With Your Family in Mind

There are two types of support in California.  One is child support and the other is spousal support.  There are two types of orders in California dissolution cases.  One is a temporary order during the pendency of the case, called a pendente lite order.  And the other is an order after judgment.  Child support awards are modifiable based upon changed circumstances irrespective of judgment.  The concept makes sense, because it will usually be in the best interest of the child for the parent with more custodial time to get a greater support award when the supporting party can afford to pay more.

As a high-risk teen counselor, I have been working with teenagers for the past 30 years.  If you are a parent of a teenager, you know like I do, adolescence is perhaps the most difficult stage in human development.  It is fraught with battles for independence, self-expression, fitting in and balancing family and peer responsibilities, as well as relationships. 

In some marriages, it is not uncommon for one spouse to engage in investment activity or have financial accounts that are unknown to the other.  When divorcing, it is necessary to disclose all assets, including those accounts maintained separately by only one spouse.  The problem is that the unknowing spouse may have to go to great lengths to uncover these hidden assets.

Many of us ask ourselves just this question right after Christmas.  You may have heard that the Christmas season is the time of year when more people become sad, depressed and despondent…but I think that the “after Christmas blues” are just as prevalent and devastating. 

One of our certified couples had been trying to conceive with no success.  They decided to open their home to a foster child.  Knowing someone who had adopted a child through our agency, they chose Inner Circle.  Last year they welcomed an injured little boy who needed medical attention.  He became a part of a wonderful extended family and has brought them so much joy.  After bringing this family such happiness, his foster mother became pregnant and last month gave birth to a beautiful infant girl.  “Our marriage grew stronger and our lives are happier,” said the new mom.

DHS decided to focus its enforcement resources on removing violent criminals, felons, and repeat offenders. DHS will defer removal of individuals who as of June 15, 2012:

“In automobile terms, the child supplies the power but the parents have to do the steering.” – Benjamin Spock

It is the public policy of California to assure that children of divorce have frequent and continuing contact with both parents and to encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities of child rearing, except where the contact would not be in the best interest of the child (California Family Code §3020).

Super Fresh Marketplace is a new full service international grocery store serving the Santa Clarita Valley.  The concept of the market is to provide customers with all the products found in a traditional grocery store while offering specialty items from around the world. 

Announcing the Change Your Life and Resolution Workshop: a two hour workshop that will teach you not only what that hidden, unknown force is that keeps you from reaching your goals but the secret in how to rework it, reprogram yourself and succeed where you were never able to before!

If someone you know has symptoms of dementia, it might not be too late to sign a will or other estate planning documents.  Millions of people are affected by some form of dementia.  Unfortunately, many of them do not have all of their estate planning affairs in order before symptoms begin to appear.  This is another good reason to speak with an elder law attorney now, rather than putting off such a discussion.

When someone you love needs help to stay safely at home, finding the right person can be a challenge.  Even though the benefits of having help are clear, the idea of inviting a stranger into your home understandably makes many people feel uncomfortable.  There are really two options for finding an in-home care provider: either hire a home care company, such as Visiting Angels, or hire a private independent caregiver.

Divorce can be financially and emotionally devastating to a family.  Statistics show that children of divorce are at increased risk of living in poverty.  Twenty-eight percent (28 percent) of children living with a divorced mother live below the poverty line as compared to 19 percent of the general population.  Before you consider taking your family over its fiscal cliff, try these tips to avoid it and strengthen your marriage:

Announcing the Change Your Life and Resolution Workshop: a two hour workshop that will teach you not only what that hidden, unknown force is that keeps you from reaching your goals but the secret in how to  rework it, reprogram yourself and succeed where you were never able to before!  Details at www.Life-Mind.com or 661-904-5353.  There are two opportunities to attend: Saturday, January 12 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m.

January marks the beginning of the college planning process in addition to submitting the FAFSA so we’ve compiled 7 strategies for Juniors to help them ring in the new year right.

Get fully engaged in the college planning mode and begin planning activities for testing (SAT, ACT, and AP); college visits; essay writing; meeting with your counselor or College Planning Expert; review your senior schedule; know your requirements; and organize college forms.  Get a calendar, pin-point dates and commit to taking action to get things done.

It’s time to make New Year’s Resolutions, and to get our legal and financial houses in order.  Here are some resolutions we can all accomplish:

1. Organization
• Label and store all closed bank and financial accounts.

There are well over 300 million Americans 65 years of age or older.  California has the largest number of elderly in the United States, and it has been predicted that this state’s elderly population will increase by almost 80 percent in the coming years.  With the aging of America, we unfortunately see an increase in age-related illness, injuries related to falls, complications of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and need for care both inside and outside of the home.=

Physical changes may include loss of bone density, lowered heart rates, as well as thickening of the arteries and/or heart.  Skin becomes dry, thinner and incurs wrinkles as it loses elasticity.  Tooth enamel becomes weaker with age and may lead to decay.  Gum disease is more common in older adults, as are changes in vision and hearing, lowered appetites and loss of muscle mass.

For many seniors, the new year is a time for making new year’s resolutions…eating healthy, exercising more, spending more time with family and friends and less time isolated and watching television, even spending more time taking part in things we enjoy the most.  The easiest way to meet and keep these resolutions might be moving into an assisted living community!