Schaumburg Criminal Lawyer

A proposed law to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Illinois would allow possession of up to 30 grams of the plant for residents 21 and over, in addition to expungement of misdemeanor and Class 4 felony marijuana convictions.

Schaumburg Lawyer

Illinois has recently passed a law that raises the legal age for purchasing cigarettes, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21.

It takes effect July 1. It aims to reduce tobacco use among teens and young adults by preventing them from starting.Statistics show that most smokers start as teenagers, and the younger they are when they start, the more likely they'll become addicted.Illinois joins a growing list of states and municipalities adopting "Tobacco 21" policies, as vaping among teens is on the rise.

Lawyer Schaumburg

There are various reasons for requesting a name change. It may be based on events such as divorce, or it may simply be based on dissatisfaction with the name. Some other fairly common reasons include:

• Taking the natural father's name (e.g., after being born out of wedlock or adopted).
• Changing to the mother's maiden name (e.g., after a divorce).
• Identifying with a foreign nationality (e.g., to show grandparents' nationality).
• A cumbersome name (e.g., difficult to spell and/or pronounce).
• Professional identity (e.g., legally maintaining a maiden name or changing to a pen name).
• Gay or lesbian (e.g., both partners want to share the same last name).

There are inappropriate reasons for changing a name that will result in denial of the application and even consequences. For example, the new name cannot be identical to a celebrity or other famous individual, if the intent is to defraud others. In addition, you cannot change your name to avoid debts.

Schaumburg Divorce Lawyer

For those whose divorce judgment was entered before January 1, 2019, the ex-spouse paying alimony could deduct the expense from his or her federal taxes, while the ex-spouse receiving alimony payments has to claim the payments as taxable income.

Schaumburg Criminal Lawyer

Illinois law on aggravated speeding has changed quite a bit in recent years. On January 1, 2014, the law was changed to set the cutoffs of 26 mph over the limit as a Class B misdemeanor and 35 mph over the limit as a Class A misdemeanor. A class A misdemeanor has a potential jail sentence of up to one year in jail, while a class B misdemeanor has a potential jail sentence of up to 180 days in jail.

Schaumburg Criminal Lawyer

Cannabis in Illinois is decriminalized and legal for medical use. As of March 2019, nearly 58,000 qualifying patients participate in the state's medical cannabis program.  Since legalization in November 2015, retail sales in Illinois have reached $287 million at 55 dispensaries across the state.

Legislation is currently pending to legalize recreational use and is expected to occur in early 2019 with support of Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker

Schaumburg Divorce Lawyer

Legal Separation Vs Divorce

The biggest difference between a legal separation and a divorce is that separation allows spouses to retain their marital status; therefore, they cannot remarry someone else until they get divorced. Here are a few other differences between a legal separation and a divorce.

Health Care and other benefits – After a divorce, spouses’ healthcare and other benefits such as social security benefits are terminated with immediate effect, but legal separation allows the couple to retain these benefits.

Decision Making – Divorced couples are not considered next of kin, thus do not have the right to make financial or medical decisions on behalf of each other, but if they opt for a legal separation instead, they are still regarded as next of kin, consequently allowed to make such decisions for each other.

Property Rights – Divorce extinguishes each spouse’s legal right to property benefits in case of death of the other spouse, but legal separation keeps these rights preserved.

Liabilities and Obligations – During a divorce, all the assets and liabilities are divided between spouses by the court per the applicable laws in their state. Conversely, spouses remain responsible for each other’s debts and obligations in case of legal separation.

Remarriage – Once spouses get divorced, the verdict cannot be undone, and they have to remarry if they are seeking legal separation.