Posted on May 29, 2024 in Personal Injury

Trucks can present countless dangers on the road. Whether the driver is negligent and crashes into someone, the engine parts are faulty and do not respond quickly enough to the brakes, or something the truck is transporting falls off the truck, the potential damage from an accident can be staggering. When a regular driver is minding his own business and suddenly a huge object crashes into his windshield, it can be extremely damaging and even fatal. Unfortunately, that is what happens when cargo is not properly secured onto a truck, and it is a major problem on the roads. If you were injured as a result of falling cargo from a truck, speak with a skilled Naperville, IL truck accident attorney who can review your case and advise you on how to seek maximum compensation.

What Makes Cargo Fall From a Truck?

Trucks carry cargo that is supposed to be secured with restraints like chains or straps so that it all stays in place while on the road. If something is not properly secured, it can shift inside the truck, causing it to swerve and possibly hit a nearby car. It could also fall out of the truck, creating an obstacle on the road for other vehicles.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 27, 2024 in Immigration

The Illinois DREAM Act is designed to help children of immigrants obtain higher education, even if they are undocumented. Receiving a scholarship and being able to start college can help you begin building a better life. Although the Illinois DREAM Act does not offer a path to citizenship, being a college student or a college graduate may eventually help you as you pursue legal residency. You should be aware that Illinois’ DREAM Act is different than the federal DREAM Act, which offers a path to citizenship for certain undocumented young people who entered the country as children. Many young adults and high school-aged minors residing in Illinois will qualify for some benefits under both. A DuPage County, IL immigration lawyer can help you apply for a DREAM Act scholarship.

How the Illinois DREAM Act Works

Any immigrant youth, regardless of status, can receive benefits under the Illinois DREAM Act. There are two ways the act can help immigrant students - you can receive a scholarship or participate in a college savings program, and you can get a driver’s certificate. A driver’s certificate is not the same as a driver’s license, but it can allow you to legally drive a vehicle in the state of Illinois.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 26, 2024 in Family Law

Fighting a divorce out in court — also known as litigation — can be costly and emotionally taxing. That is why litigation is usually a last resort in divorces. When a couple files for divorce and cannot agree on certain issues, the court will often order the parties to attend alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation.

Another form of alternative dispute resolution is collaborative law. A collaborative divorce is a private divorce process in which the spouses hire a team led by an attorney to work out the issues they disagree on. Depending on what those issues are, your team may consist of:

• A child specialist

• A divorce coach

• A forensic accountant

The goal is to reach a settlement out of court so that the divorce can be finalized by a judge.

How Does Collaborative Divorce Work?

In a collaborative divorce, your attorney works with your spouse’s attorney to negotiate a settlement. They have a series of meetings in which they try to work out the different issues and protect the interests of their respective clients. When necessary, the lawyer will bring in team members to assist. Unlike the attorneys, the team specialists are neutral parties.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 17, 2024 in Immigration

People who are preparing to take the naturalization test required to become a U.S. citizen are often very anxious about passing. It is quite normal to feel worried, as this is likely the most high-stakes exam you will ever take. Students are often very anxious about taking tests that come with far less serious repercussions should they fail. While the naturalization test may not be easy, it is designed so that most people who make an effort to study will be able to pass. There are classes you can take to help you prepare, or you can study independently using an online guide published by the federal government. A Lombard, IL immigration lawyer can help you determine whether you are ready to take the test.

How Many Questions Are on the Naturalization Test? 

On test day, you will only have to answer ten total questions. You must get six of the answers right in order to pass. There are 100 possible questions you could be asked. It is best to study all 100 questions and answers you might need to know so that you are well-prepared.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 15, 2024 in Personal Injury

In recent years, there has been increasing awareness of the dangers that professional athletes face due to the high risk of serious brain injury. The risk is heightened if you play a sport with a higher chance of repeated trauma to the head, like in hockey, wrestling, and football for example. The repeated hits to the head suffered by someone who has been playing a particular sport professionally for several years can lead to the development of what is known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which can result in severe disability. If a loved one suffered brain trauma that developed into CTE, speak with a knowledgeable Naperville, IL personal injury attorney with experience in similar cases to understand how to move forward.

