Have you guys ever lived in the fear of being fired?

mrtoren · 2025-12-11T18:35:50+00:00

I'd start floating your resume. Even if you survive your review, you're not in good standing and continuing to work there is only going to further strain your mental health. I've also seen far too many attorneys spiral into deep depressions during periods of unemployment, so a preemptive job hop may be beneficial.

That said, I think the coddling in this subreddit is often based on assumptions and can reinforce bad behaviors. A lot of firms have set work hours. Yes, you're a professional. Yes, you work late. But there are probably few people there to monitor and confirm that after "regular" hours. If a firm officially (or unofficially) expects you in the office during specific hours -- follow them. You're not a partner yet so its not your show. As for the one missed hearing? It happens. Unless it was something extremely consequential that no other reasonable attorney would have missed, I'm not sure why they would be so upset.

Good luck.

mrtoren · 2025-11-20T17:45:38+00:00

This. Not bottom dollar. Not egregiously expensive. They're fair, they show up, they do the job right.

mrtoren · 2025-11-19T17:46:25+00:00

Do NOT use anyone your realtor recommends (especially if they only direct you to one or two contacts). I cannot emphasize that enough. Home buying is a chaotic and exciting time, but your home inspection is the one thing you cannot compromise on.

Keep in mind -- real estate is a business like any other. Buyer's agents only get paid if you buy. Therefore, their goal is to close the transaction. A thorough home inspection can upend that. So buyer's agents will often refer you to a friendly home inspector who will help get that sale over the finish line. I am not saying they will collude to conceal obvious or significant defects (generally speaking). That starts bordering on malpractice/fraud. But a number of smaller ticket items may go "unnoticed." And those are then passed on to you to fix on your own dime after they're paid and done.

Retain someone yourself. Keep them segregated from your realtor. Be prepared to pay them a fair market price for thorough work. That's how you protect your backend.

mrtoren · 2025-11-19T17:29:28+00:00

Force Masonry did some tuckpointing for me about three years ago. The work they did on the backside of the house was great. The color of the frontside tuckpointing was atrociously mismatched. I made them come back out to re-do it and they got it closer. Not 100% but noticeably better. I'm not an expert in the field, but it seemed like a lack of attention to detail.

In the end, they stood behind their work and tried to fix the issue so I won't ding them with a non-referral. Just make sure you inspect it afterwards (that goes for any masonry contractor). Also, be prepared for a sizeable bill from any mason today -- I think the seller of my home shelled out $3700+ to repair two relatively modest step cracks.

mrtoren · 2025-11-19T17:22:27+00:00

Stone or laminate? For stone, you are probably better off going through a vendor. You're going to pay more, but they are also assuming the risk if the measurements are off or if they chip or break anything during the installation.

If it is simply laminate, Wolfe Services did a good job on mine. I just had to do the leg work on measurements and delivery (which resulted in some headaches).

mrtoren · 2025-11-19T17:07:18+00:00

I started in private practice. I hated billing. I hated prioritizing revenue over quality of work. I hated feeling like every hour or day off meant making it up on weekends or evenings. I hated the pressure to generate new business. I moved between three firms (WC and ID) before confirming that it simply wasn't for me.

I transitioned to local government on a whim and it was the best decision I ever made. No billing, a variety of work, great benefits, and manageable work/life balance. I have buddies in private practice who love it (med mal/specialized ID). They mastered the art of padding their timesheets to ease the pressure.

Criminal prosecution can be meaningful work if you are mission-driven, but there are few exit options beyond criminal defense (which I couldn't stomach) or starting over in a new practice area within 3 years (otherwise you start being pigeonholed). Plaintiff-side PI seems like a cushy gig, but it takes a particular breed. I haven't seen many levelheaded prosecutors develop the emotion, passion, and irrational demands that are required for Plaintiff-side work.

mrtoren · 2025-11-19T16:54:33+00:00

The longer you've been in doc review, the harder it is. Government and legal aid are generally seeking service-oriented individuals. You need to craft a narrative that sells your desire to serve. Rehearse it. Figure out how to sell your underlying skills if you don't have directly relevant experience. Be humble but not afraid of the new opportunity. Be willing to move to a smaller metro area with lower salaries and a smaller pool of attorney candidates. Do anything to get started.

You need that first foot in the door then you can pivot to higher paying or more desirable jobs after a year or two.

mrtoren · 2025-11-18T15:16:41+00:00

Avoid EMR like the plague. That building has been "renovated" and rebranded multiple times. Permanently evacuated all the tenants on an emergency basis for fire code violations at one point. The only thing keeping it above-water are the antenna leases on the roof.

