Blog Grid - Law Offices of Reilly & Skerston, LLC

DuPage judge strikes down law requiring divorced parents to fund kids’ college education

Saying the law is essentially antiquated and violates the equal protection rights of divorced parents, a DuPage County judge has found a state law requiring divorced couples to fund their children’s college education to be unconstitutional. Saying the law is essentially antiquated and violates the equal protection rights of divorced parents, a DuPage County judge has found a state law requiring divorced couples to fund their children’s college education to be unconstitutional. On May 4, DuPage County Circuit Court Judge Thomas A. Else ruled the 40-year-old Illinois law cannot be used to force a divorced father to pay against his

Supreme Court: Cops need warrant for cell phone location data

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a person doesn’t hand over their right to privacy just because they use a mobile phone. In the opinion released last month, the high court ruled that a man convicted of a string of robberies was wrongly tracked by the government that got his mobile phone data from the carrier. The court essentially said law enforcement must get a warrant to track someone using their phone data. The initial rules had been put in place in the 1970s, before cell phones became so common. Justice John Roberts said in the opinion that getting

How lawyers and judges can help rebuild public trust and confidence in our justice system

At all levels, our court systems and legal service providers are struggling. Providers have fewer resources to deliver adequate civil and criminal legal services necessary to address the unmet legal needs of our nation’s poor, near-poor, and those of moderate means. Large corporations and others who can afford the cost of litigation often turn away from the courts because of delays, inefficiencies and legal costs. The inadequate funding of our co-equal, third branch of government has contributed to an erosion of public confidence in our courts. However, the challenges in both the civil and criminal justice arenas are not only

Study finds Illinois doles out some the toughest penalties for driving offenses

Illinois’ police forces may not give out the most speeding tickets but when they do, state laws make them some of the most expensive in the nation. A new report by financial service company WalletHub found that Illinois comes down the harder on speeders than nearly any other state but it has some of the harshest penalties in the nation. It was tied with three other states for eighth-strictest overall and fourth in terms of speeding enforcement, behind only Virginia, Arizona and New Mexico. It ranked fourth in the nation in terms of WalletHub’s “speeding enforcement” rankings. That’s based on

Make this Estate Planning move right now

Three ‘horror stories’ to convince you how important this is Regardless of your income or net worth, there’s one estate planning move you should probably make right now: check the beneficiary designations. With today’s relatively generous $11.18 million federal estate tax exemption, estate planning is only a concern for the rich. Right? Wrong! In fact, regardless of your income or net worth, there’s one estate planning move you should probably make right now: check the beneficiary designations for your life insurance policies, bank accounts, brokerage firm accounts, retirement accounts, and so forth. If you’ve not yet turned in the proper

New requirement for grandparents and nonparents seeking visitation rights

Pub. Act 100-0706 (effective Jan. 1, 2019) (amending 750 ILCS 5/602.9) The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act was modified to require that grandparents and great-grandparents seeking visitation rights for a grandchild with unmarried parents need only legally establish the parent-child relationship for the parent to whom they are related. The new requirement applies when a grandparent, great-grandparent, step-parent, or sibling of a child seeks visitation rights of such child born to unmarried parents not living together. Step-parents now only need to establish the parent-child relationship between the child and the parent they are married to or were married

Parents could face jail time if their kids miss too much school

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WRSP) — Under Illinois law, kids between the ages of six and 17 are required to attend school and when it comes to absences, they can’t miss more than nine days a year. “It’s hard to learn when you’re not in school,” Addams Elementary School Principal Mike Grossen said. A District 186 elementary school has a new way to encourage parents to get their kids to school.“Actually, I got this idea at Sandburg Elementary School,” Grossen said. The school put up a board to track absences, tardiness and early dismissals from the day before. The sign, which is

Attorney Jennifer Bunker Skerston presented for the Parkinson’s Support Group

On October 1, 2018, St. Margaret’s support group for persons affected by Parkinson’s disease met at 1:30 p.m. in Spring Valley, Illinois. The support group offers emotional support and information for people affected by Parkinson’s disease and their families. The group meets monthly in St. Margaret’s Presentation Room for socialization. Attorney Jennifer Bunker Skerston presented valuable information about estate planning, Powers of Attorney, their importance and implications. The presentation addressed important aspects on Financial Powers of Attorney, Health Care Powers of Attorney, their role and importance for people with Parkinson’s disease. The question of whether or not having an Estate

Merry Christmas 2018!

For all of us at Reilly Law Office, LLC the end of the year brings no greater joy than the opportunity to express to you season’s greetings and good wishes. May your holidays and New Year be filled with joy.

The Need for a Will

Well-known financial columnist Mary Hunt states, “Every adult needs his or her own will – one that is frequently updated and compliant with the laws of the state in which that person maintains permanent residence”. There are numerous problems with using the online or off the shelf will forms. A simple will for an individual prepared by an attorney is not that costly. The forms available online are often confusing and require some degree of computer savvy that not everyone has. An attorney will also be able to answer any legal questions you may have before signing your will and

JENNIFER BUNKER SKERSTON Named to the 2019 Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star List

We are pleased to announce that Jennifer Bunker Skerston, a partner at Law Offices of Reilly & Skerston, LLC, has been selected to the 2019 Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star list in the area of Family Law. This is an exclusive list, recognizing no more than five percent of attorneys in the State. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a research-driven, peer influenced rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Attorneys are selected from more than 70 practice areas and all firm sizes, assuring a credible and relevant annual

Law Offices of Reilly & Skerston, LLC: Serving your legal needs in Streator, Ottawa, and LaSalle

Law Offices of Reilly & Skerston, LLC is located in Streator with appointments available in Ottawa and LaSalle. Attorneys James T. Reilly and Jennifer Bunker Skerston have represented clients throughout central Illinois for more than 45 years combined. Law Offices of Reilly & Skerston, LLC is a full-service general practice law firm including Estate Planning and Administration, Social Security Disability, Family Law, Accidents, Workers’ Compensation, Criminal and Traffic matters. Both Jim and Jennifer handle family law matters involving custody determinations, divorces, paternity, adoptions and guardianships. Jim is a mediator certified for family law issues required to be heard according to

The Right Time to Hire a Disability Lawyer.

If you have been diagnosed with a medical condition that is hindering your ability to work, you may be considering a Social Security Disability application. You may have already taken the steps necessary to get the ball rolling. Regardless of where you are in the process, enlisting the help of an experienced Social Security Attorney is always a good idea. The majority of disability claims are initially denied often due to the applicant’s inability to provide sufficient medical evidence. Additionally, there are specific deadlines that must be met throughout the application process. If your claim is denied you only have

Five Years of Service Newsletter Editor Award!

Please join us in congratulating our very own Attorney Jennifer Bunker Skerston for receiving the Five Years of Service Newsletter Editor Award from the Illinois State Bar Association. Jennifer is pictured here with ISBA 3rd Vice President Rory T. Weiler.

Landlords are asking… “I’ve heard the Governor put a moratorium on evictions, but my tenant is not paying rent. Can I evict?”

The Answer? “It depends.” Covid-19 has impacted the ability of landlords to evict non-paying tenants. The current law in Illinois is that a landlord may evict a tenant if: 1) the tenant poses a direct threat to the health and safety of other tenants; 2) the tenant poses an immediate and severe risk to property; or 3) prior to commencing action, the landlord served upon the tenant a Declaration Form from the Illinois Housing Development Authority and the tenant didn’t return it indicating that he or she is a “covered person” under the Executive Order. Under the Governor’s moratorium, no