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Divorce: Surviving the Holidays
The holidays are a time for joy and sharing and there
are the centering points for families. But for many
people the holidays also mean dealing with grief head
on as they cope with the lost of a marriage or
relationship.
It may seem counterintuitive but it is in times of trouble
and grief that you absolutely should celebrate the
holidays. Holidays are a part of a tradition of peace,
sharing, gratitude and love. During this most troubling
of times you need the support of family and friends to
cope with this transition phase. Below please find
four suggestions that will help you and your family
navigate the holidays.
1. Simplify - If during the past holiday seasons you
were to one to cook dinner for the whole extended
family, this year do something different, telephone a
close friend or family member and plan a small scale
gathering at their home or even a restaurant.
2. Focus on others - use the holiday season
to volunteer at a homeless or domestic violence
shelter;
3. Be patient - give yourself some
time to grieve but do not wallow in your sorrows. Get
up and get out of the house;
4. Plan - the
custodial and noncustodial parent must plan holiday
visitation with the children well in advanced. Be
reasonable. For example, if you had the children for
the Thanksgiving holiday consider allowing the other
parent to see the children on Christmas day or
Christmas eve.
Contact Us to Find Out More About custody and Visitation Issues
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Season's
Greetings,
The holiday season is here. With it comes all the
demands and expectations for the holidays. We at the
Law Offices of Angela Barker & Associates wish you
and your family all the best for the holiday season and
health, wealth and happiness for 2008. Remember at
this time and throughout the year the Law Office of
Angela Barker & Associates is committed to help
ease the transition through the various life stages:
whether it be a family addition through adoption; or a
change in the family structure as a result of a
marriage, divorce, or separation. We are there for you
as you buy or sell your home, and we assist our
clients in planning for their or their loved ones' golden
years and help them pass their savings on to the next
generation. People are our business. For the benefit
of our clients and the communities we serve we have
developed this newsletter as a legal and consumer
resource. Enjoy.
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| What to do if you inherit an IRA |
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An IRA can be tricker to inherit than a savings account
or a piece of art. With an IRA you face decisions that
will affect the amount you pay in taxes.
If you inherit your Spouse's IRA you have two options.
You can either cash out the inherited IRA and receive
a lump sum payment. But since you'll owe taxes on it
all at once that is not a wise choice. Another options
if you are a spouse may be to make your spouse's IRA
your own by rolling it over to a new IRA in your name or
by merging it with your own IRA. As a spouse you can
keep contributing to the IRA.
However, things become more complicated if you are
a non-spouse beneficiary. As a non-spouse you
cannot continue continue contributions. However
starting Dec. 31 of the year following the death of the
original IRA owner, you can either establish a
beneficiary IRA and take annual distributions based
on your life expectancy or you can take no
distributions, but cash out of the IRA completely by
Dec. 31 of the fifth year following the IRA owner's
death.
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Contact Us To Find Out More About Estate Planning! |
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| Best Improvements For Your Home |
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Interest rates are up and the real estate boom is over.
Sellers now have to work extra-hard in order to sell
their homes and homes are staying on the market
longer than before.
One way to make your home more attractive to buyers
is to invest in home improvements. However, when
remodeling you must proceed with caution in order to
recoup your investment.
There are plenty of ways to remodel your home.
However, if you're are looking to getting your money
back and make your home to attractive to a wide-
range of potential buyers you should stick with the
time-tested home improvements such as remodeling
your kitchen or bathroom. Another good investment is
putting on a new roof or investing in upgrading your
siding. You can pay for the remodeling cost by pulling
equity out of your home. However, it is not a good idea
to pull equity out of your home if you plan on selling in
less than three years. In addition, make sure that your
contractors are reputable and come highly
recommended.
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Contact Us About Buying or Selling a Home |
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