Blog
Free consultation630-953-3000
Blog
Your Voice Matters
Domestic abuse continues to be a massive issue for law enforcement officials throughout the United States. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), approximately one million Americans are abused by an intimate partner, each year. Shockingly, an average of 20 Americans face domestic abuse, every single minute. If you have been abused by an intimate partner, it is incredibly important to contact the local police, and meet with a qualified domestic abuse lawyer. Coming forward about the domestic abuse you face in your relationship can be one of the most emotionally challenging moments in your life, but it can be paramount to ensuring the safety of you and your family.
A qualified legal team can help you establish an order of protection, and in doing so protect you from your assailant. In cases of domestic abuse, it is important to react quickly and inform both law enforcement and your legal representatives of the true extent of the violence. Domestic violence can escalate from minor transgressions to life-threatening violence, rapidly. According to studies conducted by the NCADV, just under 20% of all domestic violence incidents involve use of a weapon. The likelihood of homicide increases by a staggering 500% when a gun is present during the violence. Despite the life-threatening nature of domestic abuse cases, only 34% of people injured by an intimate partner, ever receive medical attention for the injuries they have suffered.
Every year, thousands of American couples elect to separate and file for divorce. While the divorce process can be a painful transition, a divorce can lead to much-needed independence, a newly invigorated lifestyle, and another chance at finding love. When children are involved, divorce can come with complications. Despite the misconception that a child is better off in a household with two parents, even if the relationship is unhealthy, it is never healthy for a child to experience a marital relationship that is no longer functioning.
If your relationship with your spouse is no longer healthy, it is incredibly likely that you are no longer operating as a healthy parenting team. All that said, life as a sole-custodial parent can be highly stressful. Nothing causes single parents as much stress as questions of financial security. If you believe you are entitled to child support payments from your former spouse, it is time to contact a quality legal team.
While some people believe that a retail theft charge can only come with limited consequences, this notion could not be further from the truth. In all actuality, even the most minor of retail theft convictions can come with life-changing legal implications. The theft of a retail item, worth $300 or less, can result in a Class A misdemeanor, a fine of more than $2,000, and a potential jail sentence of up to one year in prison. Every year, thousands of Illinoisans are accused of retail theft. If you have been arrested on accusations of shoplifting, contact a qualified criminal defense team, as quickly as possible.
According to Illinois state law, shoplifting is defined as the crime of possessing or transferring an item while depriving the merchant of the full value of the product. The legal consequences of a retail theft conviction depend on a number of factors, primarily the value of the product, and the number of prior convictions.
Everyone makes mistakes, unfortunately, some mistakes come with severe consequences. For those that elect to drive while under the influence of alcohol, the mistake of getting behind the wheel can be life-altering. Driving under the influence can result in a fatal car accident, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that over 10,000 Americans were fatally injured in automobile accidents involving alcohol, throughout 2016.
While not all drivers that make the decision to drive while inebriated, take their own life or the life of another, many are arrested on charges of driving under the influence. In 2016 alone, over 1 million Americans were convicted of DUI charges. Understanding the implications of a DUI conviction may keep you from getting behind the wheel of a car. That said, if you have been accused of driving under the influence, it is time to seek out a legal team you can trust.
Your vehicle is likely one of your largest investments. Imagine walking out of your house, job, or another location you frequent and finding out that your vehicle is not where you left it. Believe it or not, vehicle theft is a common occurrence.
In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA found that approximately 750,000 drivers experience vehicle theft. The NHTSA also discovered that Illinois was ranked among the top 10 states for the most stolen vehicles in 2016.
Vehicle thefts happen during all four seasons. However, they are most common in the summer months. When the weather is nice outside, individuals are more motivated to go through the hassle of stealing a vehicle. They are less likely to commit vehicle theft when it is cold and/or snowy.
