Posted on June 28, 2021 in Personal Injury

Over the past couple of weeks, DuPage County has experienced several instances of severe weather, including thunderstorms, a tornado, and heavy rainfall with possible flash flooding. These dangerous weather conditions can not only cause damage directly, they can also indirectly lead to damage in a motor vehicle accident. If you have been injured in a car accident in wet or rainy conditions, you should determine whether a personal injury claim is possible.

Driving Hazards in Rainy Conditions

According to a recent study, even light rainfall contributes to the increased likelihood of a fatal car accident. Heavy rainfall can be even more dangerous, creating the following conditions that can lead to accidents involving death or serious injuries:

• Decreased visibility - A torrential downpour can greatly reduce the distance a driver can see in all directions, making it more difficult to notice and respond to accident hazards.

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 Posted on June 23, 2021 in Immigration

One of the factors contributing to the immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border is the influx of immigrants from Central America, including Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, who are seeking refuge. In recent months, the Biden administration has made various efforts to address this crisis. Most recently, the administration announced the reinstatement of the Central American Minors (CAM) program with expanded eligibility criteria. As a result, parents and legal guardians of children in Central America may have more options for securing their legal immigration to the U.S.

About the Central American Minors Program

The CAM program began during the Obama administration and allowed certain qualifying parents with Central American citizenship to apply for legal refugee status for their qualifying children. Since the program’s inception, parents were eligible to apply if:

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 Posted on June 17, 2021 in Family Law

Divorce can be tough on everyone involved, including your children. Your kids may be afraid that their family is falling apart and that they are partially to blame. As a parent, it is important to make your kids’ happiness a priority and do everything you can to help them through this stressful ordeal.

Here are a few tips for raising happy kids during and after your divorce.

• Reassure your kids that the divorce is not their fault. Unfortunately, many kids assume that their parents’ divorce is their fault. They may believe that if they had behaved better, their parents may still be together. That is why you should repeatedly tell your children that your divorce had nothing to do with them. Explain that you and your ex no longer get along, but that you still love them very much.

• Avoid badmouthing your ex. If you feel bitterness and anger toward your ex, it may be tempting to call him or her every name in the book. However, before you talk poorly about your ex, think about how it will make your children feel. Hearing negative comments about their parent can make your kids feel very uncomfortable and believe they have to choose sides.

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 Posted on June 09, 2021 in Immigration

In our last blog post, we discussed defense options and strategies for immigrants facing deportation or removal. Since then, an Illinois House Bill addressing immigration has passed in the state Senate and is awaiting review by Governor Pritzker. If the bill is ultimately approved, it could provide additional support to those facing immigration court proceedings in Cook County.

What Does House Bill 2790 Include?

The recently passed HB 2790 would update a section of the Illinois Counties Code that addresses the types of cases in which public defenders are able to represent defendants at no cost. Currently, Illinois public defender services are limited to cases in criminal and juvenile court. HB 2790 would expand their services to immigration court cases, including those involving deportation and removal, but only “in counties with a population over 3,000,000”. Based on the most recent census data, this only applies to Cook County, with DuPage County being the next closest at only 929,060.

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 Posted on June 09, 2021 in Personal Injury

In many cases, car accidents can result in serious injuries, such as broken bones, lacerations, internal injuries, and potentially even death in some cases. When a car accident results in an injury that puts financial strain on your family, you may be able to obtain financial compensation to help recover some of your losses through a car accident injury claim.

Types of Damages in Injury Cases

If you have been injured in a car accident, the first thing you must determine is whether or not the other party is at fault. The other party may be liable for damages if they violated their duty of care toward you, the violation caused you to sustain an injury, and that the injury caused you to sustain losses. Losses in personal injury cases can be both economic and non-economic and include damages such as:

• Medical expenses: You can request compensation for any medical expenses that you may have incurred as a result of the car accident. These costs may include emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, medical devices, rehabilitative care, physical therapy, and other medical costs.

