Recent Blog Posts
The Value of a Rotator Cuff Tear with Surgery
The Illinois Workers Compensation Act has determined that the value of a rotator cuff tear is based on a man as a whole pursuant to recent case law, as opposed to loss of use of an arm. A man as a whole case has a total value is 500 weeks, whereas loss of use… Read More »
Family Law – 2017 Year in Review
Collaborative practice codified It’s been used for nearly three decades in more than two dozen countries and every state in the U.S. But starting January 1, 2018, the interdisciplinary model of conflict resolution known as collaborative law will be formally codified here through the Illinois Collaborative Process Act. Used most often in family law… Read More »
Social Security and Divorce
How is Social Security Affected by Divorce? According to Federal statute, Social Security benefits are not divisible in divorce proceedings, and therefore cannot be considered a marital asset subject to distribution. However, federal law does not prohibit the division of pension benefits that are received in lieu of Social Security. In some jurisdictions, courts… Read More »
Who Gets Fido in your Divorce?
How Do You Decide Who Gets the Family Pets? Effective January 1st 2018, a new Illinois divorce law will let a judge decide who is the best parent for the family pet. Previously, companion animals were treated like furniture in a divorce. They were divided up between the splitting couple as part of the… Read More »
Name Change After Divorce and a Better Approach to Maintenance
Family Law and Divorce Changes for 2018 On September 22, 2017, HB 2537 became Public Act 100-0520: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=100-0520&GA=100. This new bill makes changes to the Code of Civil Procedure and the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA), which has been the subject of a major overhaul in the past few years. The… Read More »
Email Service of Legal Documents in Divorce Cases
The Law of Email Service Effective on July 1st 2017, email service is required and the death bell has rung for service by fax. Faxing documents is no longer the proper method for serving them. In addition, attorneys must now include an email address when they themselves can be served with documents on all… Read More »
What To Do When A Case Nurse Manager Shows Up At Your Doctor’s Appointment
Often an injured worker first finds out that there has been a nurse case manager assigned to their case is when they meet the nurse case manager at the treating physician’s office for the first time. Insurance companies will generally spring the nurse case manager on the injured worker so the injured worker does… Read More »
Medical Bills Paid After An Auto Accident
GETTING YOUR MEDICAL BILLS PAID AFTER A CAR CRASH After you have been in a auto accident that is not your fault, when you get home from the hospital, many injured parties believe that the insurance company of the person who caused the car crash will pay the medical bills right away. This will… Read More »
Value of a Torn Meniscus with Surgery after an Accident at Work
The Illinois Workers Compensation Act determines the value of a meniscus knee surgery based on a percentage loss use of the leg. The Illinois Workers Compensation Act states that a total loss use of the leg is 215 weeks. Once the percentage of disability of that leg resulting from a meniscus tear with surgery… Read More »