Public indecency in Illinois is not taken lightly. Although the consequences of this criminal charge depend on the particular circumstances of the incident, they are always harsh. Usually, public indecency is considered a Class A misdemeanor. In the event you are charged with a Class A misdemeanor, you may face a year in jail as well as a fine of up to $2,500.
Since public indecency is a sex crime, you may also be required to register as a sex offender. The registered sex offender list can be viewed by anyone and make it difficult for you to keep or land a job, rent a place to live, and/or gain custody of your children. Being registered as a sex offender can also hurt your personal and professional reputation.
Who Can Be Charged with Public Indecency?
Any individual who is 17 years of age or older may be charged with public indecency if they engage in sexual conduct in a public setting or expose their body in a lewd way, with the hopes of satisfying or arousing their own sexual desire in public. It is important to note that while individuals under 16 cannot be charged with public indecency, they may face disorderly conduct charges.
The Illinois Supreme Court has defined dissipation as the “use of marital property for the sole benefit of one of the spouses for a purpose unrelated to the marriage at a time that the marriage is undergoing a breakdown.” Gambling is an example of a dissipation.
Gambling can hinder marriage, finances, and family life. If you are in the process of divorcing a spouse with a gambling problem, you likely have many questions about how gambling affects divorce. Let’s take a closer look at how a spouse’s gambling addiction, as well as the behaviors that stem from it, play a role in divorce proceedings.
What Is Gambling?
Gambling is referred to as an impulse-control disorder. In most cases, gamblers continue to gamble despite the negative consequences it brings. Believe it or not, there are approximately 2.5 million Americans that are considered compulsive gamblers. Unfortunately, the popularity of the internet and social media has made it even easier to gamble.
The amount of money a non-custodial parent is required to pay for their minor child is called child support. Child support calculations in Illinois are based on both parents’ incomes as well as their parenting time and parental responsibility.
Although child support payments typically end when a child turns 18 or 19 and has graduated from high school, there are some situations where a parent may be required to provide their child with financial support beyond age 18 or 19. These situations include:
A Disabled Child
If a child has any type of disability, a parent may need to support them financially beyond age 18 or 19. In the even their disability is severe, this financial support may go on for the remainder of the child’s life.
If supporting the child financially is in the child’s best interest, the court can order that a parent continues to pay child support. The child’s physical and emotional well-being, as well as their educational needs and their ability or inability to be self-sufficient, will all be taken into consideration.
The importance of changing lanes safely should not be overlooked. Regardless of whether you are driving on a busy road or one that is less congested, you should make it a top priority to change lanes in a safe manner in order to reduce your risk of causing an accident. Here are five tips that can help you change lanes safely in Illinois:
1. Check Your Surroundings
Prior to changing lanes, use your mirrors to look around you and make sure there is enough room for your vehicle to fit into the new lane. In addition, ensure that nearby motorists are not in the process of changing lanes as well.
2. Always Use Your Turn Signals
Whenever you are going to switch lanes, turn on your turn signal, even if there are no other drivers around you. Refrain from turning on your turn signal at the last second and give drivers enough time to notice you are about to change lanes.
Also known as shoplifting, retail theft is a common and serious crime in Illinois. It can lead to serious fines such as jail time, hefty fines, and a permanent criminal record that can make it difficult for you to secure employment, keep your professional license, and rent a place to live. In addition to simply walking out of a store with an item that you did not pay for, you can be guilty of retail theft if you do the following:
False Returns
If you return an item that was unlawfully purchased in order to receive cash, store credit, or a gift card, you commit return fraud. Often times, return fraud is committed by presenting a fake receipt that was obtained from a fake receipt website.
Under-Ringing
Under-ringing occurs when you replace the barcode tag on an expensive product with a tag from a product of lesser cost. This type of theft can also occur if you are in a self-checkout line and purposely fail to scan an item.
630-953-3000
1700 Park St., Suite 203F, Naperville, IL 60563
Evenings and Weekends by Appointment
