A South Barrington, Illinois, couple recently celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. The wife took great care to plan an anniversary celebration at a charming restaurant in the Foundry in South Barrington. She was surprised to find that one of her and her husband's mutual friends, whom her husband had dated long before they were married, came to their anniversary party. She noticed her husband spending a significant amount of time chatting with this woman. Later that night, she noticed his...

A South Barrington, Illinois, couple who own a retail business together have just overcome a challenging year. Their customers are returning to shop in person, and they are recovering from an economic downturn. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about their marriage. After 15 years of marriage, running a business together has become too much of a strain on their relationship, causing non-stop arguments. The wife has realized that all of her teenagers would likely be out of the house...

The CEO of a successful Chicago business finally found the right woman while attending a work conference. They decide to settle down in Barrington, a northwest Chicago suburb. Knowing he has substantial wealth, the CEO presses his fiancee to sign a prenuptial agreement. She convinces him not to sign a prenup, promising that they will split all of their expenses equally once they are married. Their plan sounds reasonable, but they begin to show resentment toward each other soon after...

After her divorce from her first husband, a Barrington-area woman decided to start her life anew. She finally applied for her dream job and got it. Her future was beginning to look rosy, and she could place her children at her dream school. Just when she thought her life could not get any better, she met a successful, charming businessman. After a whirlwind romance, they decide to get married within a few months. During the honeymoon stage, they enjoyed their...

A police officer driving on the highway sees a driver honking his horn and playing his car stereo loudly, both of which are possible traffic infractions. The police officer followed the driver's car, switching on the flashing lights. A few seconds later, the driver pulled into his driveway and entered his garage. The police officer parked and exited his car, then stuck his foot underneath the garage door to stop it from closing. The police officer did not have a...

A Pennsylvania teenager who did not make the varsity cheer team wrote a message on Snapchat, a social media site, that said “F--- school, f----softball, f--- cheer, f---everything.” As a result, her coach suspended her from the cheerleading program for one year. She brought a lawsuit against the school, claiming that the school does not have the authority to regulate her speech outside of school on the internet. The Supreme Court

Part of the reasons child care costs have increased involves the loss of child care jobs. One in six child care jobs were lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in child care costs makes it difficult for Illinois parents. If you receive child support and you are responsible for paying for child care costs, you may find yourself needing to modify your child support agreement to increase the funds you receive. If your child care costs are increasing, you...

Prison and Sentencing Reforms in Illinois’ New Police Reform Law

posted on 7/5/21

Illinois’ new criminal reform law, the SAFE-T Act, was signed into law on February 22, 2021. The controversial law is some of the most sweeping criminal justice reform we have...

When couples get divorced in Illinois, they will divide the marital property they have acquired during the marriage. The marital property includes the accumulated value of the spouses’ retirement assets. When a couple can negotiate their property division, they can agree to a divorce settlement and keep their case out of court. However, when a couple cannot agree, the court will need to step in and decide how the couple's retirement benefits will be divided. Three major types of retirement...

Illinois’ General Assembly passed legislation amending and in some cases reversing the changes in their Police reform legislation. The changes addressed concerns about a sweeping criminal justice reform law that came into effect in 2020. This legislation will amend the SAFE-T Act, which was signed into law in February. The SAFE-T Act required a new police certification system, ended cash bail, imposed body camera mandates, and changed the guidelines for police officers’ use of deadly force. Law enforcement groups across...

Illinois and many other states have seen a considerable increase in police retirement and leaves of absence. Many police officers feel demoralized by defunding the police movement and are concerned about personal liability. Illinois’s new police reform law adds several different types of police misconduct and makes it more difficult for police officers to justify using lethal force to protect citizens and themselves from criminals in the street. Changes to What Constitutes Misconduct Under the new law, law enforcement misconduct...

Police officers across the country have been relocating, retiring and quitting in record numbers. In Chicago, 560 police officers retired, resulting in 15% more police officers retiring than in 2019. In 2019, police retirements were down by nearly 30%. Many police officers have taken a leave of absence and many are considering relocating to states with more police friendly laws or simply quitting their positions in law enforcement. Some police officers have said that the recent riots and demonstrations, including...

The former Minnesota police officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck during an arrest was recently convicted of second-degree murder and manslaughter. George Floyd’s death brought significant media attention to the use of chokeholds by police officers around the country. As a result, half of the largest police departments in the United States have banned or limited the use of neck restraint since June. Approximately 62% of police departments now explicitly prohibit chokeholds and carotid holds in their policies about...

Going through a divorce can be emotionally trying and confusing for all parties involved. This is especially true of the financial aspects of a divorce, including spousal maintenance calculations. Spousal maintenance, also called spousal support, or alimony, occurs when one spouse must pay the other spouse money on an ongoing basis after a divorce. Family court judges typically order spousal maintenance. However, spousal maintenance can also be agreed upon by the couple in a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement. Recent Changes...

Recently, a teenager and a 22-year old were fatally shot by Chicago police officers during foot chases. In the case of the 13-year-old, the Chicago Police Department has stated that bodycam footage shows he was holding a gun in his right hand. As he turned towards the police officer, he raised his empty hand, and the police officer shot him. They later found the gun behind the fence a few feet from where he was killed. Only two days later,...