It Doesn’t Have to be a Custody Battle!

With all of the television shows and movies that have story lines about custody battles you’d think there was no other way to work things out than to fight about them. If you factor in how many horrific custody disputes there are in the news you might feel under water before you even begin the process. It doesn’t have to be that way. It shouldn’t be that way. We are here to help you through the process to get to the best outcome for you and your children.

You and your partner love your children. Probably more than life itself. So the first thing you want to be aware of is not to drag them into this. Don’t speak ill of each other or each other’s families in front of them. Don’t say things to each other you wouldn’t want repeated in a court of law. There is a possibility that you are being recorded without knowing it, and those tapes may wind up in court. Treat each other with respect and at all times make the safety and well-being of your children your number one priority.

Oregon custody law has two forms of custody. The first is legal custody which provides a parent or parents with the ability to make decisions regarding the child's upbringing. This includes decisions regarding medical care and education. The other is physical custody. This refers to which parent the child lives with. The parent who has physical custody of the child is referred to as the custodial parent. The other parent is the non-custodial parent.

The court may award the non-custodial parent visitation rights, or parenting time. This means the non-custodial parent can spend quality time with the child during certain designated times. Depending on the court’s order, visitation may be supervised. These visitation rights will depend on what the court deems to be in the best interests of the child. Generally, Oregon courts favor granting some level of visitation rights to the non-custodial parent. However, this may not be the case if the parent has a history of committing domestic abuse.

There was time when it was assumed that the mother would automatically get custody, but those days are behind us. Each parent is judged equally now and we will help you to make your case.

There are many other issues involved in custody decisions and we will be honored to discuss them with you. Please know that even if you have made an agreement out of court after the custody order has been signed, it will not be viewed as legal. To alter the child custody order, a parent will have to file a motion requesting modification of the order. We will help you with that as well, should that be your present situation.

Please do not hesitate to call us at 503.655.7555 so that we may answer your questions. We will work with you to achieve the best situation for you and your children.

If you have any other questions or concerns that we may be able to help with, please do not hesitate and call us at 503.655.7555 or Contact Us here.  We will be on your side from the beginning and all the way through.

725 Portland Avenue, Gladstone, OR 97027

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How Many Parking Tickets Are You Hiding?

Did you overstay your welcome at a parking meter? Did you park in front of a water hydrant? Did you park where the sign said you shouldn’t? Regardless of why you got the ticket, you got it. And haven’t paid it. And then you got another and another, and by then the penalties seemed too high, so you stashed all of the tickets somewhere in your car or under your mattress. Or maybe you just tossed them.

This is not as trivial or as amusing as it might seem to you. Your car can be towed, or booted. And you won’t be able to get it back or released until you pay up. You will also have to pay the towing company. Another thing to know: if your car is towed or impounded, it can be searched without a warrant.

Please take a look at this chart from The Oregonian before you think about ignoring any more tickets.

Stories abound with excuses for receiving parking tickets. People have blamed dogs, or fear of homeless people, or too much sun or too much rain. Some say that paying the fine(s) would be a financial hardship. Regardless of how much you owe, you probably aren’t the worst offender. There is an Internet marketing manager who owes $12,565 and a Maserati owner with an $11,539 tab.

Whatever your own reasons for not paying these fines, you’ve gotten yourself into a mess. We’d like to help you get out of it. If there’s a remedy for you, we’ll find it. Call us at (503) 655-7555 to make an appointment. Then you can go back to living your life!

Be careful out there.

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Whom to Leave Your Assets To

When you think about making out a will you will naturally think about whom to leave your assets to. Whether you have ten dollars to leave, or ten million dollars to leave, someone is going to be your beneficiary. As the saying goes, “you can’t take it with you”.

Along with the cash assets, you may own a home or a car or a boat, or any manner of real property. Those things will have to be dealt with, as well. If you haven’t yet made out a will, it’s a good idea to start making lists. What do you have and whom would you like to see receive it? This might not be as easy as it sounds.

Think about the big things first. If you have a spouse or legal partner that person will inherit anything that you own jointly. This should definitely be a discussion that you have. If you own your house in your own name, you don’t have to leave it to a person. You can leave it to an institution or a charity. Depending on what your instructions are, that entity can sell it and take the profits or perhaps, depending on the location and zoning, use it for another purpose.

When you move on from the real property, you’ll want to look at your financial situation and personal property. Do you want to leave money to family members and/or friends? Do you want to leave it to a combination of family and friends and your favorite charities? Will your best friend want your jewelry or collections? Please note that you can also request that your jewelry be sold, as well as anything else that you own, and the profits dispersed among your designees.

Once you start to think about your friends, you might find that your list will change over time. Old friends may drop away, and new friends may take their places. The same may happen with family members. Feuds come and go, people pass away, new relatives join the family, babies are born. You can always redo your will to reflect these changes. Our lives rarely remain stagnant. Our property changes, as well. The important thing is that you start the process. When you have your will - however basic it is - in place, you don’t have to think about it again, unless you want to make modifications.

If you’re thinking about charitable donations, you will want to do a thorough check before you make your plans to make sure that the funds you leave will be used well and legally. You can request a visit or meeting with a local charity and ask the questions that you have. Charitable Donations can be looked up at the GuideStar website for charities that are not in your area. Just click. This is very helpful when you’re contemplating medical donations or anything have to do with animals or organizations.

And don’t forget your pets. You’ll want to choose someone who will take the best care of them. It is a kind and generous thing for you to also leave funds for this purpose. There are too many shelters filled with animals who had owners who didn’t make plans for them.

Please give us a call to talk about your will. We will draw one up that puts your mind at ease and we’ll help where you’d like us to in deciding about your assets. Call us at (503) 655-7555 to make an appointment. Then you can go back to living your life!

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Are You Planning Your Wedding?

You’ve found the love of your life and have set the date. Well done! You’ve told your family and friends about your upcoming marriage. And now you’ve got to plan it! The details might seem as if they’ll drown you. From the selection of the venue to the guest lists. From the budget to the flowers. From the asking of the best man and maid (or matron) of honor and to have a flower girl or ring bearer? Place cards? Live music or DJ? Where to register for gifts? The gowns and tuxedos or the shorts and flip-flops? The menu! Chicken, beef, seafood? What about the vegetarians and vegans in your circle? And the invitations. Calligraphy or home printing? Something formal or something uber casual? The photographer and videographer. The limousines? And there’s so much more. You might have talked this through a million times and gotten more asked, or unasked, advice from everyone you know. After all, this is a day you’ll never forget. And you want to get it just right.

You’d be surprised how many people simply forget to find someone to make it official!

If you’re having your wedding in the church or temple or synagogue that you attend, you have no doubt selected the person who leads the congregation. But what if you’re planning to hold your celebration someplace else? Or what if you’re planning a wedding just for