With Your Family in Mind

Terrific questions continue to come in every month from the Magazine of Santa Clarita readers asking about the voiceover business.  Here’s a letter I got from a radio deejay:

Is my will still valid if I move to another state?  Among all the changes you must make when you move to a new state — such as driver’s license and voter registration — don’t forget your will.  While your will should still be valid in the new state, there may be differences in the new state’s laws that may make certain provisions of the will invalid.  In addition, moving is a good excuse to consult an attorney to make sure your estate plan in general is up to date.

Liability insurance provides coverage that protects your business if it is sued for something that resulted in property damage or injury to someone.  Given the number of attorneys offering contingency fees for their services, this type of claim is common.  A typical example is a customer slipping and falling in your store or parking lot and suing your business for medical problems and loss of income due to not being able to work.  Your liability insurance should cover costs related to your defense of the lawsuit and the cost of damages awarded by the court to the injured person.

You really can’t stop them.  They’re bound to happen.  I’m talking about those autumnal feelings that arise as we enter into a season of holiday celebrations.  Yet it seems with the busyness of our lives we tend to be caught blindsided every time those feelings come our way.

What is a Foster Family Agency?  A Foster Family Agency, or FFA, is a private, community based, nonprofit organization licensed by the State of California to provide foster family care.  With this license, FFAs are contracted to recruit, train, and certify quality homes that are able and willing to provide the love and nurturance that children need.

Compassionate Solutions therapists make their new home in a little house on Walnut!  Sometimes it’s hard for people to seek the help they need in the first place.  And, then walking into the sterile environment of an office building, well, that makes it even harder.  That’s why Ramona Hall, Laurie Adachi, Susan Kasdorf, Shauna Hoffman, and Ann Hausman chose to move their offices to a classic Newhall 1940s house on Walnut Street in Newhall.  From the minute the clients walk up to the door they are welcomed into a nurturing home away from home.

November is National Adoption Month!  Children’s Bureau is having an Information Meeting at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church located at 27265 Luther Drive, Canyon Country from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday night, November 20.  Children’s Bureau offers an innovative and supportive adoption program that is appealing to prospective parents who have made the decision to help a child in need.

One of my clients recently told me how great she felt that her estate plan had been completed.  All her affairs were in order and her family was prepared in case anything ever happened to her.  What if you did the same for your family? You, too, would feel great.

Thurs., Nov. 13, 10 a.m. — The Great Shakeout.  Join the City of Santa Clarita for the Great Shakeout, the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history, organized to inspire Southern Calfornians to get ready for big earthquakes.  All you have to do is Drop, Cover and Hold.  You can also tune into KHTS AM 1220 at 10 a.m., as Mayor Kellar does a count down for Santa Clarita to do the Shakeout drill.  Get your business, school, club, and family to participate. 

Human beings are pleasure principled beings.  This means that we are pre-programmed, genetically, philosophically and spiritually, to seek pleasure and avoid pain.  This seems elementary, yet it is this pain/pleasure principle that makes kicking a habit or addiction so difficult.  I see all walks of life in my office; young teenagers who have difficulty regulating the role that pot should play in their youthful lives, soccer moms who just want to stop recreational, casual drinking, crystal meth users, young adults who just like to “party” and use a little too much coke, booze or ecstasy.  You don’t have to be a fall-down drunk or hard core addict to make the discovery we all make when we decide to change a habit: that it is much more difficult than we think it’s going to be.  The reason for this is because of the pain/pleasure principle.

Last month we talked about the fact that unity brings encouragement. We discovered that encouragement provides an incredible amount of strength and support. That strength and support now becomes the driving force behind one’s determination to succeed at whatever it is they put their hand to.

The Federal Housing Administration has recently adopted a new program, Hope For Homeowners, “H4H”, to help homeowners facing difficulty in paying their home mortgages.  The program became effective October 1, 2008 and it will end on September 30, 2011.

All of us, at one time or another, have had to face the challenge of what to give an aging loved one.  With the holidays just around the corner, finding an inexpensive, yet meaningful gift just requires some creative thinking!

The holidays are quickly approaching.  A walk down the aisles of your favorite retailer surely has reminded you, the Halloween costumes and candy are being packed up, replaced by paper turkeys and cornucopias, then rows of green Christmas trees and aisles filled with toys.  In the rush of holiday preparations, you’ve shopped for gifts and sent out cards with the annual update letter, you’ve planned the holiday party schedule and menu for the family dinner.  Everything is under control, until your ex-spouse calls to find out what time your son and daughter will be ready to go for the holiday weekend.

Last month, the Santa Clarita Valley Bar Association held its annual Law Appreciation Day at the Valencia Hyatt Hotel.  I was privileged to serve on the planning committee, and thrilled with the success of this highly anticipated event.  The Bar Association honored local heroes who have made significant contributions to our community.  Speakers included Supervisor Michael Antonovich, our State Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, our Mayor Bob Kellar, Sheriff Leroy Baca, and others.  It was an exciting event, and very well attended.

For America’s 77 million baby boomers, paying future long-term care costs remains their largest looming expense.  With longevity increasing, according to the Bureau of Census, by 2020 the number of Americans 85 or older will double to seven million and double again to 14 million by 2040.  According to US News & World Report, by 2050 we can expect for the first time in our history to have about one million Americans over age 100.

It is not necessary to file any paperwork with the state to form a general partnership.  You and your best friend can start that business you’ve always dreamed of owning, and the only legal requirements you will need to comply with are those imposed by the city and county in which you do business.  However, operating a partnership without a formal agreement, even with close and trusted friends and family, can lead to significant problems. 

The Trustee of a Trust performs a valuable service, both to the Grantor (Trustor) and to the Beneficiaries.  By accepting the position of Trustee, you will be accepting responsibility for the administration of the Grantor’s Trust Estate.
Here’s what you can expect to do: