A guardian ad litem can play an important role in a contested child custody case. Depending on the state and…
The post What happens when a parent disregards a guardian ad litem’s recommendations? first appeared on Family Law Headquarters by Stange Law Firm.
The post What happens when a parent disregards a guardian ad litem’s recommendations? appeared first on Family Law Headquarters by Stange Law Firm.
Continue Reading What happens when a parent disregards a guardian ad litem’s recommendations?

Families who entrusted a loved one to South Chicago Chapel may have grounds to file a Chicago funeral home lawsuit after authorities discovered 57 bodies in various states of decomposition inside the Far South Side funeral home.  The disturbing discovery raises serious questions about negligence, the mishandling of human remains, emotional distress, breach of contract, consumer fraud, and the legal rights Illinois gives families over the disposition of a loved one’s body. The funeral home investigation is still developing, and the facts surrounding each decedent will matter. However, Illinois law does not leave families powerless when a funeral home interferes…
Continue Reading 57 Decomposing Bodies Found at Chicago Funeral Home: Can Families Sue? 

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has published statewide guidance on artificial intelligence use in schools. This guidance provides schools with a toolbox of instructional use rubrics, model policies, and implementation checklists. However, what it does not provide them with is a single, uniform Illinois model policy ready to adopt. This guidance was developed in response to Public Act 104-0399, which in 2025 charged the ISBE with “develop[ing] statewide guidance for school districts and educators on the use of artificial intelligence in elementary and secondary education.” 
School districts are directed to model templates and policies that they can use…
Continue Reading ISBE Has Issued 408 Pages of AI Guidance: What School Districts Need to Know

On Tuesday, Ankin Law once again took part in an event to help people in a northwest suburb get to know their first responders.  The Chicago law firm was a sponsor of Buffalo Grove’s “National Night Out” at Mike Rylko Community Park as hundreds came to meet the village’s fire and police departments.  This was one of many held around the nation on August 4th, with the celebration including a number of local businesses and vendors. Ankin Law has been a frequent sponsor of the event in Buffalo Grove throughout the years. Attorneys Matthew Friedman and Scott Goldstein, both residents of Buffalo…
Continue Reading Ankin Law Returns to National Night Out In Buffalo Grove

Ankin Law is investigating claims from people who developed cyclosporiasis after eating recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, including lettuce served at certain Taco Bell locations. The outbreak has sickened thousands of consumers across the United States. As of August 5, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had identified 6,358 confirmed illnesses, 278 hospitalizations, and two deaths across 15 states in the outbreak linked to the recalled lettuce. The investigation remains open, and those numbers may continue to rise. On July 16, 2026, two consumers filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Taylor Fresh Foods.  The class-action…
Continue Reading Ankin Law Is Investigating Cyclospora Cases Linked to Taylor Farms and Taco Bell 

49% of lawyers own their own law firms. Those law firms might be worth nothing. For lawyers who work in larger firms, 43% of them have equity in their firm. That equity is definitely worth something. These interests in law firms must be valued and possibly divided in an Illinois divorce. A Law Firm Is A Business, But It Is Not Just A Business A law firm has the potential to earn millions of dollars, employ many people, possess valuable receivables, and operate under an established name. It cannot, however, be valued exactly like a retail store, manufacturing company, or…
Continue Reading Valuing And Dividing A Law Firm In An Illinois Divorce

A jackknife truck accident can cause devastating injuries, extensive property damage, and lasting emotional trauma. Yes, if you were injured in a jackknife truck accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you can sue for compensation. Victims may recover damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, future medical care, rehabilitation costs, and other losses. Liability may extend beyond the truck driver to include the trucking company, cargo loaders, maintenance contractors, vehicle manufacturers, or other negligent parties.

In Chicago and throughout Illinois, jackknife truck accidents frequently occur on major highways such as I-90, I-94, I-55, I-290, I-294, and I-80, where…
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Kogut & Wilson attorney Karen A. VanderMeer has been appointed to the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) Family Law Section Council for the 2026 bar year.
The Family Law Section Council serves ISBA members practicing in divorce, parental responsibilities, support and other domestic relations matters across Illinois. The council monitors legislative and case law developments affecting family law practitioners, proposes amendatory language on relevant bills and contributes to the section’s newsletter and CLE programming.
On the council, Karen joins a select group of Illinois attorneys and judges committed to advancing family law and the administration of justice through a deeper…
Continue Reading Illinois State Bar Association Appoints Karen A. VanderMeer to Family Law Section Council

Summer of 2026 is upon us, and election season is kicking
off as spirited candidates, trusted election authorities, and municipalities
across Illinois seek to address a host of complex issues. Local election
officials and electoral boards have many responsibilities to make elections
happen, from processing nomination papers to convening quasi-adjudicative
hearings. Meanwhile, local governments must navigate the enforcement of
political sign regulations, electioneering laws, and the strict rules governing
the use of public funds in referenda.

To help listeners tackle these issues, Ancel Glink’s Erin Monforti and Katie Nagy revisit
classic insights from equity partner Keri-Lyn
Krafthefer and provide vital…
Continue Reading 108: Election Special!

The debate over the role of technology in classrooms is not new, but the pace and scope of legislative action recently has accelerated. These actions appear to be driven by growing concerns over student mental health.The Educational LandscapeAs of June 2, 2026, 38 states and the District of Columbia require school districts to ban or restrict students’ use of cell phones in schools. Many of these states, however, carve out exemptions for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or documented health needs, for emergency situations, and for the exercise of teacher discretion.The laws in eight states, including Delaware,…
Continue Reading Screening Screen Time: More States are Implementing Cell Phone Bans in K-12 Schools

Question: 
I am the founder and sole owner of a business litigation firm in Orlando, Florida. I am 72 and want to retire and exit the practice within the next year. My office lease expires next year and I am not willing to sign another lease. There is one associate attorney that has been out of law school and with me for two years. He has yet to try any cases. There is also one paralegal in the firm that has been with me for 20 years.
While it would nice to receive some value and monetization for the effort,…
Continue Reading Law Firm Sole Owner Succession and Exit – Top Challenges

In Fox v. DuPage Township, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected former employees’ First Amendment claim that they were terminated because they campaigned for an opposing candidate for election to government office. After an election that changed the make-up of township government, the township board voted to reorganize a senior center’s leadership, resulting in the termination of two employees from their employment at the center. They sued, claiming that they were terminated in retaliation for their campaigning for the township supervisor’s opponent in the election. The district court rejected their arguments and ruled in favor of the township, finding…
Continue Reading Employees First Amendment Retaliation Claims Rejected by Court

Sharing some blame for an accident does not automatically end a claim in Illinois. State law reduces compensation based on fault rather than wiping it out entirely, though there is one specific point where recovery does disappear completely.
Illinois Uses A Modified Comparative Fault Standard
Under Illinois law, an injured person can recover damages as long as their own share of fault stays below 51 percent. This standard is set out directly in the state’s civil procedure statute governing negligence claims, and it applies broadly across car accidents, premises cases, and most other injury claims. Once fault reaches that…
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Figuring out which insurance policy actually applies after a Lyft crash trips up a lot of people, and reasonably so. Illinois law ties coverage to exactly what the driver was doing on the app at the moment of the crash, which means the same accident can be handled very differently depending on small details.
Why Does A Driver’s App Status Change The Insurance That Applies?
Illinois regulates rideshare companies through the Transportation Network Providers Act, which sets tiered insurance requirements based on where a driver was in the trip process. A driver who is logged in but has not…
Continue Reading Rideshare Coverage Questions Answered