Empty court room

Enhancing Juror Engagement / Banning Social Media In The Courtroom

Starting July 1st 2012 Illinois jurors will be allowed to submit written questions for witnesses on the stand in civil trials. More than half the states, and all federal circuit courts, allow this practice; this rule, recently approved by the Illinois Supreme Court, offers another opportunity for jurors to actively participate in the trial. One […]

Upset couple

No-fault Divorces

Divorce is never easy but Illinois is one of more than 20 states that allow no-fault divorces as well as fault dissolution’s on the grounds of impotency, adultery, bigamy, desertion, cruelty or a felony conviction. Couples often seek a no-fault divorce but find that they have issues when it comes to the division of property. […]

Closeup of hundred dollar bills

Paying insurance on a vehicle though you no longer have a valid driver’s license.

Imagine that your elderly parent is still keeping her prized mint condition 1973 Buick Riviera in the garage. Unbeknownst to you she has also continued to pay the insurance on the vehicle though she no longer has a valid driver’s license. Her favorite seventeen year old grandson begs her to let him drive it around […]

Man texting and driving

The state of Illinois banned texting

Four years ago a taskforce led by Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State, unsuccessfully tried to persuade lawmakers to create broad restrictions on distracted driving. The state only banned texting while driving, and placed some limits on cell phone use, banning them in construction and school zones. Municipalities like Plainfield and Highland Park passed their […]

Construction worker

Tips For If You Are Injured on the Job

Make sure to notify your employer as soon as possible after your accident– Although the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act allows you forty-five days to notify your employer of your accident, the sooner the better. Keep a copy of the accident report form– If your employer requires you to complete an accident report form, keep a […]

Grass with flowers

Green Spring in Chicago

Two years ago, in the wake of the economic downturn, Chicago business owners were given a reprieve from the landscaping ordinances that required among other things replacement of chain link fences with decorative ironwork and planting trees and shrubs. The reprieve is up in June of this year. The council will have to weigh the […]

Boxes carried

Moving

With spring not far away, thousands of residents’ thoughts turn to moving to another apartment or home. According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, in the late 19th century, as many as one third of all families in Chicago moved annually. If you are considering a move this year, here are a few things to think […]

Injured construction worker

Occupational Safety and Health

Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to prevent workers from being killed or seriously harmed at work by requiring employers to sustain proper and safe workplaces free of danger for their employees. The Act created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (known as OSHA) to set and enforce protective workplace safety […]

Magnifying glass and fingerprints

Fingerprinting Your Child

While recent political discussions over fingerprinting as identification for public assistance programs have been in the headlines, there is one fingerprinting program that is universally welcome, that of fingerprinting children. Law enforcement, schools, religious institutions and community groups around the country have joined forces to fingerprint children as a means of identifying them should they […]

Person holding pills

Johnson & Johnson Recalls 12 Million Bottles of Motrin

Healthcare and pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) recently issued a recall of approximately 12 million bottles of its popular pain reliever, Motrin, due to concerns that the Motrin IB pills may not dissolve and begin working as quickly as intended, resulting in delayed pain relief, as the pills approach their three-year expiration date. The […]