Its raining again. When it Rains, it Pours. Sometimes troubles come, sometimes they stick around a while.
Alzheimers can be like that. It shows up, and won't go away. Many times the "episodes" can be overlooked. It doesn't happen very often, its just a nuissance. Forgetful. Oops.
As people age, some of the normal progressions may become exagerated and excuses become more frequent.
Know when to say when. When you need help, ask. Friends, Family, Organizations and others stand by ready to lend a helping hand. Before it pours. Before you lose control.
Call me. 407-645-3297 at the office. 407-718-5678 is my cell. I am here to help.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Transferring Real Property outside of Probate
Many people want to know, How do I leave my legacy to my children without their having to go through the hassle of Probate. Sometimes the fear of probate is unwarranted. Many times the fear of costs for probate prevent people taking the simple step of calling an attorney to inquire. Remember, if you never ask a question, the answer always remains, "NO".
Probate costs are monitored byt he court, with Judges signing off on most fee applications. Many times an attorney will agree to a lesser rate if he or she has represented you or the decedent in the past.
Sometimes however, an attorney may be able to suggest ways to avoid probate altogether. Instruments such as "Life Estate Deeds" and Lady Bird Deeds may be very useful in allowing a senior to maintain control of their property right up until death, then avoid probate by having it transferred through the prior filed deed. Many times you just have to know what questions to ask.
Probate costs are monitored byt he court, with Judges signing off on most fee applications. Many times an attorney will agree to a lesser rate if he or she has represented you or the decedent in the past.
Sometimes however, an attorney may be able to suggest ways to avoid probate altogether. Instruments such as "Life Estate Deeds" and Lady Bird Deeds may be very useful in allowing a senior to maintain control of their property right up until death, then avoid probate by having it transferred through the prior filed deed. Many times you just have to know what questions to ask.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Friends
Friends are the Family we Choose for ourselves. I hope you have lots of friends. I hope they are the best kind of friends. Friends listen. Friends hear. Friends see. Friends speak. Friends touch. Not just our lives but our very souls.
One of my clients, who is also a friend loaned me this:
If we are dancing, and stepping on each other's toes, we work to not do that anymore, rather than seek out another partner.
I kind of like my version better:
When we dance, if I step on your toes, please don't stop dancing. Just let me know so I can try to dance better. But if you stop dancing with me, the dance may be lost forever.
One of my clients, who is also a friend loaned me this:
If we are dancing, and stepping on each other's toes, we work to not do that anymore, rather than seek out another partner.
I kind of like my version better:
When we dance, if I step on your toes, please don't stop dancing. Just let me know so I can try to dance better. But if you stop dancing with me, the dance may be lost forever.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Speaking engagement on Saturday
My wife will be speaking at the second anniversary of the Professional Men's Christian Fellowship Meeting at Baldwin Park on Saturday, June 13th at 6:30 PM. Having worked with her on the outline for her topic, Spiritual Empowerment During Economic Slowdown or Financial Issues During Recession, I wanted to share some excerpts here.
