Grounds For Divorce

llinois no longer recognizes "grounds" for divorce. There is only one option: "irreconcilable differences." Irreconcilable differences needs little definition.  Technically, to be granted a divorce, one must prove:

1. irreconcilable differences have caused the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage;
2. past efforts at reconciliation have failed, and
3. future efforts at reconciliation would be impracticable and not in the best interests of the family. #groundsfor divorce, #schaumburgdivorcelawyer, #marderandseidler,
   
   
   

New Traffic Fines

Effective January 1, 2020 the fines for illegally passing school buses will double, from $150 to $300 for an initial violation and from $500 to $1,000 for a subsequent violation.Vehicles need to slow down, change lanes and proceed with caution when approaching disabled vehicles or emergency vehicles on the side of the highway. Starting Jan. 1, the fines for violating Scott's Law increase to $10,000.

The maximum penalty for hitting a construction worker in a marked work zone increases from $10,000 to $25,000. #trafficfines,

Paternity

Paternity suits to establish the existence of the father-child relationship may be filed until the child turns 20 years old.  Actions to declare the non-existence of a parent-child relationship must be filed within two years after the father obtains knowledge of the relevant facts. #paternity, #statuteoflimitationsinpaternitycases,

Dog Bites

Illinois' dog bite law requires the injured party to be lawfully on the property they occupied during the attack. If a person is illegally on private property and is attacked by a dog, the owner may not be held liable for the injuries. #dogbite, #Illinoisdogbitelaw,

Establishing Paternity

If a child is born out of wedlock,there are three ways to establish paternity:

•   Both parents complete, sign, and have a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) form witnessed and filed with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
•   An Administrative Paternity Order is established and entered by HFS' Child Support Services.
•   An Order of Paternity is established and entered in court judicially.

An easy way for parents to establish paternity is to complete a VAP form at the hospital

when the child is born. Parents can ask hospital staff for a VAP when providing information for the child’s birth certificate. Hospital staff can help parents complete this form.

     The VAP is a legal document that is used to establish paternity for unwed parents. Once

the VAP is completed and filed with HFS, it will be used to have the father’s name added

to the child’s birth certificate. #paternity, #establishpaternity,

Marijuana and Employment

Illinois law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on their use of legal substances when they’re off work. Though the recent amendment was meant to clarify that employers may still discipline employees for failing a drug test, in line with a reasonable drug testing policy.

One problem is drug tests can detect whether someone has used marijuana but not when or whether the person is impaired. The tension is if an employer decides to withdraw an offer of employment or terminate someone based solely on a positive marijuana test, without any additional signs of impairment, I think that leaves room for a question about whether they’re taking action based on someone’s lawful use of marijuana while they’re (off) duty.

According to the law, an employer may consider a worker to be impaired or under the influence of cannabis if the employer has a “good faith belief” the employee is displaying symptoms that are hurting job performance, such as those affecting speech, agility or demeanor. #legalmarijuana, #legalcannabis, 

New Illinois 2020 Traffic Laws

New Laws 2020: Illinois laws that take effect January 1.

Drivers in Illinois will no longer be able to watch streaming video while driving.Starting Jan. 1, 2020, you'll pay more for reckless driving. The maximum penalty for hitting a construction worker increases to $25,000. The fine for illegally passing a school bus doubles on January 1. Drivers who violate Scott's Law may be fined up to $10,000. #trafficlaws, #newtrafficlaws,