Posted on July 02, 2014 in Family Law

Money and Marriage

Researchers who study marriage dynamics and the causes of divorce have focused most of their efforts on studying the effects that physical or emotional cheating have on a marriage. However, until recently, very little research had been done to study the effects that “financial infidelity” had on relationships. Financial infidelity occurs when one partner hides what he or she does with his or her money from the other partner. It could take the form of spending money behind the partner’s back, maintaining separate credit cards or secret accounts, stashing away money, or borrowing from others without the partner’s knowledge.

Research Studies

According to a National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) study conducted by Harris Poll in January 2014, one-third admitted to financial infidelity. Most notably, however, was that 76 percent of those adults said the infidelity had an effect on the relationship.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on July 02, 2014 in Personal Injury

Not Paying Attention

Officers are planning on aggressively issuing tickets to anyone who they discover is not paying proper attention to the road. It is an overall safety approach that will equally apply to all drivers they observe on the roadways. Their aim is to get drivers and others to focus on the streets. As a result, they will also be on the lookout for pedestrians who are not paying attention to where they are walking, since this can easily contribute to an accident and a dangerous situation.

One of the main infractions police will be looking for is handheld cell phone use including texting, which has specifically been against the law in Illinois since 2011; additionally in 2014 a law went into effect that made any handheld cell phone use illegal. There are many other acts that would constitute violations resulting in the enforcement of a penalty for distracted driving. Any action that diverts a driver's attention from the road is included. Other traffic offenses, such as seat belt violations and speeding, will also be closely monitored and ticketed when appropriate.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 28, 2014 in Personal Injury

Now that the school year has ended, many teens will likely participate in celebrations centered around graduations and summer vacation. These celebratory events often mean fun times with friends, but can unfortunately turn bad in an instant. It is important to note that teens with initial driver's licenses are required to abide by certain state laws in order to be in compliance with certain restrictions placed on such licenses. In addition, parental involvement and the supervision of others in positions of authority go a long way in monitoring teen's behavior and ensuring their safety.

Common Causes of Teen Driving Accidents

While it is true that any number of factors can lead to an accident, teens are generally more at risk of being involved in a crash than the average adult. They are obviously more inexperienced behind the wheel, but often teens choose to partake in other activities while driving that put them at a greater risk of having an accident. Such activities include cell phone use while driving, other forms of distracted driving, having too many passengers in the car, speeding, and drinking and driving, just to name a few.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 27, 2014 in Immigration

Removal proceedings are one of the most terrifying situations a person can experience, especially if you have family and friends in the United States. If your visa is expired or if you find yourself otherwise ineligible to stay in the U.S., there are steps you can take to make your life easier, even if you cannot stay in the country. Sometimes, your attorney may advise you to accept voluntary departure, to make things easier at a later date.

Voluntary departure is a process in which a foreign national voluntarily leaves the country, either without an order of removal being issued at all, or, if given the option, before a final order of removal is issued. It is an option for those who are appearing before an immigration judge, and do not think they will win the right to stay in the United States.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 27, 2014 in Family Law

Say the word "prenup" and many will immediately shudder. At best, it seems a tool for the rich and famous. At worst, it conjures images of a disposable marriage. The truth is neither. Prenups are for people with assets of any kind. Getting one only means that you are thinking about your future, and not necessarily thinking that your marriage will fail.

What is a Prenuptial Agreement?

Prenuptial agreements (also known as antenuptial agreements) are simply contracts made between two people before they marry. The agreement memorializes what will happen if the couple divorces or if one spouse dies before the other.

What Are the Requirements for Forming a Valid Prenuptial Agreement?

Illinois law allows married persons to enter into contracts with each other. This law sets the legal foundation for prenuptial agreements. If you look at the statute, you will notice that it is remarkably brief. It allows couples to create prenups. However, it does not say what the prenup can or cannot look like.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 26, 2014 in Personal Injury

Summer means vacations for many families across the nation, and Illinois certainly is no exception. Some may plan trips to visit friends or family while others head to a beach or a lake. No matter the destination, summer months will certainly be seeing an increase of traffic on the roadways. Any road travel comes with the risk of an accident, but that risk is likely to increase with more vehicles on the road. While drivers cannot always control other's actions, they can take steps to ensure their careful attention to the road while driving.

