Legal FAQs

How to Find a Lawyer

Q. When do I need a lawyer?
Q. What do lawyers do?
Q. How to find a lawyer?
Q. How to choose a lawyer?
Q. What should your lawyer do for you?
Q. What if I am not satisfied?

Answers to questions about Fee Dispute Arbitration

Q. What is fee dispute arbitration?
Q. Who should file a fee dispute?
Q. How do I file a fee dispute?
Q. What happens next?
Q. What happens if either party refuses to agree to arbitration?
Q. What happens if the attorney has filed suit against me already?
Q. What can you expect and not expect from the DuPage County Bar?
Q. Where should you write or call to contact the Fee Dispute Department?

American Criminal Justice System

Q. Is the crime rate in America increasing?
Q. Which populations are most victimized by crime?
Q. What impact do handguns have on America’s crime problem?
Q. Is there racial bias in the criminal justice system?
Q. What effect do search and seizure protections, Miranda warnings and the exclusionary rule have on law enforcement?
Q. Is the U.S. incarceration rate increasing or decreasing?
Q. Is prison capacity keeping up with the growth in the prison population?
Q. How does the U.S. incarceration rate compare with other countries?
Q. What relationship do mandatory minimum sentences have on uniformity of sentences for similar offenses?
Q. What impact have mandatory minimum sentences and "truth in sentencing" laws had on the justice system?
Q. What has been the impact of "three strikes" laws on crime and the criminal justice system?
Q. How has "three strikes" legislation worked in California?
Q. Has "three strikes" legislation caused crime to go down in California?
Q. What impact has the war on drugs had on drug use in America? How can the criminal justice system help?
Q. What effect have the national drug policies had on the prison system?
Q. How much does the U.S. spend on the criminal justice system?
Q. If the crime rate is dropping, why do Americans feel more threatened by crime?

Elder Law

Q. How many older Americans are there?
Q. How old is the population of older Americans?
Q. What legal issues are becoming more prominent as the demographics change?
Q. What is elder abuse?
Q. How many incidents of elder abuse are there each year?
Q. What is the most common type of elder abuse?
Q. Who are the abused?
Q. Who are the abusers?
Q. How many states have laws about elder abuse?
Q. Is the reporting of abuse mandatory?
Q. What are the sanctions for failure to report abuse?
Q. What does it mean to have "capacity"?
Q. What is guardianship?
Q. Who needs a guardian?
Q. How is the decision made that a person needs a guardian?
Q. How many adults are under guardianship in this country?
Q. What happens if an individual needs a guardian, but there is no family member or friend who is willing to or capable of acting as the guardian?
Q. Can a guardianship ever be terminated?
Q. Are there disadvantages to guardianship?
Q. Are there alternatives to guardianship for an incapacitated person?
Q. Do grandparents have visitation rights to their grandchildren?
Q. Who may petition for visitation?
Q. Under what circumstances may a petition be filed?
Q. What standard is used in deciding to order visitation rights?
Q. Will visitation be ordered after a child is adopted?
Q. Will visitation be ordered when the child is in an "intact family"?
Q. Must visitation rights be decided in court?
Q. What is "kinship care"?
Q. What is the legal relationship of a child to a "kinship care giver"?
Q. Is physician-assisted suicide legal?
Q. Does everyone need a living will?
Q. Why is a proxy appointment more important than a living will?
Q. Is a Health Care Power of Attorney ever inappropriate?
Q. Are written advance directives legal in every state?
Q. Will one state recognize an advance directive written according to another state's laws?
Q. Are oral instructions valid?
Q. Does naming a proxy mean the individual gives up control?
Q. How does someone go about writing a health care advance directive?
Q. Are health care providers legally obligated to follow an advance directive?
Q. Can family members make health care decisions for someone who does not have an advance directive?

Estate Planning

Q. How often should I have my will or trust reviewed?

Civil Law

Q. What does it mean if I am served with a complaint?

Juvenile Law

Q. What happens when my child is arrested with a criminal offense?
Q. How many children are involved with the legal system?
Q. What is a guardian ad litem?
Q. When is a child considered an adult?
Q. Can minors consent to medical treatment without parental permission?
Q. Do minors have a legal right to an abortion?
Q. Are curfews legal?
Q. Are students allowed to pray at a public school?
Q. Do students have a constitutional right to "free speech" in the context of public schools?
Q. Can officials legally search a student's person, property and locker at a public school?
Q. Are children with disabilities entitled to a public education?
Q. Are juveniles entitled to any due process protections in juvenile delinquency hearings?
Q. Do juveniles adequately receive due process protections in juvenile delinquency hearings?
Q. Is the rate of juvenile crime exploding?
Q. How and why are children sent to adult criminal court?
Q. Are minorities over-represented in the juvenile justice system?
Q. Do prevention programs work?
Q. How are America's children affected by guns and gun violence?
Q. How does the risk of harm from gun violence compare between children in the United States and children elsewhere?
Q. What are the current trends in substance abuse among young people?
Q. Are mothers still favored for custody in marital dissolution?
Q. How many states allow divorcing parents to have joint legal custody of their children? How many states have a presumption in favor of joint legal custody?
Q. Are the guidelines for determining custody different if the child involved is eligible to be or is a member of a Native American tribe?
Q. How is child support determined in a divorce or paternity case?
Q. What happens if a parent does not pay court-ordered child support?
Q. Must the rights of both biological parents be terminated in order for a child to be legally free for adoption?
Q. How many children are abused and neglected in this country?
Q. How many children are in America's foster care system?
Q. How does domestic violence impact children?
Q. How many children live in poverty in the U.S.?
Q. How do poor children get legal assistance when they need it?

Family Law

Q. Are you the victim of domestic violence?
Q. What is an order of protection?
Q. Who can get an order of protection?
Q. What can an order of protection do to protect my children if the abuser is the children's father?
Q. How do I get an order of protection in criminal court?
Q. How do I get an order of protection in civil court?
Q. How long does an order of protection last?
Q. What can I do if an abuser violates my order of protection?
Q. Where can I get more information?
Q. How do I get a domestic relations case before a Judge?

Real Estate Law

Evaluate your finances and set a timetable for purchase.
Make a wish list.
Pre-apply for a mortgage loan.
Hire a qualified real estate attorney before you make an offer.
Do your homework.
Decide whether you want to work with a real estate agent.
Review the seller disclosure document carefully.
Hire a home inspector.
Have a contingency plan if your expectations are not fulfilled.
Free brochures on buying and selling a home from ATG.

Social Security

Q. What types of social security disability income are available and who qualifies?

Small Claims

Q. How do I file and respond to a lawsuit in the Small Claims Court of DuPage County, Illinois?

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