We are attorneys who will talk to anyone for free and answer questions about Illinois law. We got a lot of great questions and some of them are not enough for a full blog post, but still interesting. Here are some of the best ones from this year. If you have any questions and want to talk with a lawyer for free, call us any time at 312-346-5320. In no particular order.
Can a husband get alimony from a wife?
Yes. It’s called maintenance in Illinois and if one spouse makes a lot more than the other, the lighter earner could get it. And that’s true whether you are a husband or a wife.
My Chicago personal injury lawyer said I have to go to the doctor he wants to send me to. Is that true?
That is not true and in my opinion, only scummy personal injury lawyers in Chicago or elsewhere try to make you do this. There’s nothing wrong with them getting you in to a doctor if you don’t have one. But if it’s a requirement it’s gross and probably a sign that they are getting something in return from that doctor. I would never recommend you hire a lawyer that pushes that.
My mom passed away and her house is under water and she has a lot of other debt. Can they come after me for that?
If you didn’t co-sign on the mortgage or anything else, it’s not your responsibility. Beware of them sending you a document that tries to make it your problem. Nothing requires you to open up an estate after a parent passes. If you do, the estate would have to pay the debts most likely, but not you as an individual.
Been in my rental for seven years. Now on a month to month lease. Great tenant, never missed a payment. Landlord wants to rehab the place and sell it. Can they kick me out after all this time?
Unfortunately they can. If you don’t have a lease it gives you the flexibility to leave when you want and for them to get you out. If you don’t leave you’ll likely get evicted.
I fell at work inside the office and they said since I wasn’t at my work station on a factory line they aren’t covering anything. I hit so hard that I knocked out five teeth. Do I have a case?
Yes, depending on what caused you to fall. But if you were in your place of employment and slipped on water or tripped on a loose carpet or something like that, it’s a case and you are entitled to full Illinois work comp benefits.
My mom took out a life insurance policy out on me and my kids. We haven’t talked for years. Is it legal for her to do that?
Yes. It’s up to the insurance company to agree to create a life insurance policy. While usually they want a physical exam, if they are dumb enough to write a policy for people that they can’t interview, that’s their business. There is nothing you can do to stop this..
How do I revoke a power of attorney I gave to someone?
The best way is to do it in writing. There are many Illinois Power Of Attorney Revocation Forms available for free online if you do a quick search for that. You should then serve a copy on all parties who had your old power of attorney form such as the actual POA, doctors, etc.
I got Covid so my roommate moved out while I recovered. He’s now saying I owe him $500 for expenses that he had to pay while gone. Do I owe that money to him?
No. This is ridiculous. I get why someone moved out, but nothing in the law requires you to pay them anything for doing that.
I hope that this helps. We look forward to some great questions in 2023. As always, please contact us any time if we can help you in any way.