Safety Tips

No matter how near or far drivers travel this summer, it is important to follow proper safety precautions while operating a vehicle in order to avoid a possible accident. Some safety tips for drivers to keep in mind this summer include the following:

1. Maintain the safety of your vehicle. This includes everything from having your vehicle properly inspected and checked before heading out on the road, to packing the car in a responsible way to avoid blind spots and decreased visibility.

   Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 20, 2014 in Immigration

Sometimes an employer, especially in a highly specialized industry, needs to bring in a worker from outside the United States. One might think the worker would need to apply for a work visa on their own, but this is not the case. There is a specific type of visa that allows employers to sponsor skilled foreign nationals to come to the United States and work for them. Employer sponsored visas are becoming more and more common.

About 140,000 visas are available each year for skilled workers that can get sponsorship from employers. Once an employer gets a labor certification for that worker, they must file an I-140, a Petition for Alien Worker. This must be done in the appropriate employment category, of which there are five. The categories are:

• EB-1, or First Preference category. There are three subcategories: persons with extraordinary ability (for example, a Nobel Peace Prize winner or Olympic medalist), outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational managers or executives. Persons of extraordinary ability will file their own I-140s, and do not have to have specific job offers, as long as they are continuing to work within their field of achievement. The other two subcategories do need a job offer, and will have their employers file their I-140s. Specific criteria must be met for a worker to be granted an EB-1.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 20, 2014 in Family Law

Taking care of aging parents can be an incredibly stressful experience. It is not uncommon for it to take a heavy toll on you, your spouse, and even on your marriage. The married couple needs to strike a balance between their needs as a couple and the needs of aging parents.

Avoid the trap of overcaring, as one author puts it. This happens when well-intentioned loving people sacrifice their marriages in which they have invested years because they spent all their time and emotional energy on family caregiving responsibilities.

Below are some important tips for fostering your marriage while at the same time caring for your aging parents.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 19, 2014 in Personal Injury

Crashes involving tractor-trailers often have devastating consequences. Not only are the vehicles significantly larger than other cars on the road, but they are usually found on highways and freeways where they travel at an increased speed. What may be surprising, however, is that statistics show that more than 70 percent of accidents involving such trucks are the other driver's fault. This illustrates how important it is for drivers to do what they can to avoid accidents with tractor-trailers. The following safety tips can give drivers some direction as to how to properly navigate around trucks.

Safety Tips

Give truckers a lot of room. Drivers should avoid being too close to a semi for a number of reasons. Tire blowouts are common and can cause pieces of the tire to collide with nearby vehicles and may even make the driver begin to swerve. Windy conditions can also lead to trucks being blown around the road, and may cause them to become hard to control. Lastly, large trucks have a number of blind spots. It is best not to linger too long next to, very close behind, or very close in front of a tractor-trailer, since the truck driver may not even notice the car.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 17, 2014 in Personal Injury

A car accident can be caused by any number of factors. In some cases, causes of accidents are out of the driver's control. In other cases, drivers have control over the circumstances that may lead or have led to a crash occurring. Distracted driving is such a situation where all drivers have control over choosing to give their full attention to operating the vehicle and not partaking in any other activity that could take their attention from the roadway.

What is Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving occurs when a driver operates a vehicle in addition to performing another activity that distracts from the main task of driving. There are numerous factors that could take a driver's attention from the road, and therefore many activities can fall under the larger category of distracted driving. In fact, many states, including Illinois, have enacted laws to prevent drivers from taking part in some of the more common forms of distracted driving. Illinois' new law banning hand-held cellphone use while driving, which went into effect this year, is one example of such a law.

Continue Reading ››