With Your Family in Mind

Jeff and Melanie Meyer of Thrivent Financial are hosting a free educational workshop to help parents of high school students with their college planning. Called “College Planning Strategies,” the 90-minute workshop will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 17 at American Family Funding,...

 After thirty-one years of lawyering, I will be closing my law practice on December 31, 2019. This is my final Article. If you are trying to help a loved one make decisions, are a court-appointed conservator/guardian for a loved one or are a professional looking for ways to explain to your...

  [bsa_pro_ad_space id=3] ABOUT THE MAGAZINE Santa Clarita Magazine has set a high standard for excellence in advertising for over 25 years. A family owned and operated business, Santa Clarita Magazine has grown with the Santa Clarita Valley since 1990 and become the #1 place to...

 Oakmont Senior Living celebrated their newest community, Oakmont of Valencia, with a grand opening event on Saturday, July 13. Oakmont of Valencia, led by Oakmont Senior Living veteran Margie Veis, is a two-story, 85,000-square-foot resort-style senior living community in the Santa Clarita...

 Lawyers have war stories.  This past week has been chocked full of them for me.  A problem we lawyers sometime encounter is when the Judge is considerably brighter than the opposing counsel.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending upon which side you are on, Judges have the right to ask...

 If you’re like our clients, the answer is no. But actually, the cost of long-term care is just one of the issues seniors are forced to confront as they age. Indeed, our clients frequently tell us that they want to gracefully age in place, not become a burden on their children, and live out...

After a hospital stay, anyone appreciates the value of sleeping in one’s own bed. No one to wake you during the night, no more pokes, prods or beeps and buzzes. Especially for seniors, there are a few things to consider regarding transitioning from a hospital back into the home. After a care...

  For many families, summer is the beginning of new adventures. However, the summer break is also a preferred time to initiate divorce or other family law proceedings as parents can begin the process with a lesser impact on educational or afterschool schedules for their children. When...

  [bsa_pro_ad_space id=3] ABOUT THE MAGAZINE Santa Clarita Magazine has set a high standard for excellence in advertising for over 25 years. A family owned and operated business, Santa Clarita Magazine has grown with the Santa Clarita Valley since 1990 and become the #1 place to...

 The Date of Separation in a dissolution of marriage action can have a financial impact on the parties. The Family Code states that the “earnings and accumulations of a spouse and the minor children living with, or in the custody of the spouse, while living separate and apart from the other...

The tax law signed in 2017 doubled the federal estate tax exemption, meaning the vast majority of estates will not have to pay federal estate tax. It does not mean you should ignore its impact on your estate plan. The law doubled the federal estate tax exemption to $11.18 million for...

Divorce can be one of the most traumatic life events a person can experience. Legal fees, asset division, child support and alimony can ruin otherwise healthy finances. 1. Your Ex Stops Paying for Joint Accounts Many spouses jointly share credit accounts, like a mortgage or credit cards. In...

 Getting married is easy.  Get a marriage license.  Have a ceremony.  Even a ceremony conducted by an Elvis impersonator at a Las Vegas wedding chapel at two o’clock in the morning will do. You’re married. Just like that. Getting divorced... not so easy.  What may look like a simple divorce can...

Summertime can be a delightful season for seniors. While the hot weather and sun tends to entice us to retreat outdoors and to be more active, it can create discomfort for seniors. Seniors are more susceptible to dehydration and heat exhaustion and extremely hot weather may make an otherwise...

 Santa Clarita Estate Planning Attorney Jerry Kessler closed his law offices in December of 2018, after 52 years in practice. On March 1, 1991, after practicing in Hollywood for over 24 years, Jerry opened Angeles Law Center, first in the City Hall Building in Valencia and later in Newhall....

 This is my first “new article” since the “Tahiti” one.  I apologize for that. The 80’s in retrospect, was an incredible time.  Especially for music.  One of my favorite female singers, Scandel’s Patty Smythe (I am The Warrior), not to be confused with Patty Smith (Springsteen’s Because the...

 There’s a saying that goes: “You don’t stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing.” How often have you heard a friend, colleague, or family member respond with, “I can’t do that, I’m too old!” Now, very important, before I continue, I want to be clear that before...

 For example, there is a rebuttable presumption that a spouse convicted of an act of domestic violence within five years prior to the filing of the dissolution proceeding, or at any time thereafter cannot be awarded spousal support. Family Code § 4325(a). However, the convicted spouse can rebut...