Archive for Family
Protecting Your Children’s Nest Egg
Posted by: | CommentsParents often set up trusts as a way to ensure their assets reach their children and successive generations without being diminished by courts costs and taxes. When leaving assets to a child, parents will be faced with some choices on how to handle or set up their children’s future inheritance.
Should they leave them to the children outright (no longer held in the trust), how much and when should the children receive the assets and will their inheritance be protected from future creditors are amongst some of the questions a parent must ask. Read More→
Keep The Change And Get $4,000 In Bonuses
Posted by: | CommentsChanges in our lives can bring a wealth of opportunity or surprising disappointment.
We can anticipate some changes, like getting married or the birth of a child, and other times, Change just struts in and makes itself at home without warning.
It’s easy to evaluate and plan for those big or significant changes that we know are going to happen: what they entail, when they will happen, how they will affect our lives, and how we can be better prepared for them when they do. Read More→
April Is National Autism Awareness Month
Posted by: | CommentsAs many of you know, I have a daughter with autism. Since April is National Autism Awareness Month, I wanted to speak to you a bit about what it is and what it is not. Because so many Americans are diagnosed with it, you probably know someone who is autistic.
One thing you should know is that autism is not a disease. It is a neurological condition that can develop in children between the ages of 3 and 5 years old. It manifests itself as uniquely as individuals are different from each other, but there are some common displays of autistic behavior. Read More→
Special Needs…Special Planning When the Court is Involved
Posted by: | CommentsI am receiving more and more calls asking about protecting a settlement for a plaintiff in a personal injury case that has a disability. The plaintiff has a catastrophic brain injury due to the negligence of the defendant and receives a $3 million award in damages. A structured settlement can be integrated with a special needs trust through a qualified settlement fund to protect the plaintiff’s dollars.
What is a Structured Settlement? Read More→
Getting Divorced? Vital Info Regarding Your Estate Plan
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’ve already got an estate plan in place and you are going through a divorce, you’ve got some steps to take because no matter how you cut it, divorce has a major impact on your estate plan. I hate to tell you that because I know that the last thing you want to think about in the middle of your divorce is your estate planning and, yet, it’s critically important unless you want your ex to end up with control over all of your assets if anything happens to you.
Yep, that’s what could happen if you don’t address your estate planning as part of your divorce … your ex could end up with everything or at the very least in control of everything. Read More→
When Real Estate is owned by a parent and child
Posted by: | CommentsLast week, I had a client ask me what the best way to vest title when purchasing property with a child. This is an ever recurring question as to what is the best way to hold title between a parent and child. Property is often acquired with a child due to a joint investment the parent or child can’t qualify for a loan, or the parent or child wishes to gift an interest to the other.
Before I can answer this question, it’s helpful to understand the various ways two parties can hold title to property. Read More→
Hey! Why DIDN’T We Get A Manual?!!!
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the things I really enjoy about being a Personal Family Lawyer is the networking I get to do and meeting new people whose missions are similar to mine (helping families).
If you remember my “corner” from a couple of weeks ago, I told you about my having a booth at the “Taste of Encino” event. There, I met Faith Golden, M.A., of It’s Aparent, Parent and Behavioral Specialists. She and I discussed some of the issues parents face these days, and it occurred to me that I’d like to devote this week’s topic to parenting skills. Read More→
Family Feuds Can Happen In The Best Of Families
Posted by: | CommentsFamily Feuds can happen in the best of families and sometimes occur in the worst of times. When they do, they have the power to rip your family apart, plunging you into a nightmare of bitterness and anger. Or, they can open the door to your greatest dreams.
About two months before my wife passed, she was struck with bilateral pneumonia (worse than it sounds, it’s just pneumonia in both lungs). She was hospitalized and was very frightened and scared and did not want to be left alone. So, I stayed there all day and night and slept on a very uncomfortable portable bed. Hospitals are the worst place to get sleep with alarms going off all night long, and nurses coming in every hour to check on Mimi. Read More→
