-farm siblings may each hold different expectations about what will happen. When those expectations are never discussed or documented, grief can quickly become conflict.
Farm succession planning should coordinate land ownership, management, retirement, incapacity planning, equipment, leases, and family expectations. Avoiding these mistakes can help preserve the operation and family relationships.
Mistake 1: Waiting for a Health Crisis or Death
Families often delay planning because the current arrangement still works. Illness, injury, incapacity, or death rarely arrives…
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When an Aging Parent Can No Longer Make Decisions: 7 Signs It May Be Time to Consider Guardianship in Illinois is a difficult topic for many families. No one wants to take away a parent’s independence, and occasional forgetfulness does not automatically mean guardianship is necessary. However, when an older adult can no longer understand or communicate responsible decisions about personal care, finances, or safety, court-appointed guardianship may become one option for protection.
Illinois law treats guardianship as a serious measure. It should be used only to the extent necessary to protect a person from neglect, exploitation, or abuse while…
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Back-to-School Parenting Disputes: How to Resolve School, Activity, and Schedule Conflicts Early is an important topic for separated and divorced parents as summer winds down. By late July, many Illinois families are already thinking about school registration, supplies, transportation, extracurricular activities, and new routines. These decisions can become stressful when parents disagree or when the parenting plan does not clearly address the issue.
Back-to-school season does not have to lead to another court dispute. Many conflicts can be addressed through early communication, attorney-assisted negotiation, mediation, or a clearer written agreement.
Why Back-to-School Parenting Disputes Happen
The transition from summer to…
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Before Harvest Begins: Family Farm Succession Planning Conversations to Have Now is a timely reminder for farm families in late July. Once harvest season begins, there may be little time for difficult conversations about ownership, management, retirement, family expectations, or what happens if a key decision-maker becomes unavailable.
Farm succession planning is not just an estate-planning exercise. It is also a business-continuity plan, a family communication plan, and a risk-management tool. The earlier those conversations happen, the more options the family may have.
Why Late Summer Is a Good Time to Talk
Harvest brings pressure. Equipment needs to be ready,…
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In this installment of Ask Sam and Kendal, Rincker Law, PLLC associate attorneys Sam Ellis and Kendal A. Schoepfer explain the current status of FinCEN’s Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule and why its continuing legal uncertainty matters to farmers, landowners, estate-planning clients, attorneys, title professionals, and others involved in transferring real estate to a trust or business entity.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, commonly known as FinCEN, created a nationwide reporting rule intended to increase transparency in certain non-financed residential real estate transactions. Although the rule was primarily promoted as a tool to combat money laundering, its broad language could…
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In this installment of Ask Sam and Kendal, Rincker Law, PLLC associate attorneys Sam Ellis and Kendal A. Schoepfer explain why transferring a farm to an LLC or trust became an important legal question after the federal government’s Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule took effect on March 1, 2026. Below, we explore “Could Transferring a Farm to an LLC or Trust Trigger FinCEN Reporting?”
The rule was intended to identify certain non-financed transfers of residential real estate to legal entities and trusts. Because many farm succession and estate-planning transactions involve deeds transferring property to family LLCs or trusts, the rule…
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