With Your Family in Mind

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone took responsibility for their possessions, followed through with their commitments, owned up to their mistakes, and apologized when wrong?  We all know that human beings are imperfect creatures that make mistakes and yet taking responsibility for those mistakes is so hard for us to do.  What causes us to put so much energy into defending our position but makes it so difficulty to say a simple “I’m sorry”?  Before an individual can accept responsibility, they must perceive themselves as a responsible person.  This is not something we are born with, it must be learned.

Valencia based estate planning attorney, Lisa S. Golshani, was recently honored with the coveted “Personal Family Lawyer” (PFL) designation.  The PFL designation is awarded to estate planning lawyers who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their communities by providing sound legal advice that helps individuals and families make the best decisions in their personal, business, legal and financial affairs throughout their lifetime.

It’s a common condition in today’s housing market.  Buyers seem to be glued to the procrastinators fence and they let opportunities pass them by in the fear that prices will continue to decline.  The 2008 “Summer of Opportunity” is passing them by.  Buyers wait for the market to hit bottom and then “lo and behold”, all of a sudden, it’s behind them.  It has passed them by.

There are many changes to Medi-Cal which will occur when the “Deficity Reduction Act signed into law by President Bush in February, 2002 is implemented in California:

Q.  Under the old Medi-Cal rules, a Medi-Cal applicant could freely transfer his or her home to a child who had lived in the parent’s house for at least two years and had provided care allowing the parent to avoid a nursing home stay. Does this still apply under the new law?

If you own a family or small business, you hold one of the best opportunities out there for minimizing or eliminating estate taxes upon your death.  This move isn’t for everyone.  It means giving up some of your control over the business and it is not cheap to put the plan into place.  But with the right plan, you can gradually give control and ownership of the business to the next generation and save your family hundreds of thousands of dollars in estate taxes.

I didn’t believe in God for a long time.  I had a lot of good reasons not to, I thought.  Christians were hypocritical, judgmental, church was uptight, out of touch and not relevant.

Ninety-five deserving students achieved their goal of high school graduation this year, earning their diploma after working hard to overcome unique obstacles to make their dreams come true.  These students are diverse in their background and interests, but they now have something important in common, they are high school graduates ready for their next step in life, whatever they choose that to be.

In a previous article, The Parenting Plan and the Teenager, we discussed the impact of divorce on teens with thoughts on providing plans that promote the normal developmental cycle.  Today we look at the needs of younger children.  The younger child is experiencing the most critical stages of psychosocial development.  They are learning how to thrive in their environments, make and maintain connections with others, and adapt to changing worlds. 

Santa Clarita Magazine readers continue to send in pertinent questions about the voice-acting business.  This is the seventh and last part of my answer regarding voice-over demos, and in this case, a few things not to do:

Almost everyone worries sometimes.  Children worry about things they see or hear on the news.  They worry about how they look, how smart they are in comparison to others, and whether they are liked by peers.  During the spring school semester students worry about tests, failure, year-end grades, and transition to new schools or classes.  Feelings of anxiety or uncertainty are normal reactions to stresses that children experience every day.

Think about your investments.  Do you have assets such as Certificates of Deposit (CD’s,) United States savings bonds, stocks, or retirement accounts?  Have you considered the potential pitfalls that may occur when these assets are transferred to your heirs?  Consider the following:

• Savings bonds may not be an attractive investment from a tax liability standpoint.  When you pass away your heirs may be responsible for any tax liabilities on the accrued bond interest.  This liability is often substantial.  

There are several business forms that protect business owners from responsibility for the business’ obligations.  Corporations and limited partnerships are commonly formed to limit the owners’ personal liability.  However, the Limited Liability Company, commonly known as an LLC, is gaining ground on these forms as it offers greater structure and operating flexibility.

Have you accepted the stereotype that money management is a man’s game?  One that women are not suited to play or be good at?  Many of us have.  Why?  It may have something to do with the fact that many of us grew up watching our fathers handle the family money.  I know that I did.

There is a common misconception that persons who are on Medi-Cal or applying for Medi-Cal cannot protect their homes from Medi-Cal estate claims or that Medi-Cal benefits will be terminated if they transfer the interest in their homes.  This is not true.

It used to be that when a person died and the will was read, it was the last word. The kids could rant about how unfair it is; the spouse could be indignant that restrictions were put on his or her bequest; the lawyer could revel in the control he or she would have over the Estate, not to mention the fees to be collected through the probate. But a testator could at least know that in the end, the Estate would be distributed exactly as set out in the will.

She didn’t look sick the Sunday she walked in.  She just introduced herself and declared, abruptly and honestly, that she was ‘not a normal church person.’  But she believed in prayer.  Mostly, she explained, because she saw a scientific study in Newsweek Magazine and the statistics were in, prayer changed things.  And sometimes, she said, sick people got better.  Or, at least they got better more quickly.  And, “Oh yeah,“ she said, “I like the idea of Jesus, but I’m not sure about the church thing.”