Child Support

 In Illinois, child support and the modification of child support are governed by the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.  Under the Act, once entered by a court, child support orders continue and remain in effect even though you may not be financially able to pay your child support.  To mitigate economic harm as much as possible, payors of child support must take immediate action to file a motion for the modification of child support upon the occurrence of substantial change of circumstance including, unemployment, reduction of income or other substantial change in ability to pay child support.  In Illinois, modifications of child support are retroactive to the date the moving party filed and served notice of the motion to modify child support to the other parent. #childsupport, covid19childsupport,

Legal Separation

 Illinois divorce and legal separation are alike in that both processes start when one spouse files a formal request (petition) with the court asking for intervention. The similarities continue in that both allow the couple or the court to resolve outstanding issues, like child custody, support, and property division.

The critical difference between legal separation and divorce is that at the end of a divorce, the judge terminates the marriage and both parties are free to remarry. Legal separation doesn’t dissolve the relationship, so even though you’re living apart and carrying on with your separate lives, neither spouse can remarry unless the court converts the separation into a formal divorce. #legalsepration, #divorce,

 If you fail or refuse chemical testing following a DUI arrest, the state of Illinois imposes an automatic suspension of your driver's license, the statutory summary suspension. ... At this hearing, your lawyer can question police officers and present arguments as to why your license should not have been suspended.#statutorysummarysuspension,

Bail

In Illinois, a person can be kept in custody, released on his or her own recognizance, or released on bail. If released on bail, there is a bond that must be paid. ... In Illinois the Bond is a sum of money equal to 10% of the bail and deposited with the clerk.

Videoconferencing in Cook Colunty Courts

Effective June 26, 2020, until further order of the court, in light of the global coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, and in order to protect the health and safety of the general public and court employees, the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court entered General Administrative Order 2020-02 (Link to GAO 2020-02). Until further order of court, effective July 6, 2020, the circuit court will begin hearing all matters in all Districts and Divisions of the court with the exception of jury trials.

Judges will be available in person or remotely in each Division, Department, and District to hear emergency matters , as determined by the Presiding Judge of the respective division or district.

Except as otherwise ordered by the assigned judge, all hearings shall be conducted by videoconferencing. If it is not reasonably possible to conduct a hearing by videoconference, it may be conducted by teleconference. 

Driver's License For Immigrants

The State of Illinois issues a special driver's license to non-citizens who cannot get a SSN. The license is called Temporary Visitor Driver's License (TVDL). You can apply for a TVDL if you have a lawful immigration status. If you are an undocumented immigrant, you may be able to get a TVDL as well. A TVDL cannot serve as a government-issued ID.

TVDL is valid for three years. After that, you have to re-apply as a new applicant.

Multiple Offender DUI

A second DUI is typically a Class A misdemeanor in Illinois, which is punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 and a jail sentence of up to one year. You may also be subjected to a driver’s license suspension of five years. Third, fourth, and subsequent DUI convictions are aggravated DUI offenses in Illinois. If you have received two previous convictions for DUI, and you are caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs for the third time, this is a Class 2 felony offense. If convicted, you could face up to seven years in prison. You may also face a driver’s license suspension period of 10 years. #dui, #repeatdui,