Recent Blog Posts
Distracted Driving Disconnect: Most Americans Believe They Are Safe Drivers, Despite Cell Phone Use
It seems that there is a distracted driver on almost every corner – someone applying makeup, talking on their cell phone, or searching for something in their passenger side floorboard. The increasing prevalence of distracted driving accidents and fatalities support the increase of inattentive drivers. Yet, according to a recent survey from Everquote, there is a disconnect between driver perception and reality in America. Sadly, this suggests the distracted driver problem is only going to get worse.
How Big is the Distracted Driver Problem?
Last year, traffic deaths in America rose by 7.2 percent. This is the largest increase in 50 years. Even more concerning is that distracted driving is also increasing. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distraction-related crashes rose by more than eight percent in the past year. Further, around 10 percent of the 35,000 accidents in 2015 were due to distracted driving.
Protecting Your Financial Future in a Gray Divorce
Although divorce can financially devastate any couple, those that are divorcing later in life are at an especially high risk for divorce-induced poverty. This is because, unlike younger couples, those who go through the “gray divorce” have limited to no new earning potential. Quite simply, they just do not have time to financially recover. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to prevent this negative consequences of a later-life divorce.
Reassess Your Finances
If you are like most couples, you planned for a retirement that would reasonably sustain one household. You knew how much to save to ensure you could continue your mortgage payment. You created a budget to determine what your utility bills and regular maintenance fees would be. Most likely, you even set aside a little mad money for vacations, shopping trips, or activities that would enrich your life during retirement. What you did not plan for was having to split your nest egg between two households.
Penalties and Consequences of a First-Offense DUI in Illinois
Every state has its own DUI laws. Illinois happens to have one of the most aggressive penalties and consequences for DUI offenders. In fact, even first-time offenders could face significant fines and penalties. If you or someone you love has been recently arrested on a first-offense DUI, know what this means, and how a conviction could impact your future.
Classification of a First-Offense DUI in Illinois
While there are exceptions (such as getting in an accident that kills another person while under the influence), a first-offense DUI in Illinois is generally considered a Class A misdemeanor. As long as there are no other aggravating factors, this will typically result in a jail term of up to one year and monetary fines of up to $2,500. This does not include court fees, administrative fees, or any other consequences that may be attached to a first-offense DUI conviction.
Helping Children Cope with Divorce
Parents going through divorce do not intentionally set out to hurt their children. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens when bitterness, anger, depression, and contention become a regular part of the child's life. This can ultimately lead to all kinds of maladjustment problems, many of which last long into the child's adult years. In contrast, parents who focus on the needs of their child often come out on the other side with a happy, healthy, well-adjusted child. Strive for the latter by learning how to help your child cope during a divorce.
Minimize Conflict and Negativity
For years, it was thought that divorce itself was the cause of maladjustment among children. However, recent studies have revealed that it is actually the conflict and negativity between and from parents that causes emotional, behavioral, and mental problems often experienced by children of divorce. In light of this, parents should take every precaution they can to ensure their child is not caught in the middle. Keep arguments and heated discussions private and out of earshot. Above all else, never blame or talk badly of your spouse around your child. Remember that your child loves both of you. Speaking negatively about your spouse can make your child feel wrong or guilty for having those feelings, or it can cause them to become bitter toward you.
Defining Disorderly Conduct in Illinois
Not all crimes that have serious consequences extending into multiple facets of a person's life need to be those of a violent or nefarious nature. In fact, seeming minor misdemeanor charges such as those for disorderly conduct and the like can have similar consequences, even if less far-reaching, that last for the rest of a person's life.
What Is Disorderly Conduct?
Defining disorderly conduct, however, can be tricky, as there are several factors that count toward such a charge, and many of them can be alarmingly subjective to pinpoint. Generally speaking, a disorderly conduct charge can be filed if a person is acting in a so-called "unreasonable manner," with the intention of disturbing another person or attempting to provoke a “breach of the peace.”
Common Examples
A person may also be charged with disorderly conduct if he or she cries wolf—that is, invokes the action of emergency response workers, such as firemen or police officers, without due cause. The stipulation of this, of course, is that the person knew that there was no reason for engaging with emergency response workers at the time of the call—if a person honestly believed that there was a fire, for example, or other emergency, he would not be charged with disorderly conduct. In some cases, proving that the person did have good reason to believe in the necessity of an emergency call would need to be done in court.
