With Your Family in Mind

With nearly 85,000 children in California removed from their parents’ homes due to abuse or neglect and 9,000 foster children in California waiting for adoptive homes, there is a great need for caring adults to provide loving, nurturing homes as either foster or adoptive parents.   A parent information meeting will be held Thursday night, December 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church located at 27265 Luther Drive, Canyon Country, for those interested—adults single or married are welcome (English and Bilingual Spanish speaking).

As the holidays approach, the stress of last minute gift shopping isn’t the real issue for many separated and/or divorced parents — this is the season of who gets what time with the kids.  But there are ways to avoid the last minute stress of these situations.

1. Try to settle as far in advance of holiday time as possible.  It can be hard to decide months in advance as to what holiday is important to you, but having a first and second choice in mind can make negotiations much easier.

We have known for some time that the Hart District’s diversity program is outstanding.  The California School Boards Association has confirmed our opinion by awarding the program its Golden Bell Award, which honors outstanding programs in school districts across the state.

The holidays are associated with happiness and family gatherings.  But, if you ask any attorney who handles after-death issues, that attorney will tell you that the holidays are associated with a rise in the number of deaths among our elderly.  I cannot say why, but it does happen, year after year.  Maybe its because the cold and flu season takes its toll on those whose immune systems are already weak.  Or, maybe its because our widows and widowers find themselves depressed over the holidays, and purposefully allow themselves to join their predeceased spouse.  Whatever the reason, December through February brings an increased number of deaths.

2008 has been a year of challenges.  We have struggled through adversity, been asked to check our morals, ethics and beliefs.  Many have had their livelihoods and homes threatened, and many of us have had to realize that the status quo is not so solid and things change.  But there is a great realization that is coming from this. 

Whether it is for physical, emotional or psychological healing it is easy to get a prescription for your problem.  However, the medical industry has become overly reliant on medications to solve problems and doles them out irresponsibly as well.
Let’s clear something up right away: Medications are almost always going to give you more problems in the long run and the negative consequences almost always outweigh the positive ones and this goes for almost everyone!

Who should have grandma’s dining room table or diamond ring? How should family photos be distributed?  Dividing up heirlooms can be a touchy subject. If you leave the decision until after you die, your children may end up fighting over possessions. If your will or trust divides up belongings without an explanation as to why one child gets one thing and another child gets something else, your children could end up with hurt feelings.  To avoid these scenarios, plan ahead and talk it over with your children (or other heirs).  By bringing them in to the conversation, you can make things easier for them later.

The most concerning issue children are struggling with today is the inability to sleep.  This epidemic is having devastating effects on many families.  If one of your children is not sleeping, chances are no one in the home is getting the sleep that they need and deserve.

Here’s an all-too-typical situation: A family, consisting of Mom, property owner, and her two adult sons, comes to the office.  They tell the attorney their story:

Santa Clarita Magazine readers keep sending in great questions every month asking about the voiceover business.  Here’s a letter I got from a voice actor who’s seen his income fall recently due to the economy.

Naming a beneficiary of your life insurance policy is not as easy as it seems.  You may want to give this “easy” task some extra thought.

Every year many adults face the difficult decision of when and where to relocate their parents once it becomes clear that independent living is no longer possible for the parent.  Residential Care Facility also referred to as “Assisted Living” or “Board and Care” facilities are non-medical facilities that provide a high level of care and include assistance with activities of daily living.

Could we forbear dispute and practise love.  We should agree as angels do above - Edmund Waller (1606–1687)
The MSA, or Marital Settlement Agreement, is the culmination of a negotiation process that substitutes your ideas of a fair divorce for one imposed on you by a judge.  Some research has estimated that 30 percent of divorce cases wind up back in court, often because it wasn’t done “right” the first time.  Many experts in law would agree that the best agreements are ones that never need to be looked at.  That’s because, if done right, the agreements work!

Yes it’s true.  For a variety of reasons real estate is an incredible investment for the long term.  I was reviewing the recent publication of Forbes Magazine that listed the 400 Wealthiest Americans (1.3 billion to qualify) and real estate was a major part of the holdings of these individuals.  Just think back for a moment as to what your parents or grandparents paid for their homes and what those homes might be worth today.

Unprecedented events in the history of the U.S. economy have taken place in the past few months.  We have witnessed the biggest bank failure in American history, a drying up of the credit markets, the Dow swings of nearly 800 points to the downside and upside swings of more than 600.  With these events it’s easy to succumb to the urge to panic in an economic crisis.

Cruise into 2009 at LETMESAIL’s 2nd Annual New Year’s Eve Bon Voyage Ball, title sponsored by Poole and Shaffery Attorneys at Law.  Since this gala extravaganza sold out last year, you won’t want to ‘miss the boat’ by delaying in making your reservations!

Your estate plan needs to reflect your current financial situation.  If your financial status has taken a downturn due to the current economic situation or if your financial status has dramatically improved, you may need to revise your estate plan. 

Pleasantly positive thoughts and ‘rah-rah’ rantings aren’t working anymore.  I recently read a book by Michael Burlingame, professor of history at Connecticut College, called The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln.  It described a six-year soul-searching period of Lincoln’s life where he was struggling with “a sadness so profound that the depths of it cannot be sounded… by normal minds.”