The high court holds that defendants with acid-reflux disease can raise it as a defense if it causes them to regurgitate during breath-alcohol testing.

A filmmaker who taped police without their consent is charged under the Illinois Eavesdropping Statute.

There's already a federal law requiring employers to notify workers about layoffs and closing; effective January 1, there'll be a state law to go with it.

The bottom line for obligors – pay what you owe and not a penny more, and keep track of what you pay.

Can lawyers notarize their clients' signatures on wills, POAs and the like? Some say "no," most say "yes."

The Illinois Supreme Court holds that clients are not liable for lawyers' intentional torts unless they authorized, directed, or ratified the lawyers' conduct.

A second district case says the higher due process requirements do not apply retroactively.

The ceiling for small estate affidavits has doubled from $50,000 to $100,000. But will it make the well-meaning people who serve as affiants more attractive targets for lawsuits?

How hard must you try to accomplish personal service before you can resort to service by publication? A recent first district case tackles the question.

Federal and many state courts are holding off on sentencing hearings in the wake of Blakely, but the case will have limited impact on Illinois state courts. Find out why.

Does home rule authority really empower cities to regulate medical malpractice litigation? Not likely, observers say.

This important tax-planning device for farmers and business owners gets a boost from a federal appellate court.

The legislature passes a new grandparent visitation law, which is designed to cure the defects of its unconstitutional predecessor.

Freshly passed bills promise to make child-support collection a little easier, and maybe a little less expensive.

The legislature amended the Open Meetings Act to clarify that verbatim recordings are accessible only in litigation over whether the public body violated the Act. Is the amendment too restrictive?

The third district appellate court ruled early this year that a plaintiff is entitled to the amount of a hospital's undiscounted bill, not a lower amount negotiated by the plaintiff's insurance carrier.

The U.S. Supreme Court upholds ERISA's "anti-cutback" provision, ruling that pension plans can't retroactively limit the kinds of jobs workers can take after they retire.

A new statute validates trusts for the benefit of pets, but what provisions should pet trusts include? Here are suggestions.

What the new rule means – and could portend – for Illinois lawyers.

Have – or hope to have – an active residential real estate practice? If you're not a title agent already, becoming one might well boost your bottom line.

Probably not, no matter how long the obligee waits to collect; and the same goes for equitable estoppel.

Surprisingly, no statute or supreme court rule sets forth standards for sealing court records from the public.

Leading real estate practitioners warn their fellow lawyers not to cede control over title work to realtors.

Don't let your clients lead you down the road to a RESPA violation by misstating the price of real estate.

The Illinois Municipal League and the Illinois AG offer competing model ethics-in-government ordinances for local governmental bodies.

Critics fear that the supreme court's interpretation of an immunity statute will discourage landowners from making their property available to others.

Bigger homestead and personal property exemptions would benefit debtor-homeowners and encourage more debtors to opt for Chapter 7, not Chapter 13, relief.

What happens when a pregnant surrogate changes her mind? When the intended parents divorce during the pregnancy? HB 4962 would address those questions and others.

Thanks to the Illinois Secretary of State's office, more information about LLCs is now available online.

Charging interest on late accounts and accepting fee payments by credit card are a carrot-and-stick approach to getting paid on time.