Blog
Free consultation630-953-3000
Blog
Your Voice Matters
Although any DUI arrest in Illinois is considered a serious legal matter, those involving aggravated DUI charges are especially concerning. Such charges can result in heightened penalties and fines, and they may even result in a permanent scar on your criminal record. Learn more about the potential consequences of an aggravated DUI charge, and discover how an experienced criminal defense lawyer may be able to help.
DUI versus Aggravated DUI
In most instances, a first or second offense DUI is considered a misdemeanor. In contrast, aggravated DUI is a felony charge. How does one reach felony status under Illinois’ DUI laws? The following are a few examples:
Scientists have long known that stress can cause changes the body. It can result in anxiety, decreased immunity, weight gain, weight loss, and much more. What about children, though? Are they affected the same way? A new study seems to suggest so. More specifically, the study determined that children may experience cellular changes in their bodies if their father is absent during childhood. One of the most common situations in which this absence might occur is during a divorce. Learn more about the potential adverse effects of divorce on children, including how you can help to mitigate against them, with help from the following.
A Closer Look at the Study
Published in the journal Pediatrics, the study examined the telomeres, the protective nucleoprotein end caps on chromosomes, of children who had experienced the loss of a father and then compared them to the telomeres of children who had not experienced such a loss. These structures, which are thought to be an indicator of the aging and overall health of cells, were found to be significantly shorter in children that had lost a father (14 percent). Though the exact impact of this cellular change is unknown, data from the study backs up previous research that indicates children often fare best when they have a healthy, loving, and continued relationship with both of their parents.
While every marriage is unique, most couples reside in the same home, have joint credit cards and bank accounts, and have joint debts. Rarely do they find themselves caught up in arguing over what belongs to whom. Unfortunately, divorce often changes all that. What was once shared freely must now be divided – and that can be tricky business. Learn more about dividing marital assets in an Illinois divorce, including how to determine which assets are considered a part of the marital estate, and which may not be, with help from the following information.
The Marital Estate
Your marital estate – or the sum of your debts and assets – is what will be divided equitably in your divorce. Everything that is joint owned will be added in, including homes, vehicles, businesses, savings accounts, retirement accounts, jewelry, artwork, and other valuable items. You can choose to also include things of sentimental value, such as the state t-shirt collection you and your spouse have collected over the years, but most items here have some sort of value.
Divorce impacts everyone involved, but children are often more sensitive to the separation. They can become depressed or angry. They might withdraw from family and friends, or they may start to do poorly in school. Some become anxious. Others regress. Still, some may act out and become violent or destructive. Thankfully, parents can reduce the risk and long-term impact of these possible issues. The following explains how.
Breaking the News
The way you and your spouse break the news about divorce can greatly impact your child’s reaction. Make it an argument or invalidate their feelings and you could stir up feelings of anxiety, fear, worry, or self-loathing. Stay calm, explain that each of you will still be in their lives, listen to their questions, and honestly answer age-appropriate questions and you show your child that they are still safe, loved, and wanted by both of their parents.
Divorce is generally seen as an emotionally painful process, but some divorcees are putting a new spin on the traditionally isolating event. Rather than focus on the sadness and grief, they are celebrating a new beginning with their families and friends with parties and cakes. Some also let their vindictive side come out and purchase voodoo gingerbread cookies or take anti-wedding photos (some have even gone so far as to torch their wedding dress). Is this an option you should consider, or is this coping mechanism taking things a little too far?
What is a Divorce Celebration?
Each divorce celebration is unique. It is often based on the divorcee’s preferences, personality, and situation. While one person may be angry and full of resentment because of a cheating spouse, another may be ready to simply move into the life they have been wanting and dreaming about for years. The former might have a gruesome bride and groom on a wedding cake and take photos of burning a wedding dress. The latter might have a calmer party, perhaps with a cake the commemorates the years they spent with their spouse but then holds a small ceremony to embrace the new.
