Mays Law Office, LLC

11/18/2023

Very proud to have been selected this year!

Age: 39

07/18/2022

We're Hiring!

Looking to hire an administrative assistant.
- ~30 hours/week
- flexible schedule
- pay commensurate with experience

Primary responsibilities include:
- fielding phone calls from potential clients
- completing intake interview with clients
- e-file court documents (will train)
- maintain office organization

Send resume to [email protected]

03/27/2020

DID YOU KNOW?

During the COVID-19 Disaster Declaration the State of Illinois has authorized signing all estate planning documents while video conferencing with the witnesses and notaries.

I've been meeting with clients exclusively by video conference for the past four weeks and now we can design and implement an estate plan, start to finish, completely from the comfort of your own home.

Call today to schedule your FREE initial video consultation!

02/15/2018

This isn’t usually an area of law that I practice in, but I think a lot of my clients will find it interesting. There was a significant development in special ed law earlier this week.

Last year there was a case at the US Supreme Court (Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District) where a family claimed that their son’s IEP didn’t provide him a “free and appropriate public education” (FAPE). Basically they claimed that the IEP didn’t provide him the opportunity to advance academically. They objected to the IEP and, when the school district wouldn’t change it, they pulled their son from the public school and enrolled him in a private school. At the private school he made significant progress by implementing many of the things proposed by the parents.

The Supreme Court more clearly defined FAPE as an education “reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances.” It further held that this standard is “markedly more demanding” than a de minimus test.

The Supreme Court sent Endrew’s specific case back to the trial court to apply the court’s ruling to the specific facts. The trial court issued its order earlier this week holding that the IEP in this case wasn’t good enough to provide a free and appropriate public education.

So what does this mean for parents at their IEP meeting? I’ve been very fortunate that we’ve always had an IEP team that has had my son’s best interest at the core of their recommendations and they’ve been open to suggestions from my wife and I. Hopefully you’re in a similar position and this recent development in the law will never come into play for you. But if it does, this new case means that your IEP team has a requirement to put forth some effort and establish an education plan that gives your child the opportunity to achieve everything that is possible.

http://cspeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018.02.12.Opinion-and-Order.pdf

02/08/2018

One of my favorite things about Quincy is the history. This map was hanging in my Grandpa's office and I assume he got it when it was published. It's a zoning map from the 1950s.

It's crazy to see that Quincy didn't extend much beyond 24th Street (except for Baldwin Field at 30th & Maine). The Vet's Home was the far north side.

Did you know there used to be a golf course in South Park?

What's your favorite historic site in Quincy?

02/05/2018

Estate Planning Issues at the Superbowl!

Most people were expecting some tribute to Prince at the Superbowl because it was in Minneapolis. Apparently the original plan was for Justin Timberlake perform a duet with a hologram of Prince; but the heirs and fans of Prince objected.

Prince died in 2016 without having done any estate planning! He didn't do any federal estate tax planning. He didn't institute a gifting program. He didn't even have a simple will to designate who he wanted his estate to go to! This has created such a mess that the Minnesota Courts had to create a website just to keep the dissemination of information in one place: http://www.mncourts.gov/InReTheEstateofPrinceRogersNelson.aspx

There was a fight over who the "heirs-at-law" were, there was a fight over who the administrator was going to be (they're on their second one already), and the legal fees they've incurred are astronomical.

Getting back to the Superbowl, what would have happened if Timberlake and the NFL wanted to go forward with the hologram despite the public objection? That responsibility would have fallen to the Administrator of the estate. Right now that is Peter J. Gleekle and the law firm of Larson King, LLP.

The Administrator is held to a fiduciary duty in acting on behalf of the estate, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they have to do what the heirs want. Presumably the halftime show got permission before the original plan of using the hologram was in effect. Who knows what would have happened if Timberlake hadn't backed down.

Most people don't have an estate as larger or complicated as Prince; but most people care what happens to their stuff after they're gone. Prince had strong feelings during his life about using holograms to recreate performances, he very easily could have avoided this event with a pretty basic will.

01/29/2018

If you’re like me you’ve seen friend from all over the country posting pictures of themselves with their art gallery doppelgänger recently. The new feature on Google’s Arts and Culture app uses AI to find your look alike in its database of paintings from galleries all over the world.

Not wanting to be left out I downloaded the app and scrolled down to find the feature. Unfortunately, as I discovered, Google has blocked this feature in Illinois and Texas. Google isn’t commenting on why, but Illinois has one of the strongest laws on using biometric data without consent.

The Biometric Information Privacy Act (740 ILCS 14/) was signed into law in 2008. This law puts requirements on anyone who collects biometric information on individuals. It also provides, which is likely Google’s concern, a private cause of action against anyone who violates the law. (740 ILCS 14/20)

If you live in Illinois and still want to find your doppelgänger you need to find a workaround. I tried to use the feature when I was getting gas in Missouri earlier this week, but still couldn’t get it to show up. You can also send a selfie to a friend in another state to run through the algorithm for you.

Post your doppelgänger pictures below if you can figure out a workaround!

-Andrew

01/17/2018

The new year is a great time to review your estate plan! Do you know what would happen to your children or your estate if something happened to you? Call 217–318–3521 or send a message below to schedule a free estate plan review today!

Estate planning, estate administration, and fiduciary services law firm serving clients located throughout west central Illinois.