With Your Family in Mind

 Each case has its own specifics and having an attorney or advocate on your side is important to navigating the world of restraining orders, whether you are filing one, or have had one filed against you. A domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) is a civil court order that is signed by a...

 Some professionals are encouraging older individuals to convert their traditional IRAs to Roth IRA’s to pass to their beneficiaries at death. Passing down a Roth IRA can seem like a good idea, but it doesn’t always make the most sense. Before converting a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA to...

 Caring for older family members is a family affair. Every member of the family is like a member of a team. And while it may seem to many that they are in it alone, everybody has a role to play in keeping your loved one safe, secure and independent. These roles often are unfamiliar,...

One of the important features of owning property is the right to give it away. How to transfer assets to our beneficiaries when we die-- without losing it to taxes, attorneys, courts and litigious relatives -- is the subject of Estate Planning. A person with substantial assets has the choice of...

As has been said, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! And so again, time for my annual sharing of an important message. Holidays ARE a wonderful time of the year, and frequently they are the one or two times a year we are able to spend time with parents or other aging loved ones. If we do...

 I meet with Seniors and their families every day, many of whom are in crises. Please take the following “tips” to heart – before a crisis strikes. 1. Understand that Health Can Change Rapidly: Despite the belief that we will live forever, we are not invincible. Illness usually strikes...

 Have you ever thought of becoming a foster parent or wanted to adopt a child in need of permanency? Koinonia Family Services is now serving the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys, and is looking for families who want to provide safe, caring, and nurturing homes for children who are in need...

 As your baby starts to eat solid foods, it’s time to start thinking about your plan to wean from the bottle to a cup. Why change to a cup now? Your child needs to eat a lot of different foods to grow. If he fills up on drinks from a bottle, he will not eat enough of the other good foods. He...

The holiday season is almost upon us! This is the time of year where we get together with our extended families and connect over shared memories, holiday feasts and festive activities. These events are great opportunities to spend time with our senior loved ones and learn more about their life...

 The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret. – Henny Youngman At a friend’s 25th wedding anniversary party, the Husband was asked for the secret of his long-term marriage. His answer? Peer pressure. They’re no longer married. In an online musical card from Llerrah, the secret to a long and...

 For the spouse who wants to keep the family home, it is a sanctuary. For the spouse who wants to sell, it is a source of uncertainty. No matter which side of the issue you find yourself, the question of how the family home is allocated is a source of stress. From a legal perspective, a spouse...

 The holidays are something that most people look forward to. Plans are made for big Thanksgiving and Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza celebrations. But the holidays also bring about significant added stress. Some family law attorneys see a rise in domestic violence restraining orders right around...

Not only do the public and my clients frequently ask me this question, but also sometimes other attorneys, even estate planning attorneys, ask me this question! So why all the confusion? Well, for starters, both terms, “elder law” and “estate planning” are misnomers to a certain degree. After...

No, the screaming isn’t from you or your child. Maybe it is because Halloween is the first of the fall holiday season you are about to be dealing with holidays and the children. After Halloween comes Thanksgiving followed by Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza and then the New Year. So, I think the...

Undue influence occurs when someone exerts pressure on an individual, causing that individual to act contrary to his or her wishes to the benefit of the influencer or the influencer’s friends. The pressure can take the form of deception, harassment, threats or isolation. Often the influencer...

Short answer: Because Personal Care Contracts can offer big benefits! How, you wonder? Well, before we get to that, it’s important to note that most children are willing to voluntarily care for a parent without any thought of compensation. This is true despite the fact that the child providing...

Community Leaders, including two Hart District board members, administrators, a city representative and business partners, gathered together Thursday night in celebration of U.S. Constitution Day to mentor adult students preparing for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services civics test....