A company leased property in unincorporated Kane County intending to develop a solar farm. After the company applied for a special use permit from the county, the city council approved a resolution protesting the application and representatives of the city, as well as others, objected to the application at the county ZBA hearing on the application. Ultimately, the county board approved the special use permit, and shortly thereafter, the city adopted an ordinance to forcibly annex the subject property and adjacent parcels. The annexation ordinance stated that the property was “wholly bounded” by the city based on a previous voluntary…
Continue Reading In the Zone: Appellate Court Addresses Annexation Challenge in Solar Farm Case

Janssen Prods., L.P. & Pharma Mar, S.A. v. EVER Valinject GmbH, et al., Slip Op, 24 C 7319 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 21, 2025) (McNally, Mag. J.).Magistrate Judge McNally denied defendants’ motion to issue letters of request under the Hague Evidence Convention seeking documents and depositions from three foreign inventors and a Netherlands research institute related to the asserted patent.Applying the comity analysis recognized in Aerospatiale and its progeny, the Court found the proposed letters lacking on multiple fronts:

  • insufficiently tailored to issues of infringement and validity;
  • overly broad and vague (including sweeping requests about undefined “foreign counterparts” and “any”

…
Continue Reading Magistrate Judge McNally Denies Hague Evidence Requests in ANDA-Style Patent Case; Emphasizes Comity, Specificity, and Alternatives

If you’re adopting a child from their biological parent, it’s important to understand how much that parent’s wishes can impact the process. This could be to help your own anxieties about the adoption going smoothly. It can also help you know how to respond if the biological parent has a sudden change of heart with regard to you adopting their child. 
A Chicago family law attorney can help you with any questions about the adoption process you may have in 2026.
Does a Biological Parent Have to Consent to an Adoption in Illinois?
Under the Illinois Adoption Act (750 …
Continue Reading Can a Biological Parent Stop an Adoption in Illinois?

If you have an arrest or criminal charge on your record in Illinois, expungement can be one of the most powerful tools available to clear your past and move forward with confidence.

While Illinois allows individuals to file for expungement on their own, many people quickly realize that the process is more complicated than it seems. A single mistake can delay your case or result in a denial.

The expungement attorneys at The Davis Law Group, P.C. regularly help clients successfully clear their records, and we have seen firsthand why hiring an experienced expungement lawyer can make a significant difference.
Continue Reading Why Hiring a Lawyer for Expungement in Illinois Is a Smart Investment

It is common for couples to divorce between their 20s and 40s. That said, more and more couples are choosing to end their marriages later in life. This trend is known as gray divorce. People who choose gray divorces are typically 50 and older, and the numbers are striking. According to the National Center for Family and Marriage Research, nearly 40 percent of people getting divorced are age 50 or older. 
If you are considering a divorce later in life, a Wheaton, IL divorce attorney can help you understand the unique legal and financial factors involved. 
Why Are So…
Continue Reading Why Do Some Couples Divorce Later in Life?

Buying real estate is one of the biggest purchases many people make. It is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming, especially when you want to make sure you are not walking into a property with serious hidden problems. Wisconsin has a law designed to protect buyers in exactly this situation.
Under Wisconsin Statute § 709.01, sellers of residential real estate in Wisconsin must give buyers a written property condition report before an offer is accepted. This law exists so buyers have honest information about the property before they commit to buying it.
Understanding how the property condition report…
Continue Reading What Should Buyers Know About Wisconsin Property Condition Reports?

Losing your driver’s license after a DUI is difficult enough on its own. When multiple convictions are involved, getting it back becomes significantly more complicated. Each additional DUI conviction brings new requirements, longer waiting periods, and a higher standard to meet before the state will consider restoring your privileges.
According to the Illinois Secretary of State, drivers with multiple DUI offenses must attend a formal hearing to have their driving privileges reinstated, and four or more DUI-related arrests can result in a lifetime revocation. If you are dealing with this situation in 2026, an Elgin, IL DUI defense lawyer…
Continue Reading How Multiple DUI Convictions Affect License Reinstatement in Illinois

Why DIY Deeds Seem Appealing—but Often Backfire

Many people want their home to pass smoothly to their children or loved ones without going through probate—the court process for distributing a person’s assets after they die. One common strategy is adding someone else to your property deed so the house transfers to them automatically at death.
But while this may sound simple, do‑it‑yourself deeds are one of the most common sources of estate headaches. A small mistake can invalidate the deed, cause costly delays, and even send your property to someone you never intended. At Rincker Law, we regularly help families…
Continue Reading DIY Property Deeds Can Cost You | Avoid Probate Mistakes

Property that is deemed non-marital in an Illinois divorce cannot be divided. But, what if that property has increased in value during the marriage? Does the increase in value during the marriage make the property marital? Is the increase in value, itself, marital property because it came into existence during the marriage? Under 750 ILCS 5/503(a)(7), the increase in value of non-marital property remains non-marital, regardless of what caused the increase. However, the marital estate may be entitled to reimbursement under 750 ILCS 5/503(c)(1)(A)(ii) if marital funds or a spouse’s personal effort contributed to that non-marital asset’s appreciation. This reimbursement…
Continue Reading Appreciation of Non-Marital Assets in Illinois Divorce: Who Gets the Increase in Value?

