Posted on April 02, 2020 in Family Law

Whether you find yourself in the early stages of the divorce process, have just recently made the mutual decision with your spouse to end your marriage, or are in the middle of litigation proceedings, divorce-related stress can be all-consuming. The difficult decision to say goodbye to your marriage can quickly take a toll on you emotionally, mentally, and even physically. Familiarizing yourself with healthy, constructive coping skills is crucial to manage divorce stress and keep it from negatively affecting your health in both the short and long term.

Key Coping Skills for Managing Stress

Even couples who divorce amicably and civilly must work at balancing the emotional effects of such a big life change. Keep the following tips in mind to better cope with common divorce anxieties:

1. Put yourself first - Chances are, you have heard self-help experts stress the value and importance of self-care during times of major life changes, including divorce. These recommendations exist for a reason — they work. Mental health experts remind us that maintaining our routines as much as possible is actually a part of self-care, particularly when it comes to maintaining daily exercise, sleep patterns, or lunch dates with friends. Another way to make self-care a priority is to give yourself permission to take breaks, invest your time and energy in activities that bring you joy, and share your time with others, such as involving yourself in a volunteer effort.

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 Posted on March 26, 2020 in Family Law

For those going through a divorce, the process of ending a marriage can all too often create a sense of tunnel vision. Due to the mental strain and the waves of emotion that come with this major life change, people tend to focus only on the immediate needs in front of them during such a time, like making it through the legal paperwork or court proceedings. Other priorities may also capture a person's attention in the midst of handling the technical details, from creating parenting plans and making new living arrangements to possibly relocating.

The Decision to Get a Divorce Is Only the Beginning

From the moment you and your spouse decide to end your relationship, the task of pursuing a divorce can be overwhelming, even when the decision is an amicable one. Sadly, calling it quits is just the beginning when it comes to moving forward. Once you make it through the actual divorce process, rebuilding your life piece by piece is a challenge, but it can also be an opportunity for positive growth and healthy changes. The key is to strategize and put a game plan in place for yourself so that you have a sense of direction and clarity following the end of your marriage.

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 Posted on March 25, 2020 in Immigration

Many people from other countries wish to become U.S. citizens through naturalization. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) governs the process that allows foreign nationals to enter the United States lawfully. In other situations, current permanent residents and U.S. citizens wish to bring their relatives to live and work in the United States. In order to enhance the efficiency of immigration proceedings, the USCIS is continually making updates to its policies and procedures. Starting on February 1, 2020, the Petition for Alien Relative will only be processed by USCIS if it is a domestic case or by the Department of State (DOS) for international cases.

Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

Form I-130 is the first step for an eligible relative to apply to immigrate to the United States and obtain a Green Card. This form is usually approved if it can be established that a relationship exists between you and your relative that qualifies for immigration to the United States. Once a petition is approved, the second step in the process is when the immigrant relative applies to become a lawful permanent resident (LPR). In some cases, the family member must wait until a visa number is available before applying. An immigrant visa is always available for immediate family members (spouse of a U.S. citizen; unmarried child under 21 of a U.S. citizen; or parent of a U.S. citizen who is 21 or older).

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 Posted on March 12, 2020 in Personal Injury

Car accidents are dangerous for drivers and passengers. Both adults and children alike can suffer serious injuries in a collision. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death among children in the United States. Even children who do not die in car accidents can sustain significant injuries. The CDC reports that nearly 116,000 children suffered injuries from motor vehicle accidents in 2017. There is no way that you can know when an automobile crash is going to happen, but in the event your child is injured in a crash, contacting an experienced personal injury lawyer right away is key to seeking compensation for any damages.

The Importance of Car Seat Safety

The best way to protect your child when riding in a vehicle is to make sure he or she is restrained in an appropriate car seat. Illinois has laws that require children to be restrained in a certain way depending on their age, weight, and height. Children who are under the age of 2 years old should be secured in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least 40 pounds or 40 inches tall. After they outgrow a rear-facing car seat, they can transition to a forward-facing seat that has an internal harness system. Children should never be placed in the front seat, especially if they are in a rear-facing car seat.

