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Recent Blog Posts
Survey Says Small Business Owners Are Optimistic About the Future but There Are Still Concerns - How a Business Law Attorney Can Help Resolve Them
Small businesses are the backbone of America's economy, but they are also the most susceptible to failure - and not just because they must compete against corporations and large chain stores. The recession hit everyone hard, but small businesses experienced mass closure and bankruptcy. Those that survived had to weather out the recession and hope that people would start spending money again. Now that it is happening, new and old small business owners say they are optimistic about their future, a recent survey said. However, there are still concerns. Learn what they are, how to mitigate them, and what an experienced business law attorney can help.
Small Businesses and the Nuances of Business Law
Laws change all the time - and that includes laws relating to business. Corporations typically have teams of attorneys to inform them of major changes that could impact their company. The same cannot be said for small business owners. Because of this, smaller businesses tend to be more susceptible to things like lawsuits (sometimes from patrons or consumers, but usually from employees), and they may struggle to ensure that they stay in compliance with some of the more complex employment law matters. In some instances, such as those relating to federal or state taxes, can place not just a business at risk, but also its owner.
Children and Divorce - How Your Child's Age Impacts Their Ability to Cope and Understand the Changes in Your Family
Divorce can be a mentally, emotionally, and financially complex process for all involved parties, but children tend to be the most vulnerable. Age, developmental stage, and family dynamics all may play a role in a child's ability to cope and understand the changes happening within their family, and that can impact their likelihood of experiencing maladjustment during or after the divorce. Learn how you can mitigate against the adverse effects of divorce in your child, based on their age, and discover what an experienced divorce lawyer can do to help.
Infants and Toddlers
Infants and toddlers may not understand the changes that are occurring in their family during the divorce process - nor could they, really - but that does not mean they are immune from the negative effects. In fact, they may be more prone to long-term issues if there is a great deal of stress and contention during the divorce because their brains and immune systems are still developing. As such, parents should be especially diligent in protecting their child from the potential consequences of divorce. You can do this by maintaining a routine that is as close to "normal" as possible and ensuring the child has ample time with both parents (unless the environment would be considered unfit or unsafe).
Using Social Media to Grow Your Commercial Real Estate Business
Growing a commercial real estate business is no easy task, and the more saturated the market gets, the more difficult promoting your business becomes. To stay in the competition, real estate investors are encouraged to utilize today's more powerful marketing tool: social media. Learn more in the following sections, and discover how a commercial real estate attorney can help protect your business from the most commonly experienced issues in the market.
Why Use Social Media?
Social media use has grown exponentially over the last several years. It is where consumers connect with friends and family. It is also where they gain information regarding where they should spend and invest their money. On the one hand, this is a positive thing, as it gives consumers more choices, but it can also make it difficult for smaller, start-up businesses to attract the kind of attention they need to grow.
Wills and Living Trusts - Do You Need Both?
Estate planning is a complex and highly personalized process (at least it should be), and that means that no two estate plans are exactly the same. However, there are similarities and generalized information that one can use to determine which estate planning option may be most appropriate for their situation.
Consider, for example, the comparison of a will and living trust. Each strategy works the same, regardless of your situation, but your situation may warrant that you use one document or the other. Also, there may be certain scenarios in which both strategies are needed. Learn more about when this may occur, and discover how our seasoned estate planning lawyers can assist you in developing an estate plan that suits your needs.
Comparing Wills and Living Trusts
Illinois Upholds the Right to Yelp - What Business Owners Should Know About Online Reviews
Business owners are used to word of mouth publicity. They even know how to encourage it in the right context - but today's consumer is different. He or she uses social media and the internet to determine where they will shop, eat, or purchase goods. Online reviews, such as those left on review sites like Yelp, play a key role in their decisions.
Many business owners have struggled with this new platform, and some have even attacked the right to leave reviews online, claiming there is no way to verify that the consumer even visited their establishment. However, the law has upheld a consumer's right to use such sites. Learn what this could mean for your business in the following sections, and discover how an experienced business law attorney may be able to help boost your company's bottom line.
