Posted on November 03, 2014 in Family Law

A survey published by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) shows a significant increase in the use of evidence taken from smartphones and social networking websites in matrimonial litigation. Men and women have become more attached to their social media websites and smartphones, and matrimonial litigation has reflected this attachment with the increased use of this information being put under the microscope.

Not only has this information been exploited more often, but new spying gadgets and technology have made it easier for spouses to collect evidence prior to obtaining a divorce. The use of this type of spying and surveillance is generally invoked when there is a fear of infidelity or a concern of marital assets slowly disappearing into hidden accounts.

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 Posted on October 30, 2014 in Personal Injury

October's holiday theme traditionally includes scares and spooky characters, and many children of all ages come out Halloween night to enjoy the festivities. However, with so many people—children, teens, parents and pets—out on the street to partake in the holiday, some safety concerns are warranted and worth addressing in order to keep everyone safe on Halloween.

Pedestrian Dangers

Parents often worry about dangers their children may face when trick or treating. Talking to strangers or receiving tainted candy are just a few of the concerns parents may have as children venture out on Halloween night. However, a recently published article suggests there may be more realistic, and more common, dangers in which to worry. Specifically, those who are out and about on the night of October 31st are generally at greater risk of being involved in a collision with a vehicle than encountering any of the other dangers previously mentioned.

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 Posted on October 29, 2014 in Personal Injury

Personal injury cases involve many factors about which members of the general public may not be aware. Specifically with car accident cases, much work and behind-the-scenes preparation goes into the investigation and evaluation of the case by professionals on multiple levels, long before the case ever goes to trial or is looked at by an accident and injury attorney. Often, the collection of information begins almost immediately after an accident occurs.

Police Investigation

Besides the parties themselves and any eyewitnesses to the incident, police officers are often the first to arrive on the scene of an accident. The police are usually called by one of the parties involved in the accident, or by someone who witnesses it occur. If someone is injured or even thinks he or she may have been injured in an accident, it is always a good idea to call the police to obtain a police report of the accident, have the incident investigated, and begin building a record in case a lawsuit follows. A police officer's investigation into an accident, particularly if the accident resulted in serious injury or loss of life, is an important step in the legal process and may significantly contribute to the success or failure of a personal injury case.

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 Posted on October 28, 2014 in Family Law

In the United States, there is a firm commitment to keeping religion out of its legislative affairs. All religious issues are generally tempered by standards that the Supreme Court has set to help balance religious ideas against secular interests. However, in situations of the family, where religion is closely tied to the concept of the family, the lines become more blurry. Divorce and religion, for example, are generally two concepts that are mutually exclusive, especially in the Judeo-Christian ideology. But where does religion and the law meet? How can the law be utilized in family issues arising in a religious home?

Jewish Divorce: The Getting of the Get

Recently, family law practitioners have been attempting to intervene in Jewish divorces. Though not necessarily encouraged in Judaism, the religion anticipates the possibility that divorce may be a necessity. Jewish marriages are commenced by a marriage contract, known as a ketubah, which defines the responsibilities of the husband to the wife. In the Jewish religion, a wife cannot independently divorce her husband; her husband must provide her with a get, which voids the marriage contract and releases the wife from the marriage. Though this has a similar foundation as the divorce procedures currently in place in the secular world, the difference is that there is no process in the Jewish world by which a wife may force her husband into providing her with a get, thus leaving her at the mercy of a potentially spiteful husband. Married women who are trapped within the marriage are known as agunot.

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 Posted on October 24, 2014 in Immigration

In discussing immigration, it has become common to bring up the two million deportations statisticians claim are at the feet of the Obama administration. However, some do call that statistic into question, on both sides of the political spectrum. This becomes particularly true when one examines a curious trend: arresting people attempting to leave the United States. Do these arrests count in the overall deportation statistics? Why or why not?

The Situation at the Border

Currently, along the country’s southern border, vehicles and people are often searched to ensure they are not taking out anything that requires reporting to authorities—most commonly, currency in excess of $10,000. Sometimes, people carrying that amount are doing so for nefarious purposes, such as muling for Mexican cartels; such mules have been stopped before at the border, especially in Nogales, Arizona, and in El Paso.

