What Are The Phases of Reopening in Illinois? How Will They Effect My Case?

May 20th, 2020 by Tiffany Hughes

What Are The Phases of Re-Opening in Illinois and How Will They Effect My Case?

Earlier this month Governor Pritzker announced his plan to safely begin reopening Illinois. His restoration plan was broken up into five separate phases depending upon the region of Illinois in which you live. This means that while one region may be in Phase 3 or 4, another region could still be in Phase 2. Governor Pritzker broke Illinois up into four different health regions: Northeast Illinois; North-Central Illinois; Central Illinois and Southern Illinois. Chicago and its surrounding neighborhoods and suburbs are located in the Northeast Illinois region.

      The phases for reopening Illinois include:

• Phase 1 entitled “Rabid Spread” is a phase that all regions have already experienced. In this phase, strict stay-at-home and social distancing guidelines are enforced as a response to the number of people being admitted to the hospital and how quickly the numbers of people testing positive are growing.

• Phase 2 entitled “Flattening” is the phase that every region is currently experiencing. Illinoisans have the ability to enjoy more outdoor activities but still have to make sure to practice social distancing and wear a face covering while outside because from assessing the numbers the rate of infection while still high, is indeed slowing.

• Phase 3 entitled “Recovery” is the phase regions will move into when the rate of infection is stable or declining. During this phase, manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops and salons will be allowed to re-open to the public with capacity and other limitations to promote public safety. Additionally, in this phase gatherings up to 10 people will be allowed.

• Phase 4 entitled “Revitalization” will begin when the rate of infection is firmly on the decline. During this phase, groups of up to 50 people will be allowed, restaurants and bars can reopen, travel will resume, child care and schools will reopen in compliance with guidelines from the Illinois Department of Public Health and face coverings and social distancing will still be required.

• Phase 5 entitled “Illinois Restored” will not be entered into until there is a vaccine, highly effective treatment, or there has been an elimination of any new cases over a sustained period of time. During this final phase, conventions, festivals and large events are permitted, and all businesses schools and places of recreation can open still in compliance with the guidelines from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Additionally, in releasing this plan for Illinois’ reopening Governor Pritzker also made sure to state that while hopefully this plan will be a total forward progression, if at any point numbers start to rise again regardless of what phase a region has made it to the region will return to phase 1 or phase 2 depending on the severity of the numbers. Having to wear face coverings and practicing social distancing are safety practices that are here to stay and are considered to be our new normal.

Will Courts Reopen? What effect does this have on my Divorce Case?

Based on how the Court’s have been handling divorce cases since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, huge adjustments have been made to ensure that cases have been moving forward. Judge Grace G. Dickler, the Presiding Judge of the Domestic Relations Division of Cook County, has been nothing short of amazing with her implementations of electronic court proceedings. Judge Dickler has been on the forefront of creating new rules and orders that must be complied with so court cases are not halted, creating protocol for court to be conducted remotely (even after COVID-19 is over).  The adjustment and pivoting to remote hearings and remote court dates overall has been creating a new sense of normal to everyone. While in person court proceedings have of course been halted, a vast majority of court proceedings in the area of domestic relations have been moving forward via Zoom and Skype.

As we move through the phases, (and until we reach the final phase of Illinois being restored) it seems more and more likely that many court proceedings will continue to take place via Zoom and Skype. This is mainly because gatherings of more than 10 people will not be allowed until Phase 4. For example, if your case is in the Daley Center in Chicago, elevators cannot fit more than one person at a time due to the 6 feet social distancing rules. However, other county court houses such as the DuPage County Court House, the Lake County Court House, and the McHenry County Court House, elevators are not necessary to get to the each of the floors where the court rooms are located.   Overall, in the near future it is unlikely that general court proceedings will be implemented. However, the courts have made huge headway in the process and protocol of conducting hearings through Zoom. So while the face to face aspect of court or hearings is certainly different, there is no reason that your case should be unnecessarily delayed, especially when issues can be dealt with electronically and in a timely fashion.

Contact Us Today

If your case is not moving forward quickly, it may not be the Court’s fault at all. Most family law firms in Illinois, operate with paper files and don’t have remote access to their client’s or their client’s information.  At The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, we have been at the forefront of all technology since our inception. Regardless of how the Court may be conducting your case (remote or in person), your case needs to be pushing forward. We understand that during a divorce or a family law case, that you may feel as though your life is in a holding pattern. You and your family deserve to have Attorneys on your side, pushing your case to a final resolution at all times (yes, even during a pandemic). We will stop to no end to ensure that your case is resolved.   If you have questions on how the family law attorneys at The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, P.C. can help you resolve your family law legal issues in Cook, McHenry, Lake, DuPage, Kane, Will and surrounding counties during this pandemic, contact us to schedule your complementary consultation today at 773-893-0228.

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This blog is made available by The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, P.C. for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of Illinois law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this website you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, P.C. The website should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in Illinois.  The law changes constantly and we do not go back in time to edit old posts that may be affected by these changes.  If you have any questions about Illinois law, which is the only State this blog and website discusses, please call The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, P.C. for a complimentary consultation and do not draw any legal conclusions without speaking to a competent attorney in Illinois first.