The Complete Guide to Personal Injury Claims in Illinois

A straightforward, experience-backed guide from a Chicago firm that has been fighting for injury victims since 1945.

Introduction: Why We Wrote This Guide

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured because of another person’s carelessness, you are probably overwhelmed. Medical bills are stacking up. You might not be able to work. Insurance adjusters are calling. And you have no idea where to start.

We created this guide because we believe information is the first step toward justice. At Phillips Law Offices, we have spent more than 76 years…
Continue Reading The Complete Guide to Personal Injury Claims in Illinois: What You Need to Know

An 80,000-Pound Problem Most Lawyers Don’t Know How to Handle

Picture this: It’s nighttime on an Illinois interstate. A curve in the road ahead. A tandem trailer, the second one, has come uncoupled from the rig in front of it. No lights. No flares. No reflectors. It’s just sitting there, resting on the edge of the travel lane, invisible in the dark.

A truck driver is heading home. He’s a family man, the kind of guy who opens his house to homeless families during the holidays. He never sees the trailer. The impact kills him instantly.

His family fought for…
Continue Reading Why Trucking Accidents Are Far More Complicated Than a Car Crash: What Illinois Victims Need to Know

Phillips Law Offices · Chicago, Illinois · Founded 1945Based on Episode 2 of Navigating Negligence, the Phillips Law Offices podcast

A Family Man Goes to Work and Never Comes Home

He was an electrician. A husband. A father of two. Every morning, he kissed his wife goodbye, drove to a warehouse construction site in the Chicago suburbs, and did the work that keeps buildings running. He was good at his job. He followed the rules. He trusted that the people running the site were keeping it safe.

One day, he climbed onto a scissor lift, a common piece of…
Continue Reading Construction Accidents in Illinois: Your Rights When Safety Rules Are Broken on the Job Site

A Woman Lost Her Life, and Her Family Lost Millions Because of One Coverage Decision

She was a high-earning executive. A mother of two. She was driving on a two-lane road when another driver crossed the center line and killed her.

Her family’s claim was worth millions. But her uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage maxed out at $500,000. That was it. There was no second chance, no appeals process, no way to go back and buy more coverage after the fact.

Five hundred thousand dollars for a life. For two children who would grow up without their mother.

Managing partner Steve Phillips,…
Continue Reading Insurance Mistakes After a Car Accident in Illinois: What Could Cost You Everything

“Run, Forrest, Run”, That’s What a 41-Year Veteran Attorney Says About Social Media During a Lawsuit

A woman had a small personal injury case. A scar on her face from an accident. Her attorneys at Phillips Law Offices told her clearly: do not post on social media.

She posted anyway.

Attorney Steven J. Phillips sent a settlement demand to the insurance company. The next morning, their response arrived. Exhibit A was a photo from the client’s own Facebook page, showing her face looking perfectly fine.

The insurance company offered less money. One photo. One post. That’s all it took.

Steve…
Continue Reading How Social Media Can Destroy Your Personal Injury Case (Even if Your Account Is Private)

You’ve Heard the Myths. Here’s What Chicago Attorneys With 70+ Years of Experience Actually Say.

“Spill coffee, make a million.” You’ve heard it at a barbecue, read it in a comment section, or maybe your uncle said it at Thanksgiving dinner. It’s one of those lines that gets tossed around so casually that most people accept it as truth, along with a dozen other myths about personal injury law that couldn’t be further from reality.

At Phillips Law Offices, we’ve been practicing personal injury law in Chicago since 1945. Managing partner Steve Phillips has spent more than 41 years trying…
Continue Reading 7 Personal Injury Myths Exposed by Chicago Attorneys With 70+ Years of Experience

“Good Luck, Mr. Phillips.” He Didn’t Need Luck.

When Steve Phillips told the opposing lawyers he was going to prove their client’s trucking company was part of a web of interconnected shell companies, they laughed. Literally laughed. “Good luck,” they said.

They stopped laughing when the judge, peering over his glasses halfway through Steve’s presentation, said: “Is anybody really here claiming that these companies aren’t interrelated?”

That case started as a $1 million claim. It settled for $4 million. And it happened because an attorney refused to accept what a trucking company told him at face value.

This is the…
Continue Reading How Trucking Companies Use Shell Companies to Avoid Paying Accident Victims