Personal Skills related to Financial Management
a. Earning potential
i. Education
ii. Training
iii. Ability
iv. Societal Need
b. Personal Management potential
i. Budgeting
ii. Time – everybody gets the same 24 hours per day
iii. Talents – Know which talents serve you best
iv. Treasures – Money Management – Cash Flow
v. Keeping up with the Neighbors – Things – Needs v. Wants
Source of Financial Crisis
A. Spending more than we earn
1. Knowing what we earn
a. Gross Pay – Wages Tips and other Compensation
b. Federal Tax Withheld
c. Social Security Tax Withheld
d. Medicare Tax Withheld
e. Health Insurance Paid by Employer
f. 401K or other Retirement Contributions
g. All other deductions (Union Dues)
h. Net Pay
2. Knowing what we spend
a. Fill up the gas tank
b. Lunch out
c. Dinner out with the family
d. Trip to the Grocery Store
e. “Unexpected Expenditures”
New Tires, brakes, car repairs not covered by the warranty
Medical co-pays
Emergencies
3. Spending Wisely - Budgeting
Personal Skills related to Financial Management
a. Earning potential
i. Education
ii. Training
iii. Ability
iv. Societal Need
b. Personal Management potential
i. Budgeting
ii. Time – everybody gets the same 24 hours per day
iii. Talents – Know which talents serve you best
iv. Treasures – Money Management – Cash Flow
v. Keeping up with the Neighbors – Things – Needs v. Wants
Source of Financial Crisis
A. Spending more than we earn
1. Knowing what we earn
a. Gross Pay – Wages Tips and other Compensation
b. Federal Tax Withheld
c. Social Security Tax Withheld
d. Medicare Tax Withheld
e. Health Insurance Paid by Employer
f. 401K or other Retirement Contributions
g. All other deductions (Union Dues)
h. Net Pay
2. Knowing what we spend
a. Fill up the gas tank
b. Lunch out
c. Dinner out with the family
d. Trip to the Grocery Store
e. “Unexpected Expenditures”
New Tires, brakes, car repairs not covered by the warranty
Medical co-pays
Emergencies
3. Spending Wisely - Budgeting
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Customer Service and Community Relations
It Takes a Villiage to Raise a Child. No doubt you heard the title of Hillary Clinton's book published many years ago. She cited the African proverb to show that we are all connected and the success of the least is in many ways related to the success of the whole.
In Winter Park, Florida, many people know Andy. He was adopted about 40 years ago as an infant. As he developed, his parents discovered he was a victim of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. For many years he has been seen riding his shiny red bicycle around the neighborhoods, many people unaware of his disabilities. Sometimes he yells at cars which do not stop at red octagonal signs. Sometimes he yells at people who run or walk in the "bicycle lanes", and sometimes he just yells. He is a wonderfully nice man, but his disability prevents his knowing what to say or not say. If questioned about how he should react to any given situation, he may answer "do what Jesus would do."
He works occasionally at Tijuana Flats, one of my daughter's Favorite Restaurants. he picks up trash and empty trays from tables. He moves chairs in and out and does other odd jobs. One day a customer was upset because of something Andy had said or done. When she approached the manager to express her concern, she told him that if Andy continued to work there, she and her family would not come back. The manager, in true customer service fashion, provided her with a gift certificate to the restaurant and informed her of the other locations around the city where she could dine without having Andy disturb her meal. He also said she was welcome to come back, but would likely find Andy at the restaurant as he was a valued employee.
Last weekend, I saw Andy's parents dropping him off at work on a Saturday. Normally he doesn't work weekends when the restaurant is busier. This day the boss had called him to come in special. He was thrilled. I pray we can all look for the Andy in our life and remember, it takes a villiage.
In Winter Park, Florida, many people know Andy. He was adopted about 40 years ago as an infant. As he developed, his parents discovered he was a victim of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. For many years he has been seen riding his shiny red bicycle around the neighborhoods, many people unaware of his disabilities. Sometimes he yells at cars which do not stop at red octagonal signs. Sometimes he yells at people who run or walk in the "bicycle lanes", and sometimes he just yells. He is a wonderfully nice man, but his disability prevents his knowing what to say or not say. If questioned about how he should react to any given situation, he may answer "do what Jesus would do."
He works occasionally at Tijuana Flats, one of my daughter's Favorite Restaurants. he picks up trash and empty trays from tables. He moves chairs in and out and does other odd jobs. One day a customer was upset because of something Andy had said or done. When she approached the manager to express her concern, she told him that if Andy continued to work there, she and her family would not come back. The manager, in true customer service fashion, provided her with a gift certificate to the restaurant and informed her of the other locations around the city where she could dine without having Andy disturb her meal. He also said she was welcome to come back, but would likely find Andy at the restaurant as he was a valued employee.
