Posted on February 26, 2021 in Immigration

President Biden has signified since the first day of his presidency that immigration reform will be a high priority for his administration. The president has signed several executive orders and submitted a bill to Congress known as the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 that includes a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States. On February 18, this bill was formally introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. While passage of the bill is far from assured, its effects will be far-reaching if it is passed.

Implications for Undocumented Immigrants

If passed, the bill would allow undocumented immigrants who have been present in the U.S. starting on or before January 1, 2021 to apply for lawful prospective immigrant status. In order to qualify, applicants would need to pass a background check and pay necessary taxes and fees. Once granted, the status would last for up to six years, and could be renewed for additional terms.

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 Posted on February 24, 2021 in Personal Injury

Many victims of assault, sexual assault, battery, robbery, or other crimes are unaware of all of their legal options. Most realize that they may be able to report the perpetrator to the police, but they are unaware of the civil legal actions they may take. If you or a loved one were injured in a bar fight, mugging, or other violent act caused by inadequate security, you may be able to bring a premises liability lawsuit against the property owner or occupier. You may be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, physical pain, emotional and mental suffering, and more.

Insufficient Security Measures Can Lead to Avoidable Injuries

Businesses like restaurants, bars, nightclubs, retail stores, and apartment complexes cannot prevent every conceivable injury from occurring on the property. However, property owners are held to certain safety standards by law. Per the Illinois Premises Liability Act, property owners and property occupiers are required to exercise “reasonable care” to prevent avoidable injuries from occurring on their property. This includes taking reasonable steps to prevent crime and violent acts. What constitutes “reasonable care” is often difficult to determine. The level of security that a business needs depends on many different factors including the overall level of crime in the area and whether visitors to the property have been harmed by criminal acts in the past.

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 Posted on February 23, 2021 in Family Law

One of the most important things that divorcing couples should know is that the terms of a divorce resolution are legally binding. This means that violating them can have substantial legal consequences, in some cases including charges of contempt of court. If you believe that you may be facing such charges, an attorney can help you avoid them or defend against them.

What Happens When a Person is Charged With Contempt of Court?

Typically, contempt of court charges come about after one of the parties to the divorce files a petition for enforcement of the divorce order against the other party. This may happen after a person fails to pay court-ordered spousal maintenance or child support, or a party violates the terms of the allocation of parenting time or parental responsibilities.

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 Posted on February 08, 2021 in Personal Injury

According to the most recent data from the Illinois Department of Transportation, pedestrians are involved in less than 2 percent of all motor vehicle accidents, but more than 16 percent of all fatal accidents. In total, more than 150 pedestrians were killed and more than 4,500 were injured in Illinois in 2018. It is important to understand the causes of these accidents, both to try to reduce their number and so that victims know when they have a case for compensation due to a driver’s negligence.

Contributors to Pedestrian Accidents and Injuries

Pedestrian accidents can happen for many reasons, but certain factors are especially prominent both in Illinois and throughout the U.S. Some of these include:

• Environmental factors - In Illinois, the majority of pedestrian accidents resulting in injuries or fatalities occur in urban areas. Pedestrian injury crashes are fairly evenly split between day and night hours, but fatal pedestrian accidents are much more likely to happen at night, when there is less visibility.

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 Posted on February 05, 2021 in Immigration

On February 2, President Biden continued his executive action on immigration by signing three new executive orders, including one that addresses processing and eligibility criteria for those seeking asylum in the United States.. The order is part of what the Biden administration describes as a more compassionate and humane approach to the immigration system. It is important to understand the implications this order may have if you or a family member is seeking asylum to remain lawfully in the United States.

Changes to U.S. Asylum Policy

In large part, the president’s new executive order deals with the processing of asylum seekers at the Mexican border. The order provides for the review, termination, or revocation of several executive actions and policies instituted by the Trump administration. Perhaps most notably, it includes a direction to review and stop enrollment in the Migrant Protections Protocols program, which requires asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their case is processed. The order also states that health and safety concerns, including those related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, should be considered when processing asylum claims.

