Posted on March 10, 2017 in Family Law

Couples who are in or nearing retirement are at serious risk for financial troubles if they decide to divorce. This is because, unlike younger folks, they do not have the time to earn back the money they may lose in the process. As such, it is critical that older couples plan carefully before deciding to file. The following covers some potential strategies, and explains how they can effectively mitigate the risk of costly mistakes often made during a gray divorce.

Take an Honest Look at Your Debts and Income

Because the potential for added income is limited as you near or enter retirement, it is crucial that you take an honest look at your income and debts before deciding to file. Not only does this help you understand what sort of situation you are up against, it can assist you in creating a viable strategy, moving forward. For example, if you find that your combined income and debts simply cannot be split without making sacrifices, you can decide, jointly, to sell the home, pay off your debts, and then divide whatever proceeds are left.

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 Posted on March 09, 2017 in Personal Injury

Commerce is driving the flow of goods at higher rates than ever. E-commerce, or-online sales, are increasing the journey of goods from warehouses for distribution all over the country. The vehicles transporting these goods—massive tractor trailer trucks—are sharing the roads with everyday drivers—busy moms, teen drivers, senior citizens and school buses.

However, the sheer weight of these trucks can be problematic. When a truck is not properly loaded, a hazardous driving condition can be created due to an uneven load.

If you have been involved in an serious truck accident and suspect the driver was driving in a dangerous manner, contact a truck accident attorney who can assist you in seeking compensation for injuries and damage you have suffered.

Dangerous Truckers

There are several scenarios where truckers put lives at risk on the road and may include the following:

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 Posted on February 27, 2017 in Family Law

While some married parents choose to divorce, others decide to separate. For some, this is a transition into divorce. For others, it is a chance to determine if divorce is truly the right path. Whatever the case or reason, parents who legally separate have the right to pursue child support. Learn more about this process, and how an experienced family law attorney can assist you, with help from the following information.

How Legal Separation Differs from Divorce

Unlike divorce, which is a complete severance of the marriage, legal separation does not legally end the marriage. Instead, it is a process through which couples develop a formal arrangement while living apart. Married couples do not need this arrangement to live apart, but many choose to pursue this legal documentation anyway. It gives the disadvantaged party the right to pursue financial assistance, including a request for child support and/or alimony (whenever appropriate). It also offers additional benefits above and beyond financial matters.

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 Posted on February 22, 2017 in Immigration

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a law originally passed in 1994, under President Clinton, and has been reauthorized multiple times up until 2013. It is one of the most commonly used methods by immigrants who have been abused to obtain status in the United States. However, in recent weeks, the incoming federal administration has indicated that it might make significant cuts to VAWA’s grant funding, which may cause significant issues for immigrants who rely on it.

Current Application Procedures

As of this writing, VAWA offers a way for immigrants, who have been abused by a qualifying family member, to obtain valid immigration status independent of that family member. Most petitioners are women. However, despite the title of the Act, anyone may apply if he or she meets the criteria, regardless of gender.

The Act itself is permanent—its provisions do not require congressional re-authorization. Still, VAWA’s funding does require re-authorization every few years. Therefore, sometimes the programs and grants offered under the program will vary or have limited ability to affect its recipients.

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 Posted on February 22, 2017 in Personal Injury

In 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 998 deaths attributable to car accidents in Illinois. Of those, 369 fatalities were related to speeding. This means that one out of every three fatal traffic accidents is caused by speeding.

Speed Limits in Illinois

Unless otherwise posted, the speed limits in Illinois are:

• 65 mph for interstate tollways, freeways, and some four-lane highways;
• 55 mph for most other highways and rural areas;
• 30 mph for city/town areas;
• 15 mph for alleys; and
• 20 mph for school zones.

Additionally, some rural highways have a speed limit of 70 mph.

Why Does it Matter if Speeding Caused My Accident?

In every accident, the person who filed the lawsuit must prove fault. One way to prove fault is to determine if one of the cars involved broke any traffic laws at the time of the accident. Your case will be much easier to prove if you have evidence that the party accused of fault was speeding.