Of all the assets that a couple owns, the family home is often the most valuable. Unfortunately, the recent recession and nation’s lagging recovery has left many homeowners upside down in their mortgages. This can result in significant issues for couples going through a divorce. Thankfully, there are still options. Learn more with help from the following information on how to deal with the family home in divorce if you owe more than what it is worth.
Deed and Title Transfer “Buy-Out”
One way to deal with an underwater mortgage in divorce is for one spouse to essentially “buy out” the other. This means that the spouse who keeps the home would pay the other spouse their portion of the home equity through other marital assets. This does come with its advantages for both parties, but there are also some disadvantages to consider. For example, the deed and title transfer may not have an impact on the mortgage; if the spouse that keeps the home defaults, then both parties could still be held liable. Further, the spouse who keeps the home will have fewer liquid assets after the divorce, and the one who takes the buy-out will have less in assets.
Parents often fear divorce because they worry about how their children will handle the split. One family is proving that the coping power of kids often rests in the behavior of their parents. Learn more about this intriguing couple, and how it is that they have managed to work through the divorce while still raising a happy, healthy toddler who knows, without a doubt, that his mom and dad both love him.
Family Comes Together for Annual Photos
During their marriage, the couple took annual family photos together; they even did one while the mother was pregnant with their now 4-year-old son. When they decided to divorce, they made a vow that the tradition would not die. The decision to carry on the family tradition was based, in part, on the mother’s childhood experience.
The mom says her parents divorced when she was young. It was that divorce that left her with only a few photos of her entire family together. She did not want her son to have the same experience. So, each year, the dad travels from his home in Alaska to the mother’s home in South Carolina, and they meet up for the photo shoot. It is the one time that their son has them both together, in one place.
Speed limits are designed to keep drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users safe. Unfortunately, neither safety nor consequence may deter some drivers from speeding. For some, the risks are not relevant. For others, the means justifies the decision. In all cases, there are costs and consequences. This remains true, even if the driver is never caught driving over the speed limit. Yet those who do get caught are often the ones who stand to lose the most. The following explains.
General and Daily Consequences of Speeding
The average speeding driver is unlikely to get caught the first time they speed. They may not even be ticketed after they have sped 100 times. Yet, all the while, they are paying extra for gas. In fact, the Department of Energy says speeding drives may increase their vehicle’s gas mileage by as much as 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent while driving in town. That means more trips to the pumps, which also means less cash throughout the week. Speeding also negatively affects the environment.
The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act was rewritten last year and became effective January 1, 2016. Less than a year later, more changes are already on their way, intended to "clean up" the Act.
Although not effective yet, stay tuned for the following changes:
Removal - both parties will be enjoined from removing a minor child from the court's jurisdiction for more than 14 days. Both parties will also be enjoined from concealing a child from the other parent.
College - educational expenses will be capped at "in-state" tuition and fees at the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana).
School is back in session! As a result, we wanted to remind you once again to watch out for those special school zone speed limits because a ticket for speeding in a school zone carries with it severe consequences.
So long as you have been properly notified by a sign or flashing signal, the speed limit in a school zone on school days is 20 miles per hour. Pay attention to the notification posted because the conditions under which the speed limit changes varies among cities, towns and villages. In some instances, the speed limit only drops to 20 mph if children are present during school hours. However, in some school zones, the speed limit is 20 mph on school days regardless of whether children are present, during the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. In some areas, the school zone speed limit only applies if a flashing light is activated. When in doubt, it is better to reduce your speed near a school to avoid being pulled over and ticketed. Police officers, prosecutors and judges take these tickets very seriously due to the risk of harm to young children. That is why you cannot receive court supervision even for a first time offense, which means unless you beat the ticket altogether, a conviction will go on your record.
630-953-3000
1700 Park St., Suite 203F, Naperville, IL 60563
Evenings and Weekends by Appointment