What Is the Average Cost of a DUI in Illinois?
Drinking and driving, or driving under the influence of drugs, is never a good idea. In addition to the raised likelihood of crashing your vehicle, causing harm to yourself and others, and being arrested, a DUI conviction can be extremely costly. With legal fees, jail time, raised insurance rates, and other factors, even a first time DUI in Illinois can cost well upwards of $10,000. It is important to understand some of the typical costs associated with a DUI conviction.
Auto Insurance
Once you are convicted of a DUI in Illinois, you will be required to obtain high-risk auto insurance. This type of insurance is significantly more costly than typical car insurance, and can cost an additional $1,500 each year. This high-risk insurance is required for three years, so that is a total of $4,500.
Legal Fees
Criminal defense attorneys are often quite costly. A lengthy court process could cost upwards of $10,000 in legal fees, but even an uncontested plea can cost around $2,000.
Sex Crimes and the Illinois Sex Offender Registry
Unlike those related to many other crimes, convictions for most sex crimes carry penalties that last far longer than a prison term, probation, and parole. If you are convicted of a sexual offense in Illinois you may be required to register as a sex offender for ten years, or even for the rest of your life.
Who Has to Register?
Illinois law, in most instances, does not give a judge much, if any, flexibility in deciding who should be required to register as a sex offender. The law mandates that judges impose registration as a part of a criminal sentencing. Crimes that include mandatory registration as a sex offender include:
- Sexual assault;
- Aggravated sexual assault;
- Predatory criminal sexual assault;
- Sexual abuse;
- Aggravated sexual abuse; and
- Child pornography crimes.
The Principle of Equitable Distribution
For most couples, the decision to pursue a divorce is not one that is made overnight. In fact, the vast majority of such decisions are the product of months or years of soul-searching and, in certain cases, waiting for the right time. If you are thinking about ending your marriage, for whatever reasons you may have, you are probably starting to realize that divorce is not as simple as a high school or college break-up. Rather, it is complicated undertaking that requires careful consideration regarding a wide variety of subjects. Among the most difficult of these concerns is often the division of marital property, as many people are unfamiliar with the laws that govern the process.
Common Misconceptions
Thanks to modern entertainment media, the general public tends to believe that, in a divorce, each spouse is entitled to half of the marital estate regardless of their situation. The only exception to this “rule,” in many minds, is if the couple had a valid prenuptial agreement that made different arrangements. While a 50/50 split may seem logical in some cases, Illinois law does not make any guarantees regarding an equal allocation of marital property.
Drone Photography: A Growing Trend in Real Estate
Not all that long ago, if a prospective home buyer wanted to get a feel for a listed property, his or her only options were to schedule an appointment or attend an open house. In short, the buyer needed to physically visit the home. Over the last several decades, improvements in the convenience of photography and digital technology have made it easier for people to visit properties online before deciding to see the home in person. Today, many real estate companies have taken the next step in marketing available homes, utilizing the power of flying drones equipped with high-definition video cameras.
The Rise of the Drones
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, have been part of the United States military inventory for decades. They were initially used primarily for reconnaissance and observation, able to infiltrate more dangerous locales without placing a pilot and crew at risk. While military drones have evolved to take on attack capabilities, much smaller, cheaper variations of drones have become readily available for recreational purposes, including aerial photography.
Understanding Home Sale Contingencies
The process of selling your home can be long and difficult, so when a prospective buyer makes an offer, it is often very exciting. Many buyers, however, are not in a position to make a purchase without selling their current home. But what happens if the buyer sells his or her home without knowing that the purchase of your property is a guarantee? Such a situation can be very tenuous for an individual or family, leaving them in a state of limbo and without anywhere to go after the closing on their home. To address this possibility, home buyers are increasingly making offers that include home sale contingencies.
Growing Acceptance
While real estate professionals suggest that home sale contingencies are not preferred, they are often necessary. In some cases, a buyer may have trouble securing a mortgage to buy a new home while still paying on his or her current residence. In others, he or she may not be able to afford to maintain two homes at the same time. As you try to sell your home, you would, of course, probably prefer to have a solid offer rather than one with contingencies, but if all of the other elements are right, and you do not have a line of prospective buyers vying for your attention, a home sale contingency may be worth your time.
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Will County Divorce Attorney, Plainfield Residential Real Estate Lawyer
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