What Happens When You Have CTE?

CTE is linked to repeated head trauma, and professional athletes are among the groups with the highest risk of developing it. This disease often gets worse over time and can even lead to dementia. There are four main stages of CTE, with the symptoms associated with these stages generally appearing between eight and ten years after the repetitive brain trauma. The stages are:

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 01, 2024 in Family Law

Parents who have had a teenager or preteen child living in their home know that kids this age tend to be secretive. Social studies suggest that this is a normal part of teenage development as children seek to create some distance from their parents and establish an independent identity.

Although this may be a normal stage of human development, most parents understandably have concerns about their children’s behavior during teenage years. This is especially true in the age of the internet and smartphones, where other teenagers and even adults can have direct access to children without parents being aware of it. 

These problems become more complex when parents get divorced. Even while married, parents often have very difficult ideas about how much privacy to give their children. After divorce, parents go their separate ways, and their parenting methods go with them. Unfortunately, this often leads to heated disagreements between parents as children move between different houses with different rules about internet and cell phone use and how much privacy the children can expect. Some parents might even find the other parent’s restriction of a child’s privacy to be abusive. 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on April 29, 2024 in Immigration

A child does not need to be born inside the United States or in one of its territories to become a natural-born citizen. If your child has at least one parent who is a United States citizen, there is a good chance that he or she can be granted citizenship at birth or based on one parent’s citizenship status. However, simply having one parent who is a U.S. citizen is not always enough. You will also need to prove that the parent with U.S. citizenship meets certain residency requirements. The requirements also vary depending on whether the child’s mother or father is a citizen and whether the child was born in or out of wedlock. A Lombard, IL immigration lawyer can help you determine whether your foreign-born child qualifies for citizenship.

Children of U.S. Citizen Fathers Born Abroad

If your child’s father is a U.S. citizen and you are not, you will need to prove a few things in order to gain birthright citizenship for your child. If you are present in the United States during your pregnancy, it may be better to remain in the country to give birth, as having your child on U.S. soil may give him or her an additional ground for birthright citizenship.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on April 25, 2024 in Personal Injury

Being injured in a pedestrian accident can be a traumatizing experience. You could be walking outside enjoying the fresh air, and suddenly, a car or truck strikes you down. Without the protection of a metal outer shell like a car has, a person is likely to suffer serious injury all over their body if they are hit by a car driving at full speed. The injuries could result in a very long and expensive recovery process including surgeries, therapies, and a great deal of time spent away from a paying job. If you were injured in a pedestrian accident, speak with a skilled Bloomingdale, IL car accident lawyer to hear about the options you have for recovering the related expenses.

What Can Happen if a Pedestrian Is Hurt in an Accident?

While all car accidents are different and there is no way to know what will happen in every incident, the following is a list of the most common injuries that pedestrians have been known to suffer following accidents:

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on April 24, 2024 in Family Law

Low-income families in Illinois can apply for financial assistance from the state. This help is given through the Temporary Assistance For Needy Families (TANF) program, which is run by the Illinois Department of Human Services. To qualify for financial benefits, you must:

• Be pregnant or live with a child under 19

• Live in Illinois

• Be a United States citizen or meet certain immigration requirements

If you share joint custody with your co-parent, the state will consider only one of you to be “living with the child” for the purpose of receiving benefits. This article will discuss what joint custody is and how the Department of Human Services will decide which parent is living with the child.

If you have any questions about your custody arrangement, speak with a qualified Illinois attorney who has experience in family law.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on April 12, 2024 in Immigration

Lawful permanent residency and U.S. citizenship are both legal statuses that allow you to remain in the United States indefinitely. However, citizens and permanent residents have different rights and privileges. It is easier to become a lawful permanent resident than to become a citizen but to retain your status as a permanent resident, you must be cautious about how often and for how long you leave the country. A citizen, however, may travel or live anywhere in the world without risking his or her citizenship status. Citizenship, once granted, is permanent. If you are unsure which status to pursue, a Bloomingdale, IL immigration attorney can help you determine whether becoming a lawful permanent resident or a citizen would likely be better for you.

Continue Reading ››