Tenancy by the entirety gets a boostBy Helen W. GunnarssonSeptember 2010Lawpulse, Page 446Spouses no longer must choose between the protection against creditors provided by tenancy by the entirety and the estate-planning advantages of a revocable inter vivos trust.
ABN AMRO: A victory for the foreclosed-uponBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2010Lawpulse, Page 394The Illinois Supreme Court holds that in a foreclosure suit, the mortgage lender must name (and thus notify) the personal representative of a deceased borrower before the trial court can hear the case.
Family law software: not exempt from the rules of evidenceBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2010Lawpulse, Page 394Make sure you understand how support calculators work before relying on their results, and don't forget to lay a foundation for the report if you seek to enter it into evidence.
Market yourself to existing clientsBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2010Lawpulse, Page 394Don't hide your lamp under a bushel, experts warn, or your clients may head for lawyers with better self-promotional skills.
Real estate lawyers: beware short-sale fee agreementsBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2010Lawpulse, Page 394A proposed fee arrangement presented to a lawyer by a short sale negotiator raises red flags for a veteran real estate practitioner.
Virtual law firms: the new reality of lawyer collaborationBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2010Lawpulse, Page 394The keynote speaker at October's ISBA Solo and Small Firm Conference will tell participants how to thrive in a tough economy and changing practice landscape.
Cwik: state need not pay interest on unclaimed propertyBy Helen W. GunnarssonJuly 2010Lawpulse, Page 342The Illinois Supreme Court rules that the state can divest neglectful owners of interest earned on their property while it's in state custody for safekeeping.
Averett a win for prosecutorsBy Helen W. GunnarssonJune 2010Lawpulse, Page 286The Illinois high court rules that it isn't reversible error for a trial court to defer ruling on motions in limine to exclude prior convictions unless defendants testify - and that's bad news for defendants who choose not to testify.
Can you cite to unpublished opinions?By Helen W. GunnarssonJune 2010Lawpulse, Page 286In Illinois state court, no. In Illinois-based federal district courts, yes.
Yes, "nice" can work for youBy Helen W. GunnarssonJune 2010Lawpulse, Page 286An ISBA lawyer makes the case that niceness can pay professional dividends.
Codifying Illinois's rules of evidenceBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2010Lawpulse, Page 230A supreme court committee's proposed organizational scheme, fashioned after the Federal Rules of Evidence, would pull together Illinois' widely scattered evidence rules.
Court okays $20 handling fee for medical recordsBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2010Lawpulse, Page 230In a class action lawsuit, the Illinois Supreme Court has held that it is reasonable per se for a provider of medical record copies to charge the full amount of the statutory $20 fee pursuant to Article XX, Part 8 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The case is Solon v Midwest Medical Records Association, Inc, No 107719, 2010 WL 966395 (Ill Sup Ct).
A judge's guide to drafting ordersBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2010Lawpulse, Page 230A bankruptcy judge's 18 guidelines for drafting orders are a surprise hit on the blawgging circuit.
The POA Act amendment that wasn'tBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2010Lawpulse, Page 230Have you gotten that press release saying the Illinois Department of Public Health has "mandated new language" for healthcare POAs? Well, it hasn't.
Provena loses its charitable property tax exemptionBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2010Lawpulse, Page 230A hospital that gives away less than one percent of its annual revenue in free patient care doesn't qualify for a charitable property tax exemption, the Illinois Supreme Court holds.
Jury trial tipsBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2010Lawpulse, Page 174A veteran trial judge offers tips from the trenches for rookie litigators
Like it or not, you're on the 'NetBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2010Lawpulse, Page 174Do you know what they're saying about you out there? Or what you said that you probably shouldn't have? Here's how to find out and what you can do about it.
No pension for RyanBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2010Lawpulse, Page 174The supreme court reverses the appellate court and rules that George Ryan is not entitled to a pension for his years on the government payroll.
Supreme court rule changes bring more certainty to custody judgmentsBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2010Lawpulse, Page 174Before, custody orders weren't final and appealable if other issues were pending. Now they are, and that's good for kids, an appellate justice says. But she warns that family lawyers must pay closer attention than ever to appellate rules and deadlines.
