Posted on September 13, 2021 in Estate Planning

A person’s last will and testament describes their final wishes and instructions regarding asset distribution to their heirs. In some cases, family members, other beneficiaries, or others who were close to a person may be unhappy about the decisions made in the person’s will, or they may believe that a will is fraudulent. During the probate process that takes place following a person’s death, a person’s heirs or potential beneficiaries may take legal action to challenge the person’s will. However, a will can only be contested in certain cases, and those who are involved in these types of cases will want to understand how these issues will affect them.

Grounds for Contesting a Will

While one or more of a person’s heirs may be unhappy about the choices made by their loved one, claims of “unfairness” or similar issues will usually not be a valid reason to challenge the person’s will. In most cases, wills can only be contested based on one of the following issues:

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 Posted on September 09, 2021 in Car Accidents

Commercial trucks are much larger and heavier than passenger vehicles, and when they are involved in collisions, victims are likely to suffer serious injuries. While there are many reasons that truck accidents occur, driver fatigue is a common factor in these cases. Drivers and passengers who are injured in collisions with semi-trailer trucks can work with an attorney to determine whether the truck driver and the trucking company that employed them can be held liable for the damages they have suffered.

Dangers of Truck Driver Fatigue

Drowsy driving is an all-too-common issue for people in the United States, and it is responsible for tens of thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths each year. Due to the long hours that they spend behind the wheel, truck drivers are especially susceptible to driver fatigue. Even if a driver follows the regulations that limit the amount of time they can drive without taking rests, they may still become drowsy, affecting their ability to control their vehicle and avoid collisions.

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 Posted on September 01, 2021 in Divorce

During the divorce process, not everyone is honest, and spouses sometimes attempt to gain a financial advantage by hiding money or property from their former partners. Sometimes this is out of malice because one party blames the other for the divorce and believes they deserve a smaller share of marital property. Other times, a divorcing spouse hides assets because they are worried that they will have to give up important items or simply because they are dishonest and selfish. However, spouses are required to divide all of their marital property fairly and equitably, and if a person believes that their spouse is attempting to conceal money or assets, they will want to uncover the property that was hidden. Divorcing spouses who have concerns about hidden assets should work with their attorney to bring this issue to the attention of the court and ensure that their spouse will be held accountable for these wrongful actions.

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 Posted on August 20, 2021 in Real Estate

Homeownership is an important goal for many people, and if you are considering buying a home, you will be looking to make one of the most significant and important investments of your lifetime. However, there are many complex financial factors involved in a home purchase, as well as a variety of legal issues that may arise during a transaction. If you are a first-time homebuyer, you will want to consider the following tips:

• Build and maintain a good credit score - Your credit score will affect your ability to obtain a mortgage as well as the interest rate on your loan. You can increase your credit score by paying bills on time and avoiding large credit card balances. You will also want to avoid doing anything that may decrease your credit score during the process of buying a home, such as closing credit card accounts, making major purchases, or taking out new loans or lines of credit.

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 Posted on August 05, 2021 in Estate Planning

As part of the estate planning process, a family may be looking to make sure they can help their loved ones provide for their needs. This is especially true for family members who have disabilities or other special needs, since they will often need assistance to make sure they will be able to cover their ongoing expenses. However, people with disabilities may also rely on government aid or public benefits, and in many cases, they will only qualify for these types of benefits if they have limited assets or income. This means that a gift of money or assets from a family member could make them ineligible for certain types of benefits. To avoid this issue, a family may be able to set up a special needs trust.

Resources That Affect SSI and Medicaid

Typically, people with qualifying disabilities can receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) through Social Security, as well as healthcare benefits through Medicaid. To qualify for these programs, a person must own no more than $2,000 in resources, including cash, funds in bank accounts, investments, or retirement savings. 

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 Posted on August 03, 2021 in Personal Injury

When you visit someone else’s property, including a commercial establishment such as a bar or nightclub, the property owner has a legal duty to protect your safety. If you are injured in one of these locations, you may be able to hold the property owner liable through a premises liability lawsuit. Inadequate or negligent security is one common reason that injuries may occur at a bar or nightclub. By showing that the owner of an establishment did not take the proper measures to ensure that patrons were safe from harm, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries and damages.

Injuries Caused by Negligent Security

In many cases, injuries at bars or nightclubs are intentionally inflicted by someone else rather than being accidental. When disagreements or arguments arise between patrons, bar fights may break out, and one person could seriously injure another, or an innocent bystander may be caught in the middle. To prevent these types of injuries, an establishment should have the proper security staff who are trained in how to prevent or break up fights, remove people who are aggressive towards others, and ensure that bystanders are not injured because of overcrowding or the presence of objects that could be used as weapons.

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 Posted on July 29, 2021 in Divorce

If you own a business, it is probably one of your most valuable assets. After putting years of time and effort into building your business, you will want to make sure you can continue to own and operate it, no matter what happens. Unfortunately, a business can sometimes be a tricky issue to address when couples get divorced. If your marriage has broken down, or if you want to address what will happen if you choose to get a divorce in the future, you will need to be sure to understand how the ownership of your business will be handled.

Business Assets as Marital or Separate Property

The first issue that business owners will need to address is whether their business is part of the marital estate. Typically, if a business was founded or acquired after a couple’s marriage, it will be considered marital property, even if only one spouse was involved in starting and managing the business. In these cases, the business will be part of the property division process, and both spouses will have an equal ownership claim.

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 Posted on July 14, 2021 in Personal Injury

When a person is injured because of someone else’s actions or negligence, they can be affected in multiple ways. Some of the damages that a person may experience can be easy to understand and place a monetary value on. For example, a car accident may result in medical bills and the need for vehicle repairs, and a person’s injuries may cause them to be unable to earn income while they are recovering. By detailing their expenses and the economic impact of their injury, a victim can pursue compensation for these financial losses. However, an injury may also result in emotional trauma, and a victim may also receive compensation for pain and suffering. During a personal injury case, it is important to work with an attorney to ensure that a victim will be fully compensated for all the damages they have suffered.

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 Posted on June 29, 2021 in Divorce

For any parent, one of their primary concerns is ensuring that they can provide for their child’s needs. All parents are required to support their children financially, and when parents are not married or living together, child support orders will need to be established. In these situations, which may involve parents who are getting divorced or unmarried parents who are separated, parents will want to understand how child support obligations will be determined.

Illinois’ Child Support Laws

For many years, child support payments in Illinois were calculated by taking a straight percentage of the paying parent’s income. While this was a straightforward method, it did not address the income earned by the recipient of child support, which could sometimes put the paying parent at a financial disadvantage. To address this, Illinois revamped its method for calculating child support in 2017, and the state now uses an income-sharing process that bases child support on both parents’ incomes.

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 Posted on May 25, 2021 in Business Law

Over the past year, many businesses have made accommodations in their workplaces to ensure that employees are safe from becoming infected with COVID-19. Due to the increased availability of vaccines, many people who have been working from home are beginning to return to work in person, and employers are taking steps to ensure that their workplaces are safe for employees. However, many employers are uncertain about their requirements related to COVID-19 vaccines for employees, so they should be sure to understand how the authorities in Illinois are addressing these issues.

Can Employers Require Employees to Be Vaccinated?

Currently, the State of Illinois is leaving decisions about COVID-19 vaccinations for employees up to the discretion of employers. An employer may require employees to be vaccinated, or they may allow employees to choose whether or not to receive the vaccine. However, if an employer requires employees to be vaccinated, they must compensate employees for the time spent obtaining the vaccine. Typically, an employer will provide paid leave while employees receive their first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

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