Last weekend, I saw Andy's parents dropping him off at work on a Saturday. Normally he doesn't work weekends when the restaurant is busier. This day the boss had called him to come in special. He was thrilled. I pray we can all look for the Andy in our life and remember, it takes a villiage.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Great Resources for Family Law Issues
You can always visit my site at http://www.aubreylaw.com/
If you choose, you can visit the site http://lawyers.com/duckerlaw/
If you visited the Lawyers.com site, you might find an update on current family law issues at:
http://lawyers.com/duckerlaw/FamilyLawNewsletter.jsp
Sometimes a little information can help you to ask the right questions.
What do you want to learn?
The Family Law Newsletter is created and maintained by Lexis/Nexis, one of the leaders in Legal Research Sources. Below are some current excerpts:
Juvenile Litigation with Respect to Institutional Confinement Facilities
There are many juveniles that are confined to public and private institutions. Many of the institutions have deplorable conditions. Juveniles are often held in dingy cells or small, dark rooms and are confined for hours, days, or weeks. Often times juveniles are deprived of exercise, recreational activities and schooling. Sometimes juveniles are even supervised by untrained or inadequate staff as well.More...
Child Custody and Religion
Religion is usually not an issue in child custody proceedings, even if the parents practice different religions. For example, if a child has a Christian mother and a Jewish father, a court will not consider the merits of either religion in determining which parent should have custody of the child. The court will grant custody to one parent, or joint custody to both parents, and the child will be exposed to both the mother's religion and the father's religion.More...
Postmarital Agreements
A postmarital agreement, or postnuptial agreement, is an agreement executed by a husband and wife after they are married. More...
Enforcement of Child Support
When a court enters an order of child support, it orders one party to pay a certain sum of money to another for the support of a child. The person who is ordered to pay is called the obligor. The person who received the payment is the obligee. The amount of child support that is payable is usually based on state law that takes into consideration the number of children for which an obligor is responsible and the amount of income the obligor earns from all sources. More...
Adoption and Safe Families Act - Overview
In 1997, the United States Congress passed the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA). The ASFA was enacted to modify and clarify certain requirements of the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act, a federal law enacted in 1980, and the Family Preservation and Support Services Act, a federal law enacted in 1984. More...
If you choose, you can visit the site http://lawyers.com/duckerlaw/
If you visited the Lawyers.com site, you might find an update on current family law issues at:
http://lawyers.com/duckerlaw/FamilyLawNewsletter.jsp
Sometimes a little information can help you to ask the right questions.
What do you want to learn?
The Family Law Newsletter is created and maintained by Lexis/Nexis, one of the leaders in Legal Research Sources. Below are some current excerpts:
Juvenile Litigation with Respect to Institutional Confinement Facilities
There are many juveniles that are confined to public and private institutions. Many of the institutions have deplorable conditions. Juveniles are often held in dingy cells or small, dark rooms and are confined for hours, days, or weeks. Often times juveniles are deprived of exercise, recreational activities and schooling. Sometimes juveniles are even supervised by untrained or inadequate staff as well.More...
Child Custody and Religion
Religion is usually not an issue in child custody proceedings, even if the parents practice different religions. For example, if a child has a Christian mother and a Jewish father, a court will not consider the merits of either religion in determining which parent should have custody of the child. The court will grant custody to one parent, or joint custody to both parents, and the child will be exposed to both the mother's religion and the father's religion.More...
Postmarital Agreements
A postmarital agreement, or postnuptial agreement, is an agreement executed by a husband and wife after they are married. More...
Enforcement of Child Support
When a court enters an order of child support, it orders one party to pay a certain sum of money to another for the support of a child. The person who is ordered to pay is called the obligor. The person who received the payment is the obligee. The amount of child support that is payable is usually based on state law that takes into consideration the number of children for which an obligor is responsible and the amount of income the obligor earns from all sources. More...
Adoption and Safe Families Act - Overview
In 1997, the United States Congress passed the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA). The ASFA was enacted to modify and clarify certain requirements of the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act, a federal law enacted in 1980, and the Family Preservation and Support Services Act, a federal law enacted in 1984. More...
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Morning will come.
No matter how dark the night!