Des Plaines and Hoffman Estates Legal News

Chicago Zoning: Where Can You Build Your Church? If you are the head of a religious organization and wish to build a house of worship in the city of Chicago, things are not quite as simple as “on this rock, I will build my church.” Although residential zones in the city allow people to build churches, commercial zones require a special permit, which the City Council frequently denies. Our Des Plaines and Hoffman Estates lawyers have experience assisting churches with zoning issues, and we welcome religious organizations to contact us for more information. Zoning Principles Zoning is an important part of the laws regarding land use. Municipalities enact zoning laws to both regulate land use and to regulate land characteristics. The purpose behind zoning generally is to allow the local government to regulate land use and maintain harmony by ensuring that the buildings within each zone are compatible with one…
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A revocable living trust, established by a trust agreement, functions as a holding place for your real and/or personal property while you are still living, so that after you die, those assets can be distributed to your beneficiaries through the trust. Trust assets might include your home or other real property, bank accounts, stocks and bonds, and other personal property. An experienced Des Plaines estate planning attorney can help you determine if a living trust is the best estate planning option for you. Benefits of a Living Trust  A living trust has several potential benefits, including: Helping your heirs to avoid probate by enabling a trustee to distribute your assets without court supervision, which may be especially beneficial if you have property in more than one state Making it unnecessary to name a conservator or guardian of your assets, because whomever you name as successor trustee will take over managing…
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Why Employee Handbooks are Important Employee handbooks should be a staple to any business, whether the business is an international corporate conglomerate or a small business with only a few employees. While a small business may see no need for an employee handbook, many reasons to have such a handbook exist, particularly if a small business owner intends to expand his business in the future. Our Des Plaines and Hoffman Estates attorneys know the importance of employee handbooks and of making sure they are properly drafted. Employee Handbooks Set Forth Expectations Employee handbooks set forth expectations between the employer and the employee. A handbook is a tool to provide clear boundaries for the employee and to let the employee know what his rules and benefits are. Employers can clearly communicate to employees how the employees should behave, what they should wear and how they will compensate, discipline and reward employees….
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Dealing with Breach of Contract The days of the “handshake deal” where people conducted business relying solely on the honor and reputation of the other party are long gone. Every day, businesses engage in activity that involves contractual obligations, even if they have not specifically negotiated a written agreement with another party. The contract is the engine that drives commerce by providing legally enforceable rights to the parties who enter into an agreement. It is no surprise that extensive study of contract principles is one of the foundation stones of the legal education. A Hoffman Estates and Des Plaines lawyer can help your business protect its interests in the event that another party has breached a contract. A well-drafted contract is a written commemoration of the agreement between the parties, outlining the responsibilities and expectations they have for each other. They can also explicitly constrain the behavior of the individuals….
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