When medical treatment goes badly, it can be difficult to know whether what happened to you was medical malpractice or not. Medical treatment is not totally predictable, and even excellent treatment can’t guarantee a full recovery.
Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor, nurse, hospital, or other medical provider does not meet the accepted standard of care, and as a result, causes a patient harm. The “standard of care” refers to the level of care that a similarly qualified medical professional would have given in the same situation.
You are not expected to understand medical records or know on your own…
Continue Reading How Do I Know if I Suffered from Medical Malpractice?

When a couple gets divorced, child support makes sure both parents continue to help pay for what their children under age 18 need. The parent with less parenting time often makes payments to the parent who provides most of the day-to-day childcare. However, parenting time alone does not determine who pays child support, or how much the payments are.
To calculate child support, Illinois uses a formula that considers both parents’ incomes, the number of children, and the parenting arrangements. The court may also divide expenses for health insurance, childcare, school and medical needs, all of which expenses…
Continue Reading The Basics of Illinois Child Support Every Divorcing Parent Should Know

Selling a home involves a lot of work besides putting up a “For Sale” sign, posting good pictures of your home online, and waiting for the offers to come in. Illinois law requires sellers to take a number of specific actions in order for the closing to get accomplished, and the process of getting from “for sale” to “sold” requires preparation that many homeowners totally underestimate. 
Starting the process of selling your home early — first, by understanding everything the law requires you to do — can prevent delays at closing and help you get the most out of your…
Continue Reading Five Things You'll Need to Do Before You Can Sell Your Home

You do not always need an attorney to manage a parent’s estate. In most cases, however, working with an estate planning attorney makes the process faster, easier and less likely to result in expensive mistakes. Illinois probate law is detailed and unforgiving about deadlines and procedures. Even estates that seem straightforward on the surface often involve complications that are difficult to resolve without legal guidance.
If your parent passed away and you’ve been named as the Executor in their Will, our Hillside estate and probate attorney can help.
What Does Managing Your Parent’s Estate Actually Involve?
When a parent dies,…
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If you are a landlord in Illinois, one of the most frustrating parts of the job is dealing with property damage left behind by a departing tenant. Whether a tenant is arguing with you over a security deposit dispute, a major repair bill, or arguments over what counts as usual “wear and tear,” you need to know what action you can and can’t legally take. Landlord-tenant laws in Illinois might seem to be unfairly prejudicial against landlords, in the eyes of landlords, and there are often heavy penalties for getting even small details wrong.
Fortunately, Illinois landlord-tenant law does…
Continue Reading What Damage Can a Landlord Hold an Illinois Tenant Responsible For?

If you have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, you are probably wondering whether you need an attorney to get a fair settlement, or whether you can handle it on your own. 
The short answer is that you are not legally required to have a lawyer, but having an experienced one almost always leads to a better outcome. Insurance companies deal with personal injury claims every single day. Most people do not. That imbalance frequently shows up directly in the settlement offers injured people receive.
Personal injury claims are one of the most common legal matters in Illinois. If…
Continue Reading Do I Need a Lawyer to Negotiate My Personal Injury Settlement? 

Homeowners associations (HOAs) have real authority. They can send formal warnings, issue fines, and in some cases place a lien on your home. But HOAs are not always right with their positions, and not every request they make is legally enforceable.
If you live in DuPage County, Illinois, and you receive a letter from your HOA in 2026 demanding something that seems unfair, you should understand your options before you decide what to do next. Sometimes it’s worth it to push back with the help of an attorney who deals with residential real estate issues; sometimes it’s best to…
Continue Reading Is It Possible to Dispute a Request from your Homeowners Association?

If you have ever heard the word “probate” and felt a little uneasy, you are not alone. Most people picture a long, expensive legal process that drags on for years after a loved one passes away. However, the good news is that probate in Illinois is often more manageable than people expect, especially with guidance from an experienced  Hillside Wills, Trusts and Probate attorney.
If you are thinking about estate planning in 2026, or you have recently been named to handle a loved one’s estate, here are some important things to know.
What Is Probate and How…
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The prospect of dividing their shared property is one of the most common reasons spouses delay getting divorced for years, even decades. The prospect of divvying up your belongings – and possibly fighting over them for months or years – can feel like too much to bear, even if your marriage is clearly at its end. 
Under Illinois law, decisions about what happens with a couple’s property are made following an “equitable distribution” model. This means the court tries to divide marital assets and debts in a way that it considers fair, but that does not necessarily mean an equal…
Continue Reading How Exactly Does "Equitable Distribution" Work in an Illinois Divorce?

You signed a rental agreement promising to pay rent for a set period, but then things changed unexpectedly – maybe you got a new job in another state, or your landlord refuses to fix serious problems in your apartment, or you just need to get out of a bad roommate situation. On top of dealing with whatever reason you have for leaving your apartment, now you have to figure out how to break your lease without incurring major expenses. For these reasons and more, breaking a lease can be very stressful. 
Fortunately, Illinois law does allow tenants to break their…
Continue Reading Can I Break My Lease in Cook County, Illinois?

Many people have had the experience of buying a car from a dealership that immediately or shortly thereafter has problems. The check engine light comes on repeatedly; the transmission slips; strange noises come from under the hood; it won’t start up in cold weather. Many conscientious dealerships will agree to remedy cars they have sold that have early-onset problems. But unfortunately, frequently dealerships say these issues are normal, or refuse to fix them under warranty. So what can you do when a car dealership won’t fix your car? Will hiring an attorney help? 
At the Law Office of Vincent C.
Continue Reading What Are Your Options When a Dealership Won't Fix Your Car?

You drafted a will leaving your property to your children from a previous marriage; you gave your current spouse specific assets; you now think your estate plan is complete. But did you know that Illinois law may give your spouse the right to reject your last will and testament and claim a larger portion of your estate instead? This right is called the “spousal elective share”, and it can completely override your carefully planned estate distribution.
Understanding how Illinois’ elective share law works helps you create an estate plan that reflects your wishes, while also accounting for your spouse’s legal…
Continue Reading Do You Have a Will? You Should Know About the "Spousal Elective Share"

For many couples, one of the hardest questions at the start of a divorce is what to do about their living situation. Living apart from your spouse may seem like the obvious next step, but, as nice as that might sound, the reality is that in 2025, many people cannot afford to pay for two separate households while their divorce is still in progress. 
If you are a stay-at-home parent, or if you expect to pay child support or spousal maintenance, you may be worried about whether you can afford to leave. If you cannot afford to leave, you may…
Continue Reading Who Gets to Stay in Our House During the Divorce?