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 Posted on June 03, 2021 in Family Law

For divorcing couples interested in resolving their divorce amicably and with minimal involvement of the court, mediation is often a viable method of alternative dispute resolution. Even in a contested divorce, the court will sometimes order the spouses to attempt mediation to resolve some of their agreements. Whether you are preparing for mediation voluntarily or by court order, it is important to know what to expect, including whether it is a good idea to hire an attorney for the process.

Mediators and Attorneys Play Different Roles

In mediation, you and your spouse will meet with a trained mediator who will help you reach an agreement on the various aspects of your divorce resolution, including property division, spousal support, child support, and the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time. Many mediators are also licensed attorneys who have a thorough understanding of the laws governing divorce proceedings in Illinois. However, their role in the mediation process is not to provide legal advice or advocate on behalf of either party. Rather, they must remain neutral and impartial, helping the parties identify common ground and make progress toward an agreement on their own terms.

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 Posted on May 24, 2021 in Immigration

If you receive a Notice to Appear (NTA) for a deportation or removal hearing, or worse, if you are detained by ICE, your ability to remain in the U.S. is under serious threat. However, your removal is not necessarily a foregone conclusion. With the help of an attorney, you may be able to obtain relief from removal, protecting you from hardship or separation from your family. It is important to understand what options you may have for avoiding deportation depending on the circumstances of your case.

Do I Have the Right to an Attorney at My Deportation Hearing?

One of the best things you can do to protect yourself from deportation is to hire an attorney who can help you understand your options and represent you at your hearing. You should note that an immigration hearing is not a criminal trial, and therefore, you do not have a constitutionally guaranteed right to legal representation. This means that if you want an attorney to be present, you need to be proactive about securing their services and telling the court that you want to be represented. Otherwise, you will likely have to face your hearing on your own.

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 Posted on May 20, 2021 in Personal Injury

Distracted driving has been a serious problem for the past several years, and one of the biggest culprits is texting or otherwise using a cell phone or mobile electronic device while behind the wheel. When a driver looks at a phone screen or types out a message, they lose vital seconds of attention to the road, during which an accident can occur.

Distracted driving is especially dangerous among drivers of large commercial trucks. Not only does it take longer to make adjustments or come to a stop when driving a truck, but if a truck accident does occur, the size and weight of the vehicle often causes severe injuries. Federal regulations and state laws are in place to deter cell phone use among truck drivers, and this can help your case for compensation if you are injured in an accident.

Handheld Cell Phone Use is Prohibited

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 Posted on May 17, 2021 in Family Law

In Illinois, minor children and disabled adults sometimes require court-appointed guardians to help them take care of their regular needs and manage their finances. Guardianship cases are handled in probate court, and they can involve many complicated issues, including competing claims and questions as to whether guardianship is necessary. In order to prepare for these complications, it is important to understand the fundamental issues at hand—namely, who will serve as guardian of the person and guardian of the estate.

Guardianship of the Person in Illinois

A guardian of the person is responsible for the person’s care. In a minor guardianship case, the guardian of the person has many of the same duties as a parent, including making sure the child has adequate food, clothing, and shelter; providing for the child’s hygienic and medical needs; taking responsibility for the child’s education and extracurricular activities; and making important decisions regarding all of these matters. A guardian of the person may be appointed for the short term, perhaps if the parents are temporarily unable to care for the child, or for the long term, perhaps after the parents’ death or abandonment of the child.

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 Posted on May 10, 2021 in Immigration

For many people, immigrating to the United States is an important step in pursuing a career opportunity or being with their family. However, immigrants who are parents must think not only of themselves, but also of their children, when it comes to taking the necessary steps to have their immigration petition approved. If you are trying to come to the U.S. with your children, it is important to understand how you can make this happen.

Children and Family-Based Immigration

One common option for bringing children to the U.S. is through family-based status. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents can petition for a Green Card for certain relatives who currently live outside of the United States, including spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21. If you and your child are trying to immigrate to the U.S. to be with your spouse who is also the child’s parent, your spouse will need to fill out a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, for each of you. If your spouse is not your child’s parent, you may need to wait until you have lawful permanent resident status to petition for your child.

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