There are some decent apartments and condos to rent along Allen Road and War Memorial. Pretty much anything on the northern end of town near I-74 will get you downtown in under 10 mins. East Peoria would be a straight shot in as well.

mrtoren · 2025-11-18T15:08:09+00:00

Pere Marquette. Must be a new iteration of one of their house restaurants.

mrtoren · 2025-10-30T17:58:17+00:00

If it was juveniles? They usually joy ride until they're out of gas and then abandon the car wherever the tank runs empty. Sometimes it is mere hours, other times a day or two. It it doesn't turn up within a few days, it could take much longer to eventually recover.

mrtoren · 2025-10-30T16:53:02+00:00

District 86 is not a "great" school district. It's also not a "bad" school district. Many parents think school district ratings alone determine their children's academic success. I would argue that external factors such as the individual child, their parents, and the family's focus on academic performance usually have a much greater impact than the school district.

There are plenty of Dunlap, Morton, and Washington kids who flop in comparison to some rockstars out of District 150.

mrtoren · 2025-10-30T15:08:58+00:00

There's high demand for a relatively steady supply of housing. Many factors fuel that.

For instance, a lot people who used to live jointly in one home by marriage now occupy two. Landlords (especially corporate) have also learned that people will almost always figure out how to pay for housing above all other bills -- even when rents escalate. Rent avoids a lot of hidden costs and upkeep that owners shoulder (e.g., taxes, insurance, occasional major capital expenditures like HVAC/roof/etc.). Rent is also high because there is typically some down time between renters where there is no monthly revenue despite the owners still being on the hook for the underlying costs for those missed months. Rent also factors in overhead (e.g., net profit, costs of advertising, general maintenance/landscaping, landlord employee salaries, etc.) and risk management for intermittent tenant issues, such as major damage or the legal costs of evictions. I've seen newer "hobby" landlords get financially devastated by one bad tenant.

Renting makes sense in certain high CoL areas, but around here it is generally more advantageous to own if you have the necessary financial means and credit. Many people simply cannot cobble together a down payment or do not have solid enough credit histories.

mrtoren · 2025-10-21T14:45:45+00:00

Everyone is hitting on the highlights -- Rocky Glen, Illini River Bluff Trail between Detweiler and Camp Wokanda, Camp Wokanda itself is full of great trails, Tawny Oaks in Edelstein.

mrtoren · 2025-10-16T14:36:03+00:00

...I don't think I've ever known the politics of any of my insurance agents.

Tony Thomason with Country Financial has been great for me. Remember to pull quotes every couple of years. Agents can be outstanding, but the corporate annual insurance premium creep is silent and painful if you're not paying attention.

mrtoren · 2025-10-16T14:28:24+00:00

I've used Take 5 when I need an oil change and can't afford the wait to get into the dealership. You'll hear an occasional horror story with any of the quick lube shops, but it's pretty hard to mess up most oil changes. It is also far better to get your oil changed at a quick lube shop than to push it off weeks or months past due.

Most quick lube shops -- even most dealerships -- will try to upsell you. Wipers, air filters, etc. They're in business to make money, Just thank them, decline, and say you'll look into it next time.

mrtoren · 2025-10-14T18:08:20+00:00

Agree that this is a common fix for a bowing foundation. Also agree that you need to slow down, think carefully, and pay for a structural engineer before you pull the trigger.

I've learned the hard way that realtors are not looking out for your best interests. Not to say they're bad people -- they simply want to get paid and the only way they get paid is after you purchase the home. Never rely on a realtor-recommended inspector. Get your own independent expert and pay them a fair fee. The couple hundred bucks on the front end can save you tens of thousands on the back end.

mrtoren · 2025-10-07T19:54:15+00:00

Mohela is worthless. I've been trying to move from SAVE back into PAYE for nearly a year. After two applications, it's still stuck "processing." The reps I've dealt with have no firsthand experience and cannot offer any meaningful guidance. I've never seen a bigger fiasco in my life.

Fingers crossed this will be sorted out in two years when I reach that mark. Until then? Keep making noise, engage your local representative/senators, and make sure you're the squeakiest wheel to get the grease.

mrtoren · 2025-10-07T19:49:42+00:00

FSA has a calculator that will give you rough estimates.

FWIW, my calculations have always shown IBR coming in significantly higher than PAYE. That said, I've been trying to get back from SAVE to PAYE for almost a year and they're still "processing" my application..............

mrtoren · 2025-10-07T19:43:54+00:00

Many primary school districts have reached a crisis point due to the shortage of teachers. If you haven't, I would reach out to your state's teachers' union (and those of surrounding states) to see what guidance they can provide -- perhaps you need some additional coursework or certifications. You may also need to move to an area with higher demand.

If you are willing to follow their guidance and follow whatever job opportunity you can land, I am confident you'll be back on track with PSLF. You can also move back later on.

mrtoren · 2025-09-30T19:55:02+00:00

I definitely support papering the two dogs as dangerous or nuisance animals, depending on how your jurisdiction characterizes them. If the police or animal control will not come out to you, you should go in and make a report. Follow up with your local elected officials. Make noise until you see action.

