With Your Family in Mind

After a Medi-Cal recipient dies (or if married, when the surviving spouse dies), the state will attempt to recoup whatever benefits it paid for the person’s care from his or her estate.  This process is called “estate recovery.”
For most Medi-Cal recipients, their house is the principal asset available and is an “exempt” asset at the time of qualification for benefits. 

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 of short-term or long-term placement.

It is painful to watch someone we love succumb to addiction. The damage from this affliction spreads out beyond the sufferer to affect the family, friends, jobs and more. No one chooses to become an addict. Many never saw when casual use started to become a “need” that could not be ignored. Both the addict and family can live in a state of denial for a long time. Wishing that things will get better, that “Today” will be different, until the pattern repeats itself.

Is summer really over?  Our children have returned to school, we have hope that the oppressive July and August heat and humidity is a thing in our past and we look forward to the sights and smells of Autumn. Yes, summer seems just a memory but here in Santa Clarita – fall has not yet arrived! 

Over the years of writing these articles, I have written about the issue of filing first – being the first person to file for divorce.  Is it better to be the petitioner or the respondent?  The advice I give most of the time is that when you are certain that your marriage is over and that you want a divorce, go and file. 

You may not be aware, but divorce coaching is an essential part of your divorce. Our office offers divorce coaching for those in need and/or open to learning ways to navigate a road that as an attorney for over 17 years, I have traveled and learned myself.

If you want a living trust to protect your loved ones, but hope to avoid legal fees, you have several choices: You could buy a do-it-yourself book or a computer software package, and fill in the blanks. Or, you could attend law school, study estate planning, practice for years and then, equipped with expertise and experience, draft your own living trust and appropriate related documents.

1. Make sure you’ve got a solid job/business – know it beforehand.  If there is one thing a traditional bank doesn’t like, it’s instability.
Think about it - if you were a bank that was about to lend a perfect stranger hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars - how would you feel about a borrower who always has new business ventures and a spotty job history?

I am talking about spousal support of course.  And more particularly, a special function on the Dissomaster computer program that the Courts and attorneys use to calculate guideline support.  Child support is based upon guideline support, whether your case has made its way to final judgment or not. 

I was casually talking with a woman last week.  She mentioned that her husband passed away a few years ago.  Politely, I asked the cause of death.  When she told me, I immediately recognized the cause of death as a VA “presumptive condition” - even though the condition that caused his death is fairly common in the general population. 

First, a quick review of who needs a trust: If you die in California, assets in your name alone having a gross aggregate value of over $150,000 will be subject to probate. Probate is a legal procedure wherein a personal representative is appointed, any will is approved, creditors are notified, assets are identified and evaluated, creditors’ claims and administrative expenses are paid and the balance is distributed to the decedent’s beneficiaries or heirs.

Are you thinking of changing careers? Do you want a roadmap that puts you on the fast-track to a rewarding job, in an industry that’s always in high demand? Dental Assisting could be your ticket! The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the job outlook for Dental Assisting from 2012 to 2022 is 25 percent.

Your mind is the greatest resource you have for change and success.  It is the power of the mind that drives, motivates and allows us to create our reality. 
There are two parts to it: the conscious and the subconscious. 

Any divorce can give rise to multiple issues. There can be disputes about the date of separation, the nature, extent and value of the community property. There can be issues with respect to reimbursements or credits. There can be issues relating to the care and custody of the children, support, as well as a breach of fiduciary duty, domestic violence, and contempt, just to name a few.

To meet increasing service demands despite shrinking budgets, Social Security has invested in technological innovations offering more convenient, cost-effective and secure options for the public.  Considering these factors, Social Security is making some service changes to their field offices across the country.

In every conceivable manner, the family is the link to our past, bridge to our future. – Alex Haley
Suzie, now six years old, was only three when her parents, Jeremy and Jessica, separated.  Jeremy has since remarried Fiona and they are expecting a new baby.  Suzie spends a bit more time with Jessica as she shuttles between her two homes.

1. Historically Low Rates
Yes you may have read it before, but what does it really mean and how does it benefit you? Well, at one point in the 1980’s, rates were as high at 18 percent! This made buying or refinancing extremely difficult for most people. Oh how times have changed! As of July 2014, Conforming Fixed Rates are now in the low to mid 4’s!

The annual Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® will take place Saturday, September 20 at Bridgeport Park (23520 Bridgeport Ln., Santa Clarita, CA 91355). Onsite registration opens at 7:30 a.m., opening ceremonies begin at 8:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 9 a.m. Residents from throughout the Santa Clarita Valley will participate in this inaugural event to raise awareness and funds to fight the disease.