Payable/transfer-on-death accounts are handy probate-avoidance tools that can even be used to transfer real estate. Or can they?

For juveniles who break the law, "station adjustments" can mete punishment without creating a criminal record. Here's how to help clients make the most of the opportunity.

The Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee is considering a proposal to do just that.

 At depositions, they want you to say out loud who is in the room. And to speak slowly. And not to interrupt other speakers. And...

The third district upheld a ruling requiring an obligor to pay 60 percent of his income to pay off a child-support/maintenance arrearage totaling more that $200,000.

A bill would make it more likely that legal aid and other charitable organizations will end up with leftover class-action settlement proceeds.

Complainants under the Illinois Human Rights Act can now file in circuit court instead of with state agencies. This brings Illinois into line with federal practice and that of 38 states.

Has the second district made it easier for a party to a real estate contract to make a counter offer disguised as a mere "modification"?

A new bill would discourage developers and others from suing - and thus trying to silence - opponents of their subdivisions, landfills, and the like.

But critics of the legislation say lack of resources, not a too-high commitment standard, is the problem with Illinois' mental health system.

In Ledbetter, the Supreme Court rules that Title VII's filing deadline bars employment discrimination claims based on decisions that occurred outside the limitations period, even if the employee's current pay is lower because of the decisions.

Should lawyers provide free consultations to prospective clients? Discounts to new clients? Refunds of a consult fee to clients who ask for one? ISBA lawyers offer their opinions.

Illinois becomes the 24th state to allow wrongful-death plaintiffs to recover for their grief, sorrow, and mental suffering at the loss of their loved one.

A major overhaul of DUI law doubles the summary-suspension period and requires offenders to submit to alcohol monitoring devices in return for driving permits. Critics charge that it will produce unintended consequences, including fewer guilty pleas.

A patent issued on an estate-planning technique has that bar buzzing.

Two districts of the appellate court construe Arthur v Catour, holding that plaintiffs can recover only what Medicare and Medicaid paid the provider - not the larger, undiscounted amount billed - and allowing a physician's expert testimony that a medical bill was reasonable.

Case law from the United States Supreme Court and the seventh circuit interpreting the federal rules can make it hard for settling parties to draft orders of dismissal that allow the judge to retain jurisdiction.

What can you do to preserve your client's right to appeal when the trial court issues an order of ambiguous finality? The Waddick case may provide some lessons.

How do you get appointed? How much can you earn? What about appointees who don't do the job?

The court last month approved lawyers' use of the advance payment retainer, cautioning that more familiar retainer agreements will be the preferred option in most cases.

As a matter of public policy, "lawyers representing themselves simply do not incur legal fees," the third district ruled recently.

A law firm did not violate the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act when it followed Illinois procedure for collecting a state-court judgment, the seventh circuit ruled.

Do recent cases indicate that Illinois should change its laws to further protect mentally ill property owners?

Does the tradition of billing by the hour push lawyers to pad bills and thus engage in the kind of "dishonest" behavior forbidden by the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct?

Has the Illinois Supreme Court embraced a test that makes it harder for employers to classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees and thus avoid employee-related taxes and other expenses?

A recent federal case sheds light about when and how lawyers can counsel their clients to refuse to answer questions in a deposition.