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 Posted on October 24, 2014 in Personal Injury

Even though much of the warmer weather is over for this year and the colder winter season is approaching, the topic of road safety is still on the minds of many people in Chicago. And it is no wonder since the traffic on the city streets is composed of cars, buses, bicycles, pedestrians, and additional forms of transportation.

A recent article discussed the fact that some major newspapers often publish pieces that may be considered by some to be anti-bicyclist and anti-pedestrian. However, recently the Tribune ran a piece with a noticeably less harsh view toward bike riders and walkers, and instead advocated a position that everyone who uses the roadways is responsible for knowing the rules of the road and promoting safety.

Sharing the Streets

The piece referenced in the article focused on the need to share the road from a pedestrian's point of view. The author shared a personal experience that he, a pedestrian, had with a bike rider who almost ran him over despite the fact that the rider had a red light at an intersection, and where the author had a walk signal. The real emphasis was that bike riders pose a threat to pedestrians and that they should be aware of, and be expected to, follow traffic safety laws appropriately.

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 Posted on October 22, 2014 in Personal Injury

Law enforcement officials and state agencies take multiple actions in an attempt to make roadways safer for all drivers. One way roads are made safer is through the enforcement of traffic rules and regulations. Illinois, like a significant portion of other states, employs the use of red light cameras to spot certain motorists' infractions and charge them with the appropriate violation. According to a recent news article the legality of using such cameras was challenged in a local Illinois court.

Challenging Red Light Camera Programs

A legal challenge was brought to the use of red light cameras by a motorist in DuPage County Circuit Court. The driver was aiming to get the program re-examined at the least, and hopefully terminated altogether. The driver was ticketed on two separate occasions for allegedly making a left-hand turn at an intersection after the left-turn arrow at the traffic signal switched from yellow to red. One incident supposedly occurred on May 6th, while the other is said to have taken place on June 11th.

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 Posted on October 21, 2014 in Family Law

Social media has entered our lives and has revolutionized the way we communicate and interact with each other. Though we tend to glorify the extent that social media has changed our lives, we sometimes forget to recognize the pitfalls of social media and its negative effect on the choices we make.

As consistent users of Facebook and other social media websites, we review our news feed and evaluate our lives in comparison to what others are doing. This effect has been analyzed and published in a recent study that discusses the effect of social media on marriage and divorce rates.

The study explores whether and how divorce may be spread through social media; the study ultimately finds that there is a correlation (not to be mistaken with causation) between social media and the divorce rates. The current rates of divorce show that 43 percent of marriages will be dissolved and the dissolution will occur within the first 15 years of the marriage.

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 Posted on October 17, 2014 in Immigration

In our post-September 11 world, the process for obtaining a U.S. visa has become increasingly complex. Requirements are far stricter, and more information is collected than ever before. In order to prevent the likelihood of future terrorist attacks, biometric data is now collected with every immigrant and non-immigrant visa petition. However, many people remain confused about what biometrics exactly are, and why they are useful.

Biometrics involves the analysis of biological data, usually for the purposes of identification. The science of biometrics is held out as a safe and convenient option for identification. It was adopted by the U.S. government as a security measure in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Most immigration applicants must appear at a biometrics interview, where fingerprints and other data are taken and checked against the FBI’s watch lists.

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 Posted on October 17, 2014 in Personal Injury

Despite warnings, laws, and police officer's best efforts, many drivers still use their cell phones when operating a vehicle. While some instances of cell phone use while driving can be described as nothing but negligent, or even reckless, other situations may properly call for the appropriate use of a mobile device while traveling on the road. Recognizing this fact, a popular insurance company's website offers some tips for drivers to be aware of for safely using a cell phone while driving.

Safety Tips for Using a Cell Phone

While it is always primarily advisable to avoid taking on a cell phone while driving, at times it may be unavoidable or even necessary to do so. In those instances, it is important to take proper precautions so that cell phone use is done safely. Some cell phone safety tips to follow while on the road include the following:

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