Skip to main content

Good for Chicago: Illinois Legal Aid Online

Working thru divorce, foreclosure, domestic violence, discrimination claims (and really, most legal matters) often involves complex procedures, strict timelines, and—of course—tons of paperwork. Jumping thru all the right hoops can be exasperating...more-so for folks on limited incomes and even worse for those in rural areas. Have no fear, Illinois Legal Aid Online is here. And it’s a 2018 addition to our Thanks to You charity program.

For four years now, we’ve been running our Thanks to You program, where our residential clients can direct a portion of our fees to a charity on our curated list. This post is one of a series to tell our readers a little more about these charities and why we chose them.

Started in 2001, Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) works to leverage technology to help people in need, and legal aid providers who want to help them—regardless of location, income or education.

Working in partnership with law schools, the private bar and other legal service providers, ILAO offers legal forms, lawyers and resources to those who need it most (free, or at greatly reduced fees). People can access legal resources 24/7, in English and Spanish at IllinoisLegalAid.org. We rely heavily on technology to run our office. We love that these guys do too.

Their web site provides really great information and explanations to help lay people understand and navigate all sorts of legal proceedings and procedures.

The ILAO …
  • Has helped more than 2 million people with dire problems like domestic violence, child support and foreclosures 
  • Supports technology-based legal self-help centers in more than 80 Illinois counties 
  • Offers an online triage and intake system that guides people to the best available legal help for their problem and location 
  • Provides online advice from qualified pro bono attorneys for clients who cannot afford legal counsel 
  • Provides remote navigation help by trained law student volunteers for people seeking solutions for family safety, housing, workers’ rights, and many other fundamental issues 
As real estate attorneys committed to helping all members of our community, our firm is proud to be associated with ILAO. We encourage you to support and promote ILAO, too. We hope you never need them, but it’s comforting to know ILAO is here to help.

Learn more:
Illinois Legal Aid Online
Thanks to You

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PLM Title Shuttered

Title insurance is a critically important part of any real estate transaction; or at least it should be. The title company guaranties the "quality" of an owners interest in the property - that there aren't any (unknown) liens or defects. No buyer that I work for will purchase a property without it. Title insurance is only as good as the insurer. We want to know that the insurance company, like the Rock of Gibraltar , will always be there. We want to sleep easy at night, knowing that the client is protected. That said, it was a bit distressing to see that PLM Title Company shut its doors, without any forewarning last week. Worse still, this morning's news is that there is a criminal investigation underway - and that we do not yet know why. Old timers like me shudder with memories of the great Intercounty Title debacle five years ago. Here's to hoping that this one is nothing like that one. Set aside the problems involved trying to make a claim against a defun
6 comments
Read more

FHA Loans and Condo Sales - Is Relief on the Way?

By all outward appearances, state government in Illinois has ground to a complete halt, with all eyes focused on the Governor's "problem" and all the related fal - der -rah. Its hardly business as usual in Springfield, but not everything has ground to a halt. Several new bills have been introduced this week. That is not to say that they will be of benefit to we the people. Nonetheless, the cogs and gears are turning, and we are hoping for the best. One such proposal comes from Rep. LaShawn Ford of Chicago's west side, who is himself a real estate broker and entrepreneur . He is the author of House Bill 155 , introduced & referred to the Rules Committee Wednesday. It seeks to address one of the most common problems I am seeing in condominium resale transactions these days; the tension between many Declarations of Condominium and FHA loan guidelines. Many Condo Declarations provide Associations with a "right of first refusal," which basically allows t
3 comments
Read more

MAYOR DALEY PROPOSES TIF FINANCING FOR SOME DISTRESSED PROPERTIES

Lets see how City Council reacts on this one, but the Mayor introduced a pretty interesting little ordinance that might be a real boon to first time area home buyers willing to buy and rehabilitate some bank-owned properties. Progress Illinois reports that the mayor's bill, introduced on March 9: "seeks to tackle the growing problem of vacant homes that are blighting neighborhoods across Chicago, and in particular in minority communities. Called the Vacant Building TIF Purchase and Rehabilitation Ordinance, the  bill  (PDF) proposes allowing residents with a household income no greater than 100 percent of the regional median income to apply for a tax increment financing (TIF) grant that would pay for up to 25 percent of the cost of purchasing and rehabilitating an empty residential property. Single-family empty homes or units in condo and cooperative buildings with four units or fewer are eligible. The empty homes must be located in a TIF district and must be in need of
Post a Comment
Read more