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 Posted on February 04, 2021 in Family Law

Most people are aware that when a couple gets a divorce, they will need to reach a resolution on important issues including the division of marital property and the allocation of parental responsibilities. However, there are many other implications of the divorce process that may not be immediately apparent. One such issue is continued health insurance coverage for a spouse or child.

This issue is of particular relevance now, when many families are struggling with health problems related to COVID-19, or the risk of contracting the coronavirus. If you are concerned about losing access to affordable health care at a time when you need it most, you may have even decided to delay your divorce or pursue a legal separation while remaining legally married. However, it is important to know that if you decide to move forward with your divorce, there are options for maintaining coverage.

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 Posted on January 26, 2021 in Personal Injury

If you have been injured in an accident with a large commercial truck, one of the most important things to determine is whether the accident was caused entirely by the actions of the truck driver, or if there were other contributing factors behind the scenes that may point to the negligence of other parties. One such factor in many truck accidents is cargo that has been improperly secured. An attorney who understands how loose cargo contributes to accidents can help you gather important evidence to support your claim and pursue all possible options for compensation.

How Does Loose Cargo Cause an Illinois Truck Crash?

A truck’s cargo load often weighs tens of thousands of pounds, and in order for a driver to safely transport this heavy cargo, it must be appropriately distributed throughout the trailer. Cargo that is not held securely in place can shift while the truck is on the road, throwing off the weight distribution and the truck’s balance. This can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle, in many cases leading to a rollover accident.

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 Posted on January 22, 2021 in Immigration

Since Joe Biden’s inauguration as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, he has already been busy with several executive orders that signal major policy changes from the previous administration. Several of President Biden’s orders have been directly related to immigration policy, and they may offer new hope to people who are seeking to immigrate to or remain in the U.S.

Biden’s Immigration Orders

President Biden’s early executive orders regarding immigration include:

• A lift of the Trump administration’s travel ban: This order revokes a 2017 order issued by the Trump administration that barred citizens of several countries, including many with predominantly Muslim populations, from acquiring visas. Biden’s order will resume application processing for these visas, potentially allowing citizens of these countries to legally immigrate to the U.S. provided that they meet eligibility requirements.

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 Posted on January 22, 2021 in Family Law

Since 2017, Illinois has used a calculation for determining basic child support obligations that factors in both parents’ incomes, as well as certain other criteria including parenting time and the number of children in question. This calculation often leads to a fair outcome that considers both parents’ responsibility to provide for their children, as well as their financial ability to do so. However, every family is different, and there are cases in which the calculation is not fully adequate to meet a family’s needs. In these cases, an Illinois court can deviate from the calculation to issue an appropriate order.

Reasons for Child Support Order Adjustments

A variety of circumstances may lead the court to make an adjustment to the basic child support calculation or use a different method for determining a parent’s child support obligation. Some possible factors that may be considered include:

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 Posted on January 11, 2021 in Personal Injury

Being injured in a car crash is stressful enough on its own, but it can be even more difficult when the driver responsible for the collision flees the scene, calling into question your ability to hold him or her accountable for your damages through a personal injury lawsuit. However, you do have options after a hit-and-run accident, and in many cases it is even possible to identify and locate the at-fault driver.

What Should I Do If I Am Injured in a Hit-and-Run?

Although the other driver may leave the scene after the accident, it is best for you to stay put and call 911. This can not only ensure that you get the immediate medical attention you need for your injuries, but also notify law enforcement so that they can come to the scene of the crash and create a report.

An officer may ask you and other witnesses for details regarding the circumstances of the accident, as well as any possible identifying features of the at-fault driver. Leaving the scene of a crash involving injury or death is a felony offense in Illinois, and law enforcement will often be motivated to investigate and apprehend the suspected offender. Any information you can provide regarding the appearance of the vehicle or the driver, the driver’s license plate number, or the direction in which the driver fled can help officers find the driver and notify you of their identity so that you can file a claim against them.

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