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 Posted on March 11, 2020 in Immigration

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently implemented the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds final rule. As of February 24, 2020, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is mandating this implementation of its new Public Charge Rule across the United States. The new rule requires that a set of circumstances be applied to make a proposed determination of whether an intending immigrant is likely to become a “public charge” at any time after admission to the United States. This means the Intending Immigrant must demonstrate that he or she is capable of being financially independent in the United States after receiving residency. All Adjustment of Status applicants are subject to the new rule, although there are a few exceptions, including refugees, asylum seekers, U and T visa applicants, as well as special juvenile immigrants and interpreters.

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 Posted on March 06, 2020 in Family Law

Family therapists everywhere have a number of differing views on the effects of divorce, but one truth they collectively agree on is that the experience is both complex and unique for everyone. Some spouses experience a roller coaster of highs and lows or episodes of intense emotional trauma, while others feel a great sense of relief and waves of elation as they rediscover and reclaim the identity they feel they lost throughout their marriage. Wherever you fall on the emotional scale of divorce, one thing is certain: the journey is a complicated emotional process, and its aftermath will inevitably take a toll on you to some degree.

Various Layers of Loss

It is natural to have limited ability to predict and look ahead at your life post-divorce. It can be very difficult to anticipate how the changes that come with the end of your marriage will make you feel or what they will look like until you are actually facing them head-on. While not everyone experiences a negative, turbulent divorce, even those who undergo a mutual, peaceful split still come face-to-face with forms of grief they may have not considered in the early stages of the separation. You may underestimate the magnitude of the following losses after your divorce because you simply cannot fully prepare for the results:

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 Posted on March 05, 2020 in Personal Injury

Car accidents can range in severity from a simple fender-bender in which nobody is hurt to more severe crashes that total the vehicle and kill the occupants. Many factors affect the severity of a motor vehicle collision, including the cause of the accident, the speed at which the vehicles were traveling, and even whether or not the occupants were wearing seat belts at the time of impact. While any auto accident has the capacity to be severe in both property damage and injuries to those involved, T-bone car accidents can be especially serious.

What Is a T-Bone Collision?

T-bone accidents are named so because the two vehicles involved in resemble the letter T when colliding. T-bone accidents are also referred to as side-impact collisions, because one vehicle will strike the other in the side. All car accidents can result in injuries, but side-impact crashes can result in especially severe injuries or even death. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), side-impact crashes were responsible for 23 percent of accident fatalities in 2018.

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 Posted on March 04, 2020 in Immigration

As part of the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the federal agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States of America. The agency manages the process that allows individuals from other countries to live and work in the United States. Part of USCIS’s mission is to protect the safety of U.S. citizens. USCIS is currently monitoring the effects of the public health emergency related to the 2019 coronavirus outbreak on its operations. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated the virus has sickened more than 60,000 people worldwide. In response to the reports that the virus was first identified in China, the U.S. Department of State instructions, USCIS is temporarily closing its field offices in Beijing and Guangzhou. Appointments in those locations will be rescheduled and USCIS will notify the affected applicants by sending them new appointment notices.

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 Posted on February 28, 2020 in Personal Injury

Any kind of car accident has the potential to be dangerous, resulting in serious injuries to those involved. Head-on collisions, however, tend to be some of the most traumatic types of vehicle crashes. In these cases, the force of the impact can cause significant damage to the vehicles and serious or fatal injuries to drivers and passengers. Pursuing compensation after a head-on collision is usually fairly straightforward because of the nature of the accident. However, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you make sure you are fully compensated for your damages.

Causes of Head-On Crashes

Car accidents can vary in severity, and they can occur for a variety of reasons. However, head-on collisions are usually very serious, and they often occur because of driver negligence. Some forms of negligence that can lead to head-on crashes include:

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 Posted on February 27, 2020 in Immigration

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security that controls the country’s naturalization and immigration system. There have been many changes to immigration laws under the current White House administration, often garnering a lot of news coverage. For those seeking asylum in the United States, understanding the required legal process is the first step in entering the country lawfully. The USCIS recently declared that it will accept applications to adjust the status for select Liberian nationals to lawful permanent resident (LPR). This adjustment is possible according to the National Defense Authorization Act’s “Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness” (LRIF) doctrine starting for the Fiscal Year 2020.

What Are the Qualifications for LPR Adjustment of Status?

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