If it feels like our government is on the verge of a shutdown every time you turn around, you are not wrong. Over the last two decades, the government has shut down three times, but the number of times a shutdown has been threatened is far more, despite the fact that 75 percent of Americans find it unacceptable for Congress to threaten these shutdowns.
Few Americans may ever consider how a government shutdown impacts immigration issues. Since another potential shutdown battle is expected in March, knowing how this might affect employers and immigrants can be helpful. If a government shutdown…
Continue Reading How Could a Government Shutdown Affect Immigration?

Immigration issues have always been complex and are likely to become much more complex in the coming months and years. Some foreign nationals may be deemed inadmissible and ineligible to receive a visa that would allow them to enter the U.S. In other cases, a person may already be present in the United States and, if found inadmissible, may be subject to deportation/removal proceedings.
There are some options that may be available for a person who is inadmissible or ineligible. This is a very complex area of immigration law, and a single error in paperwork can have severe consequences. It…
Continue Reading Programs for Inadmissible and Ineligible Immigrants

Decades ago, there was one type of marriage – a heterosexual marriage between a man and a woman. Since that time, societal expectations of marriage have vastly expanded, and marriage rates have significantly declined. In 2021, the U.S. marriage rate was 14.9 marriages per 1,000, down from 16.3 per 1,000 a decade earlier. Alaska and Utah have the highest marriage rates at 23.5 and 22.3 per 1,000, respectively. Puerto Rico had both the lowest marriage and the lowest divorce rates.
While marriage rates have declined, there is no indication that people are foregoing relationships. Unlike marriage, these relationships are…
Continue Reading Ending Three Types of Non-Marital Relationships in Illinois

Being involved in an automobile accident can turn your world upside down. As if being hit by a negligent driver is not bad enough, what if you find out that the other driver does not have enough insurance to cover all your damages? Does this mean you are stuck dealing with the aftermath of severe injuries on your own? What about your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering? This can be a difficult, dark time for you.
Through no fault of your own, you are left with injuries that may not fully heal for a very long time…
Continue Reading What if There is Insufficient Insurance to Cover My Damages?

The enrollment period for those who utilize the Affordable Care Act for their healthcare will close within the next month. While many issues related to immigration are now up in the air, on May 3, 2024, new regulations extended eligibility for the ACA Marketplace coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
This was accomplished by changing the rules relating to who is lawfully present in the United States to include DACA recipients. This allows them to enroll under the ACA between now and January 15, 2025. Unfortunately, a number of states are challenging the decision to allow DACA…
Continue Reading Are DACA Recipients Eligible for ACA Healthcare?

While it may be the season of joy and love, every year, more than 18,000 people visit emergency rooms because of accidents related to  Christmas decorations. While many of these accidents occur in homes, as people put up their annual Christmas decorations, others occur in public places. For example, more than 277 children are injured each year while visiting Santa in a mall or retail store. These injuries are from falling off Santa’s lap and tripping over decorations in the area.
Many parents and grandparents experience slip-and-fall injuries from Christmas decorations and extension cords stretched across walkways while taking children…
Continue Reading Christmas Decoration Accidents Cause Thousands of ER Visits

Most divorces are negotiated between the spouse’s attorneys, while some divorces utilize alternative dispute resolution like mediation and collaborative divorce. An older study found that about 86 percent of collaborative divorces resulted in full agreement on every issue by both spouses. The remaining 14 percent usually had at least a partial agreement on some issues.
While it is unclear what today’s agreement rates are when collaborative divorce is implemented, many couples have questions regarding what happens when this type of alternative dispute resolution is unsuccessful. If your collaborative divorce negotiations have come to a standstill, it is time to consult…
Continue Reading What if Collaborative Divorce is Unsuccessful?

In early October, a truck driver caused a four-vehicle crash on IL Route 59. The truck driver later died at Northwestern Medicine, Central DuPage Hospital. Witnesses said the semi-tractor trailer was traveling south when it veered to the left, striking a vehicle. The semi then rolled, striking a commercial vehicle and a passenger car. Lane closures were necessary to remove collision debris from the road and begin a crash investigation.
The drivers of the other three vehicles suffered injuries, although none were life-threatening. What happens when a semi-truck driver is responsible for a multi-car accident? It can be difficult enough…
Continue Reading What Happens When a Trucker Causes a Multi-Car Accident?

When immigrants arrive in a large city, they are often asked what would help them most. Their answers are usually the same—work. Immigration requirements are often an impediment that leads to the conclusion that the state of Illinois needs to come up with some unique solutions. Since August 2022, some 40,000 immigrants have arrived in the city of Chicago. Almost 10,000 seekers of asylum remain in shelters operated by the city.
Without a work permit, these people are unable to legally work. Without work, they are forced to rely on government assistance just to keep a roof over their heads…
Continue Reading Will the Status of Work Permits in Illinois Change?

Perhaps you think you and your wife are simply going through a rough patch. It happens, right? Your wife appears to have emotionally withdrawn from you, and no matter what you say or do, you are unable to reach her. Unfortunately, many husbands who also thought they just needed to weather this phase of their marriage are blindsided with divorce papers.
A wife who seems increasingly distant and does not respond to her husband in any way until she suddenly files for divorce is a phenomenon often referred to as “walkaway wife syndrome.” This syndrome is more common than you…
Continue Reading Walkaway Wife Syndrome and How It Could Affect a Divorce

Every time the United States votes for a new administration, changes to immigration are almost inevitable. This can be unsettling for immigrants not in the country legally and those waiting on a decision regarding legal status.
When an administration is talking about deportation, it can be frightening, and it can leave individuals unsure of what they should do to protect themselves and their families. When there is talk of invoking the Alien Enemies Act or using the National Guard to “round up” undocumented immigrants, it is hard to see through the political noise and make wise decisions.
What is almost…
Continue Reading Could Proposed Immigration Changes Affect Your Family?

A young woman was recently killed from injuries resulting from a Naperville traffic collision. Law enforcement and fire crews responded to the auto accident at the Hobson Road and South Naper Blvd intersection. The woman was making a left turn from southbound Naper Blvd. when she was struck by a Ford Bronco heading Northbound.
The car driven by the deceased woman became partially submerged in a nearby pond after being hit. The driver was taken to a nearby hospital and later died from her injuries. Crash investigators and reconstruction specialists continue investigating the incident. There were 1,876 car collisions…
Continue Reading Car Collision Sends Vehicle into Pond in Naperville, Illinois

While every divorce outcome is unique in some way – and while divorce outcomes for women have improved – women still tend to lose more during a divorce than men. About a quarter of women will fall into poverty after divorce. Health insurance will be lost for about 25 percent of women at least for several months following the divorce.
A staggering 75 percent of divorced mothers who are receiving child support do not receive the full amount ordered by the court, and 33 percent of those who have children and own a home will face foreclosure proceedings. The financial…
Continue Reading Who Loses More in a Divorce?