Posted on March 31, 2014 in Personal Injury

The arrival of spring means that summer is just around the corner. The warm weather will undoubtedly urge many people out of their homes and into local waterways to enjoy activities such as boating, waterskiing, tubing, and the like. While summer sports are fun, they can also be dangerous. Boating accidents do occur, and can have fatal outcomes. In order to curb fatalities associated with boating accidents, a state representative from Illinois is advocating a new law for boaters to follow.

The Proposal

State Representative JoAnn Osmond, a Republican from Antioch, has proposed a plan to state lawmakers that is meant to protect water skiers and tubers who have fallen into the water. According to an article recently published, the plan would require boaters who were towing a water skier or tuber to raise a flag if the person trailing behind the boat had fallen into the water. The flag would signal a warning to other boaters to be aware of the situation and watch for the person in the water.

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 Posted on March 28, 2014 in Immigration

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently held a public engagement on the EB-5 Immigrant Investor program. The EB-5 program is not well known around the world, and there have recently been changes to the way USCIS handles EB-5 applications.

Overview

The EB-5 visa allows a foreign national to become a permanent resident in the United States if the individual invests a certain amount of money in the U.S. economy. Applicants must invest $1 million in most instances, or $500,000 in a high unemployment or rural area, and also create at least 10 jobs for U.S. citizen workers within two years of the investment. The individual can invest in any type of for-profit venture they wish, including a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation or other business entity. If the application for the EB-5 investment is approved, the investor and the investor’s family will be given conditional permanent residency in the United States for two years.

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 Posted on March 28, 2014 in Family Law

The Changing Face of Infidelity

The Internet and the advent of social media have brought about change in how we interact with people. We often spend more time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or surfing the Web than socializing face-to-face. And with this change, online dating websites have become a popular way for people to meet. However, these sites have also become a way for people to cheat and engage in online infidelity, leading to grounds for divorce.

Online Dating While Married

While the Internet has improved our lives by making things faster, easier, and more accessible, it has also made it exponentially easier to have an affair. The Internet provides ample opportunities and discretion for a cheating spouse. This convenience has resulted in an alarming trend of people who use dating websites to engage in online infidelity.

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 Posted on March 28, 2014 in Personal Injury

Over the course of an individual's life, involvement in a car accident may occurr. And when involved, even if it is a minor accident, drivers can be caught off guard. Emotions may run high in the moments following an accident, as drivers quickly try to assess their well being and any damage done to their vehicles.

Yet those involved in a car accident for the first time may not know the appropriate steps to take immediately after the crash. However, these steps are important to know and remember in order to protect yourself and ensure proper protocol is followed. Illinois law and state agencies provide useful information on this topic to drivers.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) offers instructions for reporting a car crash. Per Illinois law, a written report of an accident must be submitted to the Administrator of IDOT within 10 days of the accident. Specifically, law requires that drivers of a vehicle involved in a crash resulting in injury, death, or property damage of at least $1,500 be reported. There are some cases that require a report even if the damage is at least $500, and if the vehicle is not covered by liability insurance.

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 Posted on March 25, 2014 in Personal Injury

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 Posted on March 22, 2014 in Family Law

It was a dream come true for a little girl in Bolivia: a family who wanted to adopt her. But more than three years later, the family from west suburban Aurora is still trying to bring 5-year-old Cecilia home. Attorney Brad Giglio of Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices says the feds have told him and his clients to be patient. Read more from CBS Chicago. Support Bringing Cecilia Home on Facebook.

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 Posted on March 20, 2014 in Personal Injury

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 Posted on March 20, 2014 in Family Law

In a move that may signal a trend amongst politically conservative states in America, a bill has been introduced in the Kansas House of Representatives that would eliminate “no-fault” divorce. The legislation, introduced by Republican Rep. Keith Esau on behalf of another representative, would strike that part of Kansas’ Divorce and Maintenance statute that lists “incompatibility” as a legally viable ground for a divorce decree. “No-fault divorce gives people an easy out instead of working at it. It would be my hope that they could work out their incompatibilities and learn to work together on things,” said Rep. Esau about the bill.

Detractors, however, see the goals as noble, but the means as flawed. Family law expert and attorney Morgan O’Hara Gering does not believe that this will reduce the number of divorces; rather, it will just make them more contentious. “It could create a lot more litigation and a lot more headaches just to fight about who’s to blame.”

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 Posted on March 18, 2014 in Personal Injury

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 Posted on March 17, 2014 in Immigration

The Immigration Act of 1990 had a huge impact on immigration law in the United States. It revised policies regarding deportation, authorized temporary protected status to non-citizens of certain countries, changed the Visa Waiver Program, and – maybe most importantly – established the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.

The Diversity Visa Lottery Program makes about 55,000 permanent resident visas available every year to natives of countries who have low rates of immigration to the United States. The lottery is administered by the U.S. Department of State. From an operational standpoint, people from most countries are allowed to apply for the visa program. The list of non-qualifying countries is much shorter, and as of last year included people from Brazil, Bangladesh, Mexico, Canada, and Vietnam. Non-qualifying countries can change year to year, depending on immigration rates. For example, Nigerians were added to the non-qualifying list last year.

In addition to being from a qualifying country, applicants must also either have a high school diploma or its equivalent, or have at least two year of job experience within the last 5 years. Although having a job already set up in the United States is not a requirement, the individual must show that he or she has a means of support.

The Application Process

Unfortunately, the application much different than the lottery we play in the U.S. to win money. First and foremost, the application process is free. If an applicant is asked to pay a fee for the application through a third party or asked to pay a fee for special help, the third party is probably running a scam. An applicant can apply once per year, and must submit an application called a DV-2015. The application period is usually in the fall of each year. More information on how to fill out the DV-2015 and the types of paper work that are needed can be found here.

Finally, even if an applicant “wins” the lottery, it does not necessarily mean that the applicant will actually receive a visa. The State Department typically announces more winners than there are spots, so applicants must quickly get in touch with the State Department and USCIS to follow up about their application. If the applicant does not do this, he or she may be out of luck, as the U.S. could run out of cards for that year.

If you happen to win the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery, or if you know someone who has, you should contact an experienced DuPage immigration attorney immediately. Working with USCIS and the State Department, and showing that the applicant should not be disqualified is a complex process. Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices can help navigate this process with applicants to help ensure the proper outcome.

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