With Your Family in Mind

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 AccountsMany spouses jointly share credit accounts, like a mortgage or credit cards. In some...

Consider hiring an experienced family law attorney to help you with your divorce mediation: Hiring an experienced family law attorney as your mediator is important, as the attorney can offer to the parties his in-court experiences and relate them to their set of facts. An experienced divorce...

Now that so many COVID restrictions have been lifted in Los Angeles County, I have been delighted by the sheer number of families coming to see us at Oakmont Senior Living. Some are coming to celebrate life with their parents or other family members who live here. They flash their vaccination...

Default divorces usually occur when the person who initially files for divorce (the Petitioner) does not receive a response from their spouse (the Respondent) within the statutory deadline. In California, the deadline for filing and serving a Response is thirty calendar days. “True defaults”...

This article addresses some of the rules that Judges must apply in deciding move away cases.   The rules are different for temporary (non-permanent) awards and final awards.  Non- permanent awards can include: temporary (pendente lite) awards made by the judge during the case; a stipulation and...

I came across an “advice column” recently in a newspaper. The person seeking advice wrote of a common problem: one spouse understands the need for estate planning, while the other spouse does not. I have taken the idea from the column, and incorporated what I commonly encounter as an estate...

Hospital readmissions after discharge after an illness or injury is a serious issue for seniors. However, it is important for seniors and their loved ones to remember that in many cases, readmission is avoidable and can be prevented with a thoughtful post-hospital care plan.Nearly one-fifth of...

One of the first questions new clients often ask is, ‘how long will my divorce take?’ There is no simple answer to this questions since each individual case has its own circumstances. The short answer is you will remain married for at least six months in California after you file and serve your...

As you are probably already aware, long term nursing home care is expensive, very expensive. According to Medi-Cal, the average cost in California for one month of skilled nursing careis$10,298. Proper planning can help your family prepare for the financial toll and protect assets for future...

Domestic violence can have a substantial and material effect upon the determination of child custody in a child custody hearing.When a party is found to have committed an act of domestic violence against the other party seeking child custody or against the child or siblings, a legal presumption...

Seniors continue to be a rapidly increasing segment of the population targeted by con artists. In fact, financial scams targeting seniors have become so prevalent that they are now considered to be “the crime of the 21st century.” And this crime against seniors is not always one that is...

There is an old saying in family law, “don’t trip over a dollar bill to pick up a penny.” Resolving financial disputes can be one of the most acrimonious and subsequently expensive aspects of the divorce process. Often, parties are willing to spend more money litigating over an item or issue...

Television and radio host, Larry King, died on January 2021 at age 87. At the time of his death, his estimated worth was $144 million, and he was divorcing his seventh wife, Shawn. Apparently, Larry King had a Trust with his wife, where she would inherit assets. Since the divorce was not...

One of the more horrific stories in the news this week was the salon shooting in Seal Beach, California. It was alleged that at least eight people were killed by a man enraged over a custody battle. Issues of custody commonly arise in Family Law cases. But they do not all have to be bitter...

Allocating your personal possessions can be one of the most difficult tasks when creating an estate plan. To avoid family feuds after you are gone, it is important to have a plan and make your wishes clear. When passing on possessions to your heirs, savings and investments are easy to divide...