Illinois Changes How "Pet Custody" is Determined in a Divorce
The percentage of couples who have decided to forgo having children has increased dramatically in the last several years. Yet, because some of them still crave the nurturing aspect of parenting, many decide to adopt a pet. In such situations, the animal often becomes more like another member of the family than an animal that is owned. Unfortunately, some of those same animals have been ripped from the owner that cherished them (and worse) during divorce proceedings. That is because, in the past, pets have been treated more like a piece of furniture - an asset that cannot be divided - than a living being. Thankfully, a new law is changing that. Learn more, including how an experienced divorce attorney can assist in your divorce case.
Animals as Assets - How the Old Law Affected Divorcing Parties and Their Pets
Dealing with a Tenant's Security Deposit Dispute
Even the most meticulous landlord can experience a security deposit dispute. Thankfully, diligence tends to pay off in such matters. Learn more about how a few basic steps can help you fight and potentially win against a tenant's security deposit dispute, and discover how an experienced landlord-tenant dispute attorney can help.
Illinois' Rules on Security Deposits
Illinois has certain requirements regarding the return of security deposits with which landlords must comply. First and foremost, deposits are supposed to be returned to tenants within 30 to 45 days after they have vacated the premises, depending on whether the tenant disputes any of the deductions that were made against their deposit. If the tenant leased a unit from a property with five or more units, the landlord must also supply the tenant with an itemized statement that explains what deductions have been made, and why.
No Children? Do Not Skip the Estate Planning Process
People who do not have children often assume that their assets will go directly to their spouse, so an estate plan is not needed. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Learn why it is still important that you consider the future of your estate, even when you do not have children, and discover how an experienced wills and trusts lawyer can assist you with the development of your estate plan.
What Happens to Assets When You Do Not Have an Estate Plan?
When someone dies without a valid will or trust in place, their assets typically go to their spouse. Unfortunately, there are situations that could prevent them from obtaining the assets. Examples include an ex-spouse that is still listed as a beneficiary on a retirement plan and probate challenges from extended family members who were not intended beneficiaries.
Structuring Your Business - Limited Liability Partnerships versus Limited Liability Companies
The structure of a business is more than just a critical element; it is what dictates nearly every aspect of the business. Sadly, too many business owners fail to give the decision of how to structure their business enough thought, which can place them and their partners and investors at risk for legal and financial consequences. Discover how even the smallest of differences in structure, such as those seen in limited liability partnerships (LLP) and limited liability companies (LLC), can make all the difference in the future stability of your company, and learn how an experienced Illinois business law attorney can assist you in making the right decision for your company's needs.
Examining the Similarities Between LLPs and LLCs
For the most part, LLPs and LLCs are formed, structured, and treated the same. Each provides the partners with a "pass-through" option on their taxes, which allows them to avoid the "double taxation" that corporations are required to pay. LLCs and LLPs also handle partner buy-in and sell-out in a similar fashion, and neither has a limit on the number of partners that the business can have. Because of this, LLPs and LLCs have become quite popular among businesses that might have otherwise been forced to register as a corporation.
Parenting Plans for Children with Disabilities - Understanding the Challenges and Considerations
Parenting a child with disabilities can be a joy, but there are numerous challenges as well. When a two-parent household becomes one because of a death, divorce, or separation, those challenges can seem overwhelming. To make matters even worse, such incidents may cause severe regression and long-lasting behavioral problems in children with disabilities. Thankfully, it may be possible to mitigate against the risks in situations like divorce. Learn more, including how a well-crafted parenting plan and the assistance of an attorney can improve the outcome of your Illinois divorce.
Challenges That Special Needs' Parents May Face in Divorce
Divorcing with a special needs' child means you not only have the typical challenges in divorce, such as determining how often the child cycles between homes and how you and your ex-spouse will communicate about matters involving your child, you also have the challenges that are specific to your child. For example, if you and your spouse have not always seen eye to eye on the types of treatments or interventions that your child needs, you might be concerned over how medical decisions will be made in the future.
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