Who writes and updates the information on this website?
Licensed Illinois lawyers on staff at Illinois Legal Aid Online work with subject matter experts to write, review, and update the information. Our subject matter experts include legal aid lawyers across the state and other legal professionals familiar with our content. Laws change all the time, and every effort is made to keep the information accurate.
Every personal legal situation is different. Applying the information you read to your personal legal situation may be difficult. It is recommended that you talk to a lawyer if you need specific advice or information.
It is important to know that some legal rights expire if you do not act quickly enough or at the right time. If you do not take action within the time set out by law, you may lose your right to do so.
What does the “last full review by a subject matter expert” date mean?
The “last full review by a subject matter expert” date is the most recent day the legal information on that page was reviewed and updated by a lawyer who is familiar with this area of the law. Subject matter experts often tell us details about how a law is applied in courtrooms or point out practical tips for handling a legal process. You can use the “last full review by a subject matter expert” date to figure out how current the legal information in the article is. Sometimes the law may have changed since the last full review of an article.
What does the “last revised by staff” date mean?
The "last revised by staff" date is the most recent date ILAO staff edited the page. This means we updated or corrected part of the information without reviewing the entire page.
We list this date separately from the “Last full review by a subject matter expert” date, so you know when a change was made versus when a subject matter expert reviewed the whole article.
What if a user needs more information about their legal issue?
To read more about a particular legal issue, you can do your own legal research. You can also use Get Legal Help to see if you qualify for free legal help from a legal aid partner.
Can I edit legal content?
If you are interested in editing legal information on this website, please let us know! ILAO welcomes lawyers and other legal professionals to join our Legal Content Volunteer program.
Is there a style guide for editing content?
Yes, our style guide is publicly available online.
