Member Login
Get Started

Month: December 2017

There is No Turning Back – Mandatory E-Filing is Here January 1st, 2018

by

attorney-mandatory-efiling-january-1

From Diana Garcia, paralegal for Amata Law Office Suites

Procrastination. We are all guilty of it at some point in our lives, and attorneys are no exception. As you may or may not know the courts have been moving towards e-filing with January 1, 2018 being the date that this will be mandatory across Illinois. I recently had the chance to attend a seminar on how to avoid the pitfalls of e-filing. While I am not an expert on this yet, I have learned enough to share some quick tips & links for those out there that will be plunging into this sometimes-daunting task.

Not everything will need to be e-filed. Below are the four (4) exceptions:

  1. Documents filed by an incarcerated, self-represented litigant in jail or correctional facility
  2. Wills
  3. Documents under the Juvenile Court Acts of 1987
  4. Document in a specific case by court order

You will need to create a username and password to e-file.

To file in Cook County: https://efile.cookcountyuscourts.com/Login.aspx. For outside Cook in Illinois: http://efile.illinoiscourts.gov/service-providers.htm

There are also several services providers that can assist with the e-file process. The below link provides a comparison of some approved vendors. Attorneys are not required to use a service provider, but there are fees associated with add on services.
http://efile.illinoiscourts.gov/documents/Service-Provider-Comparison-Table.pdf

You will need to upload a PDF version of your document.

The size of the document you can upload varies by county and site. Check with the clerk’s office for size requirements. If your document is too large, you can compress it using this free site https://smallpdf.com/compress-pdf.

It is important to have a standard naming convention.

Example:
Type -> Description -> Client -> Date
MOT-Extension of Time- Rabiela -091417.doc
LTR-to client re status hearing-Munoz-052317.pdf)

There are strict guidelines on this mandatory process, and by no means is this all you need to know about e-filing. Please visit the following link for more information:
http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/EBusiness/Electronic_Filing.asp

If you are an Amata member, you can always ask our on-staff paralegals for assistance. Just shoot us an email at [email protected]. Members, be sure to stay tuned for our daily tips regarding e-filing starting Monday, December 18, 2017 through the end of the year.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

You’re a Lawyer, Not an Office Manager

by

How many dedicated hours did you spend to become the attorney you are today? My guess is, more than you would like to remember. During those countless hours, were you also studying to become a property manager? No? Why is it then that attorneys continue to find themselves wasting time focusing on filling open law office space in Chicago for the building they’re leasing when they could be working on actual billable hours? For those in pursuit of a law office that allows you the time and financial means needed to focus on what’s important – the work of your firm – there’s a better way.

Consider the pitfalls of purchasing or leasing your own building (apart from the obvious astronomical costs involved):

1. Property Management

More than likely, the space where you house your law office also includes extra space not being used, and that space is eating a hole in your pocket every month. In order to stop losing money with empty space, you’re forced to become a property manager, taking valuable time away from your client work, and adding more to your resume than you have time for.

  • Advertise: More money and time is burned while you advertise your open space for lease.
  • Interview: Finding the right attorney to adjoin with your space can be difficult, especially when they should be someone you can look to for collaboration or sharing referrals.
  • Onboarding: There’s still time, and thus money, spent in onboarding the proper attorney in Chicago.

2. Reception

My guess is, you also didn’t go to school to spend numerous extra hours each week answering phones and taking messages instead of handling your client work and focusing your time on billable hours. If you’re a Chicago attorney in your own law office building, this is another detail you will have to handle.

  • Greet Clients: Someone has to do it, and if you aren’t putting even more of your income towards staff, that someone is you.
  • Field Calls: When you aren’t spending your time answering the phones, you’re spending it checking the messages.
  • Hiring Reception: If you do hire someone, unless you’re paying a sizeable wage, you’re likely to wind up with constant turn-over, causing you to lose even more billable hours in training new staff.

3. Revolving Door

You’ve occupied your empty space and are now, hopefully, at least breaking even on the yearly expenses for your law office space. However, there’s another major downside to leasing out space; no guarantee of your tenants staying. Once they leave, you must begin the process all over again.

The solution: Choose a Coworking Space for Attorneys instead. Aside from the considerable savings, coworking spaces offer:

    1. Pay for What You Need: Having a coworking space for attorneys in Chicago doesn’t have to mean losing your private office. In fact, you still get to enjoy a private office, but you stop wasting money that goes to the extra space you don’t use.
    2. Reception is Included: With Amata Law Office Suites, quality reception is a no-brainer. That’s why we include that service for our clients at no extra charge. Aside from not having to answer incoming calls and take your own messages, you can trust that the reception staff members are staples in our office spaces. We train and pay them well to ensure they stick around, and you and your clients don’t have to worry about turn-over.
    3. Network of Attorneys: It can be hard to find the right fit when looking for one or two other attorneys to fill your law office space in Chicago. Utilizing a coworking space for attorneys through Amata Law Office Suites allows you a large network of attorneys with which to collaborate, and we host regular networking events exclusively for attorneys to offer your firm the best chance of success in this business.

Make the move and start truly investing in your practice. Amata Law Office Suites provides you the ability to never have to worry about property management again, so you can focus on just being an attorney.

While you’re at it, check out why attorneys in Chicago are choosing coworking spaces over traditional private office buildings.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

2017 Spirit of Courage Benefit

by

Spirit of Courage Benefit

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is celebrating 40 years as an international Jewish human rights organization that defends the safety of Jews worldwide, confronts anti-Semitism, hate and terrorism, and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust for future generations. It is involved in a multitude of community programs, events and social action including lectures and discussions with renowned speakers.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is also hosting the 2017 Spirit of Courage Benefit this Sunday, December 3rd, 2017 with keynote speaker, General David H. Petraeus. During the event, they will be honoring Leo Melamed with the International Leadership Award.

Leo Melamed

Having found long-awaited shelter in the U.S. during World War II, Leo survived the holocaust as a child after escaping Poland with his parents in a feat that took two years and spanned three continents. He grew to become globally recognized as the founder of financial futures.

Leo Melamed currently serves as Chairman Emeritus at CME Group (the Chicago Mercantile Exchange) and has received numerous awards including:

  • The 2005 CME Melamed-Arditti Innovation Award
  • The 2016 State of Illinois Order of Lincoln Award (the highest award conferred by the State of Illinois)
  • The Order of the Rising Sun, bestowed in 2017 by the Emperor of Japan for achievements in advancing world markets

As Chairman and CEO of Melamed & Associates, Inc., a global consulting enterprise, Leo Melamed has revolutionized futures trading and financial markets and was previously named by the former editor of The Chicago Tribune “among the ten most important Chicagoans in business of the 20th Century”.

Also being recognized during this event is Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, recipients of the Guardian of the Future Award, and Kinue Tokudome, who is being honored as a Medal of Valor recipient.

To learn more about the Simon Wiesenthal Center or how you can help support their cause, visit their website at www.wiesenthal.org.

Discover our networking events for Chicago lawyers.