Defendants liable for undiscounted hospital bills, appellate court rulesBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2004Lawpulse, Page 390The third district appellate court ruled early this year that a plaintiff is entitled to the amount of a hospital's undiscounted bill, not a lower amount negotiated by the plaintiff's insurance carrier.
Illinois pension recipients win at high courtBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2004Lawpulse, Page 390The U.S. Supreme Court upholds ERISA's "anti-cutback" provision, ruling that pension plans can't retroactively limit the kinds of jobs workers can take after they retire.
Posthumous pet protection provisionsBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2004Lawpulse, Page 390A new statute validates trusts for the benefit of pets, but what provisions should pet trusts include? Here are suggestions.
You, too, can be title insurance agentBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2004Lawpulse, Page 390Have – or hope to have – an active residential real estate practice? If you're not a title agent already, becoming one might well boost your bottom line.
Is laches a defense to child-support claims?By Helen W. GunnarssonJuly 2004Lawpulse, Page 334Probably not, no matter how long the obligee waits to collect; and the same goes for equitable estoppel.
Title work is lawyers' workBy Helen W. GunnarssonJuly 2004Lawpulse, Page 334Leading real estate practitioners warn their fellow lawyers not to cede control over title work to realtors.
Watch out for (un)real estate dealsBy Helen W. GunnarssonJuly 2004Lawpulse, Page 334Don't let your clients lead you down the road to a RESPA violation by misstating the price of real estate.
Ethics overkill?By Helen W. GunnarssonJune 2004Lawpulse, Page 286The Illinois Municipal League and the Illinois AG offer competing model ethics-in-government ordinances for local governmental bodies.
Hall v Henn discourages neighborliness, critics sayBy Helen W. GunnarssonJune 2004Lawpulse, Page 286Critics fear that the supreme court's interpretation of an immunity statute will discourage landowners from making their property available to others.
Is doubling the bankruptcy homestead exemption on the horizon?By Helen W. GunnarssonJune 2004Lawpulse, Page 286Bigger homestead and personal property exemptions would benefit debtor-homeowners and encourage more debtors to opt for Chapter 7, not Chapter 13, relief.
Legislators consider the Gestational Surrogacy ActBy Helen W. GunnarssonJune 2004Lawpulse, Page 286What happens when a pregnant surrogate changes her mind? When the intended parents divorce during the pregnancy? HB 4962 would address those questions and others.
LLC info now on the WebBy Helen W. GunnarssonJune 2004Lawpulse, Page 286Thanks to the Illinois Secretary of State's office, more information about LLCs is now available online.
Accepting fee payments by credit card; priceless?By Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2004Lawpulse, Page 236Charging interest on late accounts and accepting fee payments by credit card are a carrot-and-stick approach to getting paid on time.
New rule mandates expedited custody appealsBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2004Lawpulse, Page 236Amended Supreme Court Rule 306A is designed to ensure quicker resolution of child custody cases. But how will it work in practice?
No police "eavesdropping" on sexual predators; even in cyberspace?By Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2004Lawpulse, Page 236The Illinois eavesdropping statute's prohibition against taping with only one party's consent hampers legitimate law enforcement, a legal scholar opines.
Responding to HIPAA-violation complaintsBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2004Lawpulse, Page 236Prevention is the best remedy; does your "covered entity" client have an adequate privacy policy in effect?
How to represent an apartment buyerBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2004Lawpulse, Page 170Contributors to an ISBA e-mail discussion group create a primer that describes what any attorney should insist upon when representing the buyer of an apartment building.
A kindercentric custody-law proposalBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2004Lawpulse, Page 170ISBA's Family Law Section Council has proposed a revolutionary revamp of Illinois's child custody law that puts the rights and interests of children first.
Limited license for corporate counsel; a mixed blessing?By Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2004Lawpulse, Page 170New Supreme Court Rule 716, which creates a limited license to practice for Illinois-based in-house counsel, is getting mixed reviews in corporate law departments.
"No" to compulsory DUI blood testsBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2004Lawpulse, Page 170A second district case holds that nonconsensual, non-treatment-related blood and urine tests are inadmissible in DUI trials.
Out-of-state lawyers OK'd for Illinois arbitrationsBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2004Lawpulse, Page 170The first district holds that lawyers who aren't licensed in Illinois can nonetheless represent clients in Illinois-based arbitrations.
Attorney fees, family law and In re Marriage of KingBy Helen W. GunnarssonMarch 2004Lawpulse, Page 118The Illinois Supreme Court has given divorce lawyers one more reason to get as much of their fee up front as possible.
Preserving nursing home residents' assets is harder than everBy Helen W. GunnarssonMarch 2004Lawpulse, Page 118As a recent third district case shows, it's nigh impossible to create a trust that enables nursing home residents who still have assets to qualify for Medicaid and thereby preserve an estate for the next generation.
VESSA: unpaid leave for domestic violence victimsBy Helen W. GunnarssonMarch 2004Lawpulse, Page 118Find out about this newly effective law that, like the Family and Medical Leave Act, grants unpaid leave to covered workers.
Whistleblower cases: high-risk, high-returnBy Helen W. GunnarssonMarch 2004Lawpulse, Page 118Whistleblower cases can be personally and financially rewarding, but know what you're getting into.
