It's that time of year when everyone starts coughing. Sometimes a fever sets in. Bones get achy. And you simply don't want to get out of bed, especially if it is a child who doesn't need to get out of bed. But while your child is resting, the day comes to change homes – you are divorced and share...
If you are going through a divorce, then you may wonder who has the capability to learn about the details of your divorce, especially if you have children and/or high net worth. You may be surprised to learn that just about anyone can access your divorce records. The reason divorce records are ...
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is serious. A first-time DUI offense may not seem comparatively too consequential, but a second one or third one can add up and lead to heightened penalties. To make matters worse, if you were allegedly driving under the influence and then get into ...
The New York Times just published a thorough review of what experienced DUI defense attorneys have already known in Illinois and throughout the United States: breath tests don't work. They aren't reliable. They produce inaccurate results. They shouldn't be used as evidence. But what's worse: the...
So, imagine this scenario: you are driving along the Will Rogers Highway, following the rules of the road, up until you mechanically change lanes without signaling before doing so. There happens to be a police officer and it happens to be in the middle of the night. The sirens go on. You hesitate...
The Chicago Sun-Times reported two persons (27-year old Marko Boskovic and 26-year old Laura Uribe) were killed in Clarendon Hills after a head-on collision with another vehicle. Another victim remains in critical condition. The male driver, Juan Rodea-Cruz, 25 years old from Humboldt Park, of th...
Halloween is a holiday not just for kids but adults, too. It's a fun holiday when we can dress up and play the role of monsters and vampires and celebrities or the like. Plus, all sorts of candy and treats abound. But it's not a holiday for which anyone takes a day off. For that reason, not man...
You hear people say it all the time: assault and battery. It's as though they two things is one term, and, as such, one charge. But they aren't. Assault is a separate charge from battery. You can be charged with both simultaneously or you may be charged with only one. Here's an overview of the d...
This month, Cuba Gooding Jr. faced new charges of sex abuse. At his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, Gooding pleaded not guilty to additional charges of sex abuse – he has already pleaded not guilty to one count of sex abuse in the third degree and one count of forcible touching – both of...
An arrest for any criminal activity in Illinois may make people suspicious of whether you actually committed the offense or not, but in Illinois as elsewhere in the United States: you are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That means, or is supposed to mean, you cannot be pun...
If you are married and have children, you probably get to see your children on a daily basis. But when a couple divorces, that reality changes and a parenting plan is put in place to designate parenting time (formally referenced as custody or visitation). Your new reality – one where you see yo...
Many family members, particularly parents and spouses, assume they automatically become the guardian when a spouse becomes incapacitated or an adult child is disabled due to: physical incapacity; developmental disability; mental deterioration; or mental illness. Other reasons a guardian ...
Divorce is a hugely emotional experience. Bitterness and anger are prominent feelings alongside sadness and regret. It is good to keep these emotions in check and balanced so you can think logically and respond accordingly. But sometimes, one spouse loses it and begins the unthinkable: lying – an...
"To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part" doesn't seem to be the norm today. It ends often like until irreconcilable differences do us part. Consider that in 2016, according to the data provided b...
Most people believe you have to be convicted of a sex crime in order to be required to register as a sex offender in Illinois. Registration is both time-consuming and detrimental to the quality of your life because it means having: to register annually; to inform law enforcement every time yo...
Having a child is a beautiful thing... but it can be really expensive. Both parents must share the financial burden of raising their children. This is true whether or not you were ever married. When you file for child support, time transpires as you wait for the court to issue an order. In the ...
The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act was signed on June 25, 2019, and on January 1, 2020, adult consumers (persons 21 years or older) will be able to purchase marijuana in limited quantities from licensed sellers in Illinois. Though the legalization of marijuana is long overdue, there are some imp...
There are rumors or claims that your vehicle will be seized by the Chicago police after you are arrested for a DUI. These so-called rumors have some truth to them. To clarify when the police may seize your vehicle (as opposed to having a sober friend or family member drive the vehicle home or imp...
Imagine you are a cashier at any given restaurant or store and throughout your shift, you slip a dollar into your pocket here and there. You continue to do this for several weeks and maybe months until you are finally caught. Now imagine you are the manager of the same restaurant or store and at...
On January 1, 2020, you will be able to purchase marijuana legally for recreational purposes in Illinois. Already, more than a handful of medical dispensaries have been approved to sell recreational marijuana. Just over 100 dispensary locations may be made available in 2020 though there will like...
It is happening far too frequently today across the nation: not just your typical police abuse but unnecessary fatalities due to police shootings. Friends and families of loved ones have suffered enough, and finally, one state has taken action: California. Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed in...
Gun ownership is again at the forefront of the news now. What happened in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, over the course of 24 hours on August 3rd and 4th, has nothing to do with your Fourth Amendment right to own and use a gun. Even though some government representatives are calling for more ...
Your dog and cat or other house pet are increasingly becoming bonafide members of the family. This is true throughout Chicago and the metropolitan area. But the cultural change isn't materializing in Illinois alone but throughout the United States. And it isn't new news either but has been a topi...
The divorce is happening, and now you have to provide all financial information for the purpose of dividing all your assets and financial accounts. The only problem is this: when couples begin to fight, they also begin to hide things – often in anticipation of a divorce. They become greedy and bi...
You got into an argument that went a little too far with your spouse, child, roommate – whoever it was, it was someone close to you domestically. The cops are called and you find yourself arrested. It was a fight and everyone is sorry but the cops – they don't care if the so-called victim doesn't...