The holiday season, traditionally a time for joy, togetherness, and celebration, can be particularly challenging for those who have recently gone through a divorce. The transition from spending holidays with a partner and a shared family to facing them alone or with different arrangements can bring a mix of emotions, including sadness, loneliness, and anxiety. However, with some proactive strategies and a positive mindset, you can navigate this challenging time and find moments of joy and fulfillment.

If you have decided to end your marriage or are trying to work through these legal issues without an attorney, consider contacting our firm to speak to a skilled Illinois divorce lawyer.

Acknowledge Your Feelings and Grieve

It is important to recognize and accept the emotions that arise during the holiday season during or after your divorce. You may experience grief, sadness, anger, and even a sense of loss. These feelings are entirely normal and part of the healing process. Give yourself permission to feel and process your emotions without judgment.

Drive Safer Sunday is an annual observance held on the Sunday following Thanksgiving in the United States, which falls on November 26 this year. The goal of this initiative is to raise awareness about safe driving practices during one of the year's busiest travel weekends. As families and friends come together to celebrate Thanksgiving, many take to the roads to visit loved ones or embark on holiday shopping trips. Drive Safer Sunday serves as a reminder of the importance of road safety during this time and encourages responsible driving behavior. The following is an overview of this annual initiative. For more detailed information if you have been injured in a crash, contact an Illinois car accident lawyer.

Thanksgiving Weekend Travel

Thanksgiving Day is always observed on the fourth Thursday of November. Traditionally, the holiday turns into an extra-long weekend, beginning on Wednesday evening and ending on Sunday.

The Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally associated with an increase in traffic, and unfortunately, it often sees a surge in accidents and fatalities on the nation's roads. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), more than 500 people will die on the nation’s roads during this holiday weekend.

On November 17th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Department of Labor (DOL), announced a temporary rule that will make additional H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available next year. There will be an additional 64,716 H-2B visas available in 2024 for workers for American businesses that are in dire need of foreign national workers because they cannot keep up with current consumer demand. These industries include landscaping, hospitality, tourism, seafood processing, and other industries that rely on seasonal and temporary employees. If you have questions about this new program or any other immigration issues, contact an Illinois immigration lawyer for help.

What Are H-2B Temporary Visas?

H-2B visas are a temporary non-immigrant visa category that allows foreign nationals to work in the United States for a specified period, typically for seasonal or temporary jobs that cannot be filled by American workers. These visas are commonly used in industries such as the ones listed above, where there is often a shortage of domestic labor during peak seasons.

The H-2B visa program is divided into two types of workers: seasonal and one-time occurrences. Seasonal workers are typically employed for up to nine months per year, while one-time occurrence workers are hired for a specific, non-recurring event.

When COVID-era Title 42 restrictions ended in May, the Biden administration announced new regulations for migrants seeking asylum at the Mexican border. This announcement led to a lawsuit filed by advocacy groups to block the implementation of the regulation. This week, the case made its way to the federal appeals court. Given the unknown of how this lawsuit will be resolved and the complexities of U.S. immigration law, it is critical for anyone seeking asylum to have the legal guidance of an Illinois immigration lawyer.    

Court Case

The regulation makes the assumption that most of those migrants are ineligible for asylum because they failed to ask for protection from any of the other countries they passed through during their migration to the U.S. They are also ineligible if they failed to use legal pathways to enter this country.

In July, a federal judge blocked that order in a lawsuit filed by several advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The government appealed that ruling, and the regulation has been on hold while the case is pending.

Under Illinois law, an injured party can file a personal injury claim or lawsuit against the party who caused the accident or incident that resulted in those injuries. Financial compensation can include economic damages, such as medical expenses and loss of income, and noneconomic damages, including pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and permanent disability. These two types of damages are sometimes referred to as compensatory damages. In some cases, the injured party may also be awarded punitive damages.

Punitive damages are awarded when the jury or judge believes that the at-fault party's conduct was particularly egregious, reckless, or intentional. Unlike compensatory damages, intended to compensate the plaintiff for their actual losses, punitive damages serve a different purpose: to punish the at-fault party and deter similar conduct in the future. An Illinois personal injury lawyer can evaluate your case to determine if punitive damages may be a factor.

The following are some circumstances under which punitive damages may be awarded in a personal injury lawsuit.