Recent blog posts

CPAs have not been untouched by the pandemic; their industry, too, faces specific challenges directly pertaining to the pandemic. These challenges come in the form of different deadlines, IRS closures, various tax credits, stimulus payments, and amendments to law during tax season. The IRS closed in March of 2020 due to the threat of the pandemic, and as of Summer 2021, was still in the process of slowly reopening facilities. This closure meant that employees were working from home, or on furlough, while…

A widely-documented and much-discussed phenomena is occurring in the housing market right now – homes are being listed well above the estimated value, and furthermore, people are buying these houses at amounts even higher than the already inflated asking price. Home inspections are being waived and offers are being rejected if buyers try to suggest them. Sellers are heavily counter-offering. Buyers are putting down fully cash offers. Deals are closing within 3 weeks. The list goes on. If there were two words…

Even before the pandemic began in March of 2020, the city of Chicago had been collecting data that residents are moving out of downtown to other parts of Illinois, or even out of state. Despite a couple of particularly pandemic-contingent experiences, the pre-pandemic reasons are mostly similar to the current conditions that are encouraging people to move away from the heart of the city. Identifying a couple of pandemic-contingent situations that very obviously influence the want and need to leave downtown are lack…

Since the global pandemic began in March of 2020, it has transformed and altered many professional industries. Although it is one of the most disturbing and tragic components of the pandemic, the rate of death associated with COVID-19 has severely impacted the working conditions and environment of, of course, physicians and nurses who work in a medical setting, but less often discussed are how licensed professionals in the funeral home industry have experienced and managed the COVID-19 Pandemic. There are a variety of factors…

In January 2020, the Adult Use Act 410 ILCS 705 came into effect. Adults over the age of 21 years old are now able to legally purchase cannabis for recreational use from licensed dispensaries across the state. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDPFR) has the sole authority to regulate cannabis dispensaries and its employees. However, the rules governing dispensary agents are murky. We outline preventative measures all dispensary agents can take to reduce the risk of compliance violations. Agents and…

The Supreme Court of Illinois just issued its highly anticipated opinion in Evans v. Cook County State’s Attorney, 2021 IL 125513. Evans considered whether Section 10 of the FOID Card Act – which establishes a process for relief from firearms disabilities – automatically and permanently makes this relief unavailable to convicted of felons. The Supreme Court of Illinois determined that Section 10 of the FOID Card Act was intended to be a mechanism for firearm civil rights restoration for some convicted…

Williams & Nickl (W&N) authored two legislative bills that were both signed by the Governor in August 2021. These legislative changes to the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor and Locksmith Act (Act) were the product of the combined efforts of W&N, the Associated Detective and Security Agencies of Illinois (ADSAI) and the Illinois Security Professionals Association (ISPA). Public Act 102-0152 made significant changes to the training requirements for private detectives and their employees and private security contractors and their employees….

Since the pandemic started in March of 2020, there have been many changes and unexpected effects/conditions/outcomes in many professional industries. Licensed real estate brokers and appraisers are in, perhaps, one of the more unique situations directly stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic: an enormous housing boom that has generated a frenzied market of high sale prices, even higher offers, and extremely low mortgage rates. Just like the pandemic itself, these conditions are unprecedented and have been rocking the relatively steady industry. There are likely a variety of…

Until recently, Illinois courts disagreed on how to serve process on residents of Cook County. Some Appellate Courts interpreted the law to require court appointment of a private process server when serving a resident of Cook County. Other Appellate Courts held that the county where the lawsuit is filed is the controlling factor to determine whether appointment is necessary. Thus, if a lawsuit were filed in DuPage County against a resident of Cook County, then court appointment would not be necessary. The…

The current pandemic has noticeably altered the way most industries function. Prior to covid-19, Licensed Real Estate Brokers heavily relied on the ability to meet with possibly buyers/renters in person. Home tours were always in person, and open houses relied on the ability to invite many people into a small space to view the prospective house/condo/apartment prior to applying for it. The ability to meet in person has been heavily altered, and for a time especially toward the beginning of the pandemic, all…