News

Dear Clients, Family, Friends and Colleagues:

We first wanted to assure you that our offices remain open either actually and/or remotely.  There are certain steps being taken by the court system and by our firm that are being done for the good of us all.

Allen & Glassman, Chartered continues to be available for consultations and legal services by phone, Zoom, FaceTime and other videoconferencing options. We know that life and family law issues can be even more stressful when our health and wealth are suffering, and we remain here for you.”

Regarding the Cook County Court System: The Honorable Chief Judge Timothy Evans has temporarily halted most of the court’s operations beginning March 17^th through April 16^th other than for matters which truly qualify as Emergencies.

What that means for Family Law, is that beginning March 17^th, only two (2) judges will be sitting each day on a rotating basis.

IN THE MEANTIME:

1. We do know that things such as domestic violence at the Daley Center will qualify as Emergencies if one parent has been deprived of access to the children or their home, but other than that and similarly severe issues, it is likely the courts will have a HIGH standard and bar as to what is and what is not an Emergency.  If any issue qualifies as “maybe” an Emergency, the mediators will step in to try to help.  Most financial and property disputes are unlikely to qualify.  That does not mean that you cannot call us with the problem and that we cannot try to address and to resolve it.
2. The good news is that there are other ways to deal with cases/disputes/problems including by negotiation, mediation, and alternative resolution strategies.  These are tools we routinely use and encourage in any event and our named partners are trained mediators and negotiators.

ALLEN & GLASSMAN, CHARTERED:

We started this message with the assurance that we remain focused on your needs and their ongoing progress.  If some of us must work remotely for whatever reason we will, and we can, but our plan is “business as usual” since we are a boutique firm.  However, we can hold meetings and even mediations with Zoom or Skype conferencing or conference calls, so that we can conform to the maximum public and private safety and health.

UPDATE:

As you can imagine, most is in flux right now, including what exactly happens with existing court dates during this period, although the indication is that they will roll forward for the suspension period.  The question will be thereafter as to whether there will be a hearing or just a status to get a new date and that we believe the court system is still deciding.  Please check for our emails and feel free to contact us on your individual cases.  We are including our cell phone numbers for your access but trusting that you will only use them as needed and with your own discretion.  In the event our office is required to work remotely, our office phone will automatically forward all calls to our Paralegal, Joseph Luckett, who will direct the call to the intended recipient.

Stay safe and well and know that we are here for you.

Best

The A&G Team

Cell Phone Numbers:

Gemma Allen: (312) 735-0388

Todd Glassman: (847) 951-8633

Michael Levy: (847) 636-2323

Mary Carlson: (612) 237-0230

Joseph Luckett: (773) 563-5540

Victoria Klotz: (708) 975-9068