Illinois has long had one of the toughest eavesdropping laws in the union. With the proliferation of devices (like the ubiquitous cell phone) that are able to record conversations easily, the Illinois eavesdropping law is triggered far more often than most people ever realize. A recent Illinois Supreme Court decision, decided March 20, 2014, changes…
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Education, skills and experience are important, but there is more to hiring than those traditional measures, so says Laszlo Bock, the senior vice president of people operations for Google. Unless you have been living in a cave (with no Internet connection), you know that Google has dominated the world’s most competitive and lucrative market –…
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When a loved one dies, a typical estate often consists of a house, some small bank accounts, an IRA or 401(k), maybe a vehicle, and tangible personal property. For many people, the biggest asset they own is a house, and a house can pose the biggest challenge for a small estate. This articles takes a short…
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Other aspects of estate planning are more complex, but choosing a trustee is one of the more difficult decisions to make. People are encouraged to choose several trustees in order of succession, but sometimes choosing any trustees can be difficult in light of family relationships and other factors. Choosing a trustee is a very personal…
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People often confuse executors and trustees. Both roles are fundamental to estate planning, but the roles are distinctly different. Understanding the difference between is essential to estate planning. Simply put, executors are to Wills what trustees are to Trusts. An accurate picture of the difference, however, requires more detail. Most everyone knows that a Will…
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Have you ever wondered how nice it would be if the Illinois State Legislature took a year off? Of the making of new laws there seems to be no end. People who count these things estimate over 40,000 new laws are passed in the United States each year. Many people might be glad to give our State…
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Benjamin Franklin famously remarked that “nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” In fact, sometimes death and taxes go together. The federal government and state governments impose estate taxes on the assets people own when they die. That is the bad news. The good news is that most people will not be…
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Did you know that people hired by contractors are presumed to be employees by state law? – even if a contract calls them independent contractors! Beginning on January 14, 2014, individuals can be held liable for violations of the Employee Classification Act. If you are a contractor who employs independent contractors, you need to become familiar…
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Most people have a picture of the court process in their minds that is a composite of all of the courtroom dramas watched on the big screen and the little screen, from “To Kill a Mockingbird” to “Boston Legal”. Most people understand that picture is a caricature but do not understand what the real court…
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Hiring a contractor or a vendor can be a scary proposition. There are so many contractors and vendors of services to choose from, especially in this down economy. People who worked for others at another time have lost their jobs and have had to go into business for themselves. Not everyone is equally skilled; not…
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