With Your Family in Mind

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.

The term working mom is really a silly one because if you are a mom you are working! Still we all know that this term refers to moms that work both in the home and outside. If you belong to this category, you are either reading this because you feel that you need some urgent advice to make it all work out or because you want to make the situation even better. A working mom can certainly do well with some tips for how to make the whole circus go on happy and healthy.

Anyone who has ever been through a divorce can tell you, it’s expensive for anyone at any financial level.  So, how much does the average divorce really cost? Unfortunately, the answer is not a simple one.
Breaking Down the Costs:

There are a large number of seniors that believe that their risk for heart disease is inevitable as they grow older. The truth is that there are a number of ways that the heart can be kept in great shape, which are highlighted here.

Tom, Trustor, was a 65-year-old widower with three grown sons. He lived in a house he’d bought 10 years ago, after his wife died.
According to the terms of Tom’s revocable living trust, after his death, all his assets would be distributed to his three sons, share and share alike, or to their respective children.

The issues discussed in my February 2014 article regarding Reverse Mortgages and the Surviving Spouse are now being addressed in part by HUD in how the “non-borrowing spouse” is being treated. 
The two significant changes have to do with:

The dog days of summer are upon us, so that means it’s time to take steps to protect elderly family members, neighbors and friends.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, elderly people (age 65 and over), are more prone to heat stress then younger people for several reasons:

When it comes to negotiating a contract, one often-overlooked subject is ADR—Alternative Dispute Resolution.  The whole purpose of your contract is to set forth the rights and obligations of each of the parties.  But what happens if one of the parties doesn’t live up to its end of the bargain?  As the name implies, alternative dispute resolution is an alternative to the high costs of litigation.

When filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a debtor may face several tough choices.  One of those is whether to reaffirm a vehicle loan, or surrender the vehicle.  If the debtor surrenders the vehicle, the loan is discharged even if the loan balance exceeds the value of the vehicle.  If the debtor wants to retain a vehicle that has a secured loan, he/she must reaffirm or redeem the loan in order to keep the vehicle without risk of repossession. 

Now you’re probably thinking, ‘did what?’  If I had entitled this article, “The Most Important Conversation You’ll Ever Have,” you’d probably be in the ‘Wish I Had’ group and not bother finishing it.  So now that I have your attention, I hope you will continue reading, and be ‘Glad You Did’!

Developing Good Character
Traits in children and teens begin early. Inner Circle Foster Care and Adoption Services gives foster families and preparing adoptive homes the training that helps adults recognize the importance of teaching, modeling, and encouraging good character.

Imagine a place where friendship thrives and wellness radiates from every smile.  Imagine an oasis where adults of all ages come together to enjoy a meal, a story, a consult with our nurses, or a session of restorative therapy and exercise.

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.

In a recent case, Marriage of Moore, an often over-looked asset, accrued vacation pay, was the issue and whether or not this accrued vacation pay was a community property asset. The parties were married for 27 years and Husband was a police officer. Quite commonly, government employees will accrue many hours of employee benefit time and one such asset is vacation pay. In this case, Husband had accrued 480 hours of accrued vacation time worth approximately $18,000.

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.

Dan Felico, an SCV resident since 1986, grew up in family where just about everyone played an instrument. His dad, a bass player since the 60’s, his brother started playing drums at five, his sister singing at eight and Dan started the guitar at 10. “As for mom,” says Dan, “she’s got a great voice but can really only play the radio.”
It wasn’t long before their family started a band called “Felico” and played around town at local places like Q-Zar and Cafe Tara. Although the band never made it big, Dan still enjoys to get together with his family and rock out!

This is a story I’ve heard countless times over the years, from both clients and colleagues. A new couple, worked hard and made excellent salaries, affording them the classic DINK (double income, no kids) lifestyle for a few years. Like many of their peers, one becomes a SAHP (stay-at-home parent) and, happily at the time, leaves their job. Over the years, one parent finds themselves wondering what the other does all day, or becomes jealous of the work opportunities left behind.

This community is suffering from an invisible illness: A large percentage of our kids and family members are addicted to drugs; opiates such as Oxycontin, Norco, Vicodin, Xanax and other “prescribed” medications that often lead to heroin, coke or meth.