Late last year, President Trump signed the GOP's tax bill into law. While it has been lauded in some circles as a welcome tax break for American workers and businesses, changes to the tax code will make getting divorced more expensive for maintenance payors by removing a deduction in place since 1942.

Beginning on January 1, 2019, former spouses that pay maintenance will not be able to deduct the payments from their taxes. This change only applies to orders or settlements signed after January 1, 2019.

Under the new tax law, not only will maintenance payors be unable to deduct the payments from their taxes, payees will not have to report the money as income. This will change the calculations under Illinois's new maintenance statute, which are based on the gross incomes of both spouses.

Orlando Theme Parks for March
March is a beautiful time of year to visit Orlando theme parks. It's also a great time to enjoy tons of savings through TicketsatWork.com. This month, check out Mardi Gras without leaving Central Florida with the annual Mardi Gras party at Universal Orlando's CityWalk and when you buy 2 days you'll get 2 days free! Meanwhile, check out all of the magic happening at Walt Disney World including the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival this March with a 4-Day Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus Ticket and you'll get 1 day free. For more ways to enjoy Orlando theme parks this March visit TicketsatWork.com.

Get the tips and advice you need to run your practice without fear of liability! The best way to avoid a malpractice claim is to know what issues to be aware of and how to avoid them, as well as the ethical rules that should be guiding you throughout your practice.

Each year, the Illinois State Bar Association sponsors Ask A Lawyer Day to recognize and celebrate Law Day, which celebrates the role of law in our society and cultivates a deeper understanding of the legal profession. During Ask A Lawyer Day, volunteers respond to telephone calls from the public to answer general legal questions free of charge. The calls help members of the public resolve their legal issues or assist them in taking the next steps toward resolving those issues. This is a state-wide public relations effort that receives considerable attention from the public and the media.

This year's Ask A Lawyer Day will be held on Saturday, April 28, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Illinois Bar Center in Springfield and the Chicago Regional Office.

If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the online form at www.isba.org/askalawyervolunteer. 

Asked and Answered

By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Q. I am the owner of a general practice firm in Chicago’s west suburbs. My firm has three associate attorneys and three staff members. I am 64 and contemplating my retirement and exit from the practice. I would like to start phasing back over the next three years and be out of the practice by December 31, 2021. There is one associate in the firm to whom I would like to sell the practice and he has expressed an interest as well. What are your thoughts as to how I approach this?

You are invited to represent ISBA alongside the Standing Committee on Marketing & Communications by marching in the 2018 St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago on March 17. An annual tradition for ISBA, walking alongside our mobile billboard is a great opportunity to represent the association and our lawyers to the public.

The parade begins at noon at Balbo and Columbus, and proceeds north on Columbus. Members interested in participating can meet at the ISBA Chicago Regional Office, 20 S. Clark Street, Ste. 900 in the morning to walk to the parade as a group at 11:30 a.m. or meet at the parade site. Interested participants are encouraged to bring family and friends. The ISBA parade number will be released the week of the parade.

Contact Sara Anderson at sanderson@isba.org if you would like to participate or for further information.

All ISBA systems will be down due to electrical work between 7 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Sunday, March 4. During this time the ISBA website will not be available. As a result you will also not be able to log into Fastcase, online CLE, and ISBA Central. Here is what you need to know and steps you can take to ensure continued service.

Online CLE

You will not be able to access online CLE at all during the outage. We urge you to plan your weekend CLE needs around the outage.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to transform an underperforming practice into a well-performing one! Join us via the Internet on March 7, 2018 as Kerry M. Lavelle teaches us the benefits of a well-performing practice to the firm’s partners, staff attorneys, employees, and clients. Learn how to identify an underperforming practice, why a fix is necessary, and the tools needed to transform the firm into a successful one.

The United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the Southern District of Illinois has one criminal assistant united states attorney (AUSA) position available in the Fairview Heights office. The Criminal Division is divided into three units: Fraud and Corruption, Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement, and Violent Crimes. Over two-thirds of  the criminal case load consists of drug trafficking crimes and crimes of violence, including child exploitation offenses. Approximately 15 percent of our criminal cases are white collar crimes, including official corruption and theft.

The Illinois Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, March 15, at 10:30 a.m.

The court periodically holds oral arguments at various locations throughout Illinois to better inform the public on the work it does. According to statements made by Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier in a press release issued by the court, inviting community residents to attend helps demystify the the appellate process, which is often poorly understood — sometimes even by lawyers. He also noted that holding arguments outside of the Illinois Supreme Court Building in Springfield reminds court members that rulings have a direct and real impact on the state's citizens.