Nix Studio(Arlington Heights). Photographer: Alex Kim. We took photos, paid, and never got the pics.Wat now?

In December, on my parent's anniversary, we went to Nix Studio to get our precious family portraits taken. We paid upfront, a little more than we were initially told, and till this day, never got them. At first, he kept moving back the dates in which we can pick up our pictures. Eventually. he stopped picking up his phone. We visited his studio, but no one answers the door. There were no written contracts, just verbal promises. My mom paid with a check, but the money's already gone. What law suites do we have against him? What do we do now?

You, as individuals, can take a business into small claims court. The reverse is not true.

You will file a claim for the amount paid and make a deposition. The defendant will be subpoenaed and ordered to appear at a certain time and date to answer the charges against him. If he does not appear, a summary judgement in your favor will be made. If the judgement is not satisfied by the amount specified being paid to you in a timely manner, you may do all kinds of fun things, but the initial summons is likely to get the matter resolved. No business wants its name in the court records for non-performance and non-repayment.

Time to sue. Where you sue depends on how much you paid.

Consult a lawyer.