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 Posted on February 20, 2017 in Family Law

Baby boomers - or those that are nearing retirement age - are setting a major trend in the divorce arena. Amidst declining divorce rates for most age groups, late-life divorce rates have doubled over the last two decades. Most feel confident about their decision, and many separate on surprisingly good terms. Yet there are still risks associated with these late-term divorces. One of the biggest is the potential for a financial disaster for one or both parties. If you are planning on filing for divorce, the following information can help you understand how to reduce this risk.

Divorce is More Complex Than Most Realize

While most couples have gone through at least one major financial transaction in their lifetime, moving to another state or purchasing a new home pales in comparison to divorce because. Divorce touches every aspect of your life. It can impact your credit and ability to obtain financing. Your car insurance policy, health insurance policy, and renters/homeowners insurance must be changed. Bank accounts, retirement accounts, and other financial accounts are impacted as well. Depending on whether you plan to go through a name change, you may even be changing your driver’s license, social security card, and other legal documents. Indeed, divorce is likely the most complex financial transaction in existence.

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 Posted on February 16, 2017 in Personal Injury

One of the most traumatic life events is being involved in a car accident. Motor vehicle accidents take many forms, including the all too common fender bender and accidents involving excessive speed or impairment which can lead to high speed collisions or side impact accidents. Whichever type, car accidents can cause injuries and long term pain and suffering.

Rear-end accidents are no exception, and the injuries sustained by the impacted driver can be serious. The National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration reported that 28 percent of all crashes are rear-end collisions. This demonstrates how prevalent rear-end collisions are and how many negligent drivers share the roads with you.

If you were the victim of a rear-end collision caused by a driver who was not acting in a reasonable manner, you may be entitled to compensation—a monetary award for your injuries. Speaking with a respected personal injury attorney should be your first step in determining if you have a viable case.

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 Posted on February 13, 2017 in Family Law

Parentage is the legal relationship between a child and their parents - both mother and father. Of course, parentage issues usually address matters relating to the father since, in the state of Illinois, paternity is not assumed when the parents are not married. Still, there are issues pertaining to mothers addressed under the Illinois Parentage Act. The following explains further, and provides details on establishing paternity, your rights as a parent, and how to address child support issues.

Understanding Your Rights as a Parent

Under the Illinois Parentage Act, every child’s right to receive mental, physical, and emotional support from each parent. From this, parents can conclude that their rights are, in actuality, privileges. Further, these rights are not in place to benefit the parent; they are there to protect the best interest of the child. Yet the best interests of the child and the rights of the parent do intersect. A child’s right to receive physical and emotional support from each parent provides the father with the right to pursue parenting time and allocation of parental responsibilities, and the child’s right to receive financial support from each parent gives a supporting parent the right to pursue child support.

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 Posted on February 10, 2017 in Immigration

On January 27, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13769, entitled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States.” The executive order instituted a number of changes to the nation’s policies and procedures regarding immigration and banned individuals from seven specified countries from entering the United States. The order—which has become known as a “travel ban”—prohibited entry into the U.S. for aliens from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for a period of 90 days.

According to reports, thousands of legally-issued travel visas were canceled immediately, and hundreds of travelers from these countries were denied entry. Some were even detained by immigration authorities. Within days, Washington state filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, claiming that the executive order was illegal and unconstitutional and asking for a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would halt the order’s enforcement. Last week, a federal judge granted the TRO finding that the travel ban was likely to be proven unlawful. The federal government filed an emergency appeal asking for the TRO to be lifted.

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 Posted on February 09, 2017 in Personal Injury

Sidewalks are frequently used in large metropolitan cities and communities. Moreover, if you shop at a stand-alone store, a strip mall, or even a large scale mall, you are likely to traverse a sidewalk somewhere on those premises.

While you may take for granted the bee-line to get into a store, you are at risk for serious harm if the business owner does the same and neglects to maintain his or her premises. Land owners must keep their sidewalks in a reasonable safe condition—a condition that would not cause injury to a pedestrian. If sidewalks are not kept safe, owners may be held accountable for injuries caused by unsafe conditions.

If you have been injured on a defective sidewalk, contact an experienced premises liability attorney to assess your rights and how to proceed further to potentially receive compensation for your injuries.

The Expectation of Safety

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