With Your Family in Mind

Holidays are sometimes the only time we see our loved ones during the year. I run this annually to hopefully heighten awareness. Here is a quick checklist to evaluate their well-being: 1. Accompany your parent or loved one to their next doctor’s appointment. Hear first-hand what the doctor has...

 If you are making the choice to sever your marriage in 2018, here are some resolutions to add to your list. A. Line up your priorities. Is it finding a home? Is it financial? Getting a job? Managing a special-needs child in the face of divorce? Jot down your most important priorities down to...

The expansion of alternatives to nursing homes, such as assisted living and residential care facilities, has been financially challenging for the nursing home industry, and every year a small percentage of facilities close their doors. Some homes are also shuttered for safety issues. While...

Holiday plans are more complicated when in a divorce or custody battle, so it’s best to create a court-approved custody and visitation order, which may include how you share custodial time during holidays.  Communication with the other parent and respect for the other parent’s time are...

  ABOUT THE MAGAZINE The Magazine of Santa Clarita has set a high standard for excellence in advertising for over 25 years. A family owned and operated business, The Magazine of Santa Clarita has grown with the Santa Clarita Valley since 1989 and become the...

 In my law practice, I get asked this question quite often. And my answer is always no: You do not get any creditor protection from a revocable living trust. This can upset people sometimes because they really want that protection and they have “heard” they can get it with a trust. I believe...

The holiday season has arrived! Many of us spread holiday cheer to friends and family with sweet homemade treats. At Oakmont, our culinary team prepares delicious made-from-scratch pies for residents and their families to bring to holiday festivities. If you’re looking for a decadent dessert...

 Even though the deed says it belongs to your spouse as his or her separate property? A situation occurring frequently in family law cases is where, after the parties are married, they decide to put the family residence in one spouse’s name for the purpose of refinancing with the intent of...

 The Department of Veterans Affairs recently implemented sweeping new changes to its “Aid and Attendance” program, which provides tax free money to veterans and their surviving spouses to help pay for long-term care, or for assisted living communities. Before the new rules were enacted, the VA...

The Michael Hoefflin Foundation for children’s cancer will be having a Holiday Party on Sunday, December 9, 2018. This is an annual event and we will be hosting approximately 250 to 300 children and their families, who have been diagnosed with pediatric cancer. Families are often overwhelmed...

On November 11, 2018, we celebrate Veterans Day to honor all those who have served our country. A 2012 Gallup research study found that four out of five 85 to 89-year-olds have served in our American military. This means that 80 percent of Americans between the ages of 85 and 89 enlisted at...

 Halloween, when you’re separated or going through a divorce with children can be a spooky time if not approached with your children in mind. Halloween is one of those tricky holidays where both parents want to have that ‘fun and scary experience.’ So, what should you do so that everyone is...

 Client Charlie owns and lives in a condo in Happy Hills, a gated community. He is a widower, with three adult children. He has a Revocable Living Trust, which benefits his children. He has provided his Home Owners Association with a guest list, people who he authorizes to be admitted to the...

 American Bar Association has a new fact sheet for right to visitation. Defining the right to visitation, communication, and interaction under a conservatorship (in other states identified as a guardianship) is an important issue in elder and disability rights law. This issue recently gained...

 Domestic violence comes in many forms and can affect anyone regardless of income, age, or gender. Some forms of abuse are more obvious, such as hitting, kicking, punching, or other forms of physical violence. Other actions that can rise to the level of domestic violence can include...

 Even though the deed says it belongs to your spouse as his or her separate property? A situation occurring frequently in family law cases is where, after the parties are married, they decide to put the family residence in one spouse’s name for the purpose of refinancing with the intent of...

 Not only do the public and my clients frequently ask me this question, but also sometimes other attorneys, even estate planning attorneys, ask me this question! So why all the confusion? Well, for starters, both terms, “elder law” and “estate planning” are misnomers to a certain degree. After...