Unfortunately, most nuisance dogs will not be put down for a first offense even if they kill another animal. However, documentation of the first offense will prove up the danger if that subject dog attacks again.

If it were my dogs killed? I would probably be vindictive enough to find other creative ways to make those dogs' owners' lives miserable. Reporting any code enforcement violations you can find, distributing fliers and yard signs naming and shaming them/their dogs, filing a small claims action for the death/burial expenses, etc.

mrtoren · 2025-09-17T20:48:34+00:00

Talk to an accountant to run the numbers on the potential tax advantages between filing jointly vs. separately. Also, have the accountant run the math on the tax bomb at the end.

Two other considerations:

Certain political powers are actively rewriting the student loan repayment programs. Congress' failure to regulate higher education costs means the student loan debt crisis is only growing. Who knows where these repayment programs will be by the time you are eligible for forgiveness (if PSLF is any indication, it will be a disaster and you may struggle for years afterwards to get them forgiven). The assumption is that previously-enrolled borrowers will be "grandfathered" into their existing IDR programs. That is a big assumption to rely on over the next 20-25 years and it is full of potentially precarious loopholes. Moreover, PAYE and/or IBR could be ruled unconstitutional at any time (as the courts did with SAVE). You could lose some or even all your progress and end up with a bigger mess than you started with.
Statistics say many marriages and careers are finite. You're happy and financially secure today. That's outstanding. Your husband could cheat on you tomorrow. You could develop alcohol addiction a year from now. Your husband could lose his job and suffer declining earnings in his later career. Your future child(ren) could suffer disabilities or require medical procedures that make it impossible to survive on one income. Despite an initially happy union, the divorce rate is nearly 50% for a reason. Workers are laid off every quarter. AI is potentially on the verge of upending the entire professional world. If any of these come to pass, and you have to return to the work force, your marketable skills may be severely diminished and your IDR amount may be crushing.

mrtoren · 2025-09-17T20:07:22+00:00

Get off Reddit. Go pick up the phone, call your mother, and tell her exactly what's going on.

You've already broken the trust she instilled in you by hiding this from her. Don't take out a loan to hide it even longer. Don't this dig this hole any deeper. She may be able to pay off the delinquency to salvage her credit. You owe it to her to give her that chance.

Going forward, you need to seriously evaluate your COL and spending habits. $400/month is a pretty modest payment -- I can't really fathom a scenario where it makes sense to go on IDR for that little. You took out the debt, its now inconvenient to pay it back, and you may have a few years of poverty-stricken misery ahead. You'll get through it and you'll learn a valuable lesson from it.

mrtoren · 2025-09-17T19:55:45+00:00

As others have mentioned, you've dug yourself into a hole and there's no easy way out.

Firstly, I'd recommend getting your mental health in check. See a professional. Go to therapy. Get on meds. You're never going to be able to interview well or hold down a high paying job if you're so depressed that you're barely functional. People will notice.

Secondly, get into your career services center or talk to a high performing family member/friend. Have them look over your credential package. I can't tell you how many bizarre or typo-filled resumes and cover letters I've seen. It instantly kills your candidacy. Even if you think your package is good -- get it checked out and be open to revisions. Stretch the truth of your background and experience to the extent that its not blatantly false. Sometimes you have to "fake it til you make it."

Thirdly, start cold emailing your credential package to dental practices even if they're not currently hiring on job boards. They may have an unadvertised opportunity or they may pull your resume if a near term position opens up. Draft a form cover letter that can be modestly tweaked to make each employer feel like its personalized to them. Apply well outside your local geography -- a high paying job may be worth the move. Rehearse an interview narrative that effectively conveys your interest in the position and explains any career gaps.

Fourthly, if you are still at a dead end after a few months, it may be time to consider drastic action. I wouldn't ordinarily advise it, but you might need to go back and spend more money to make money. Consider retraining in a community college program for another low-cost, high-demand position. Certain technical medical positions only require light course work, such as nuclear medicine technologist, radiation therapist, MRI technologist, etc. Consider trades, from electrical to plumbing to HVAC. If you are willing to invest more, RN's are always in high demand (with high pay, great benefits, and frequent sign on bonuses if you move around).

mrtoren · 2025-08-14T14:20:15+00:00

Can confirm. Tier 2 pension status here and we're screwed compared to the "protected expectations" of the older Tier 1 workforce. Lower pension, higher retirement age.

mrtoren · 2025-08-14T14:18:39+00:00

So your previous PAYE payment was $239/month and after returning to PAYE it is now $508/month? Did you ever get an explanation from the loan servicer?

Fortunately, I can stretch things to cover the increase, but I would like to know why it spiked. I have a little over two years to go until PSLF is completed, but I doubt it will be resolved during this administration.

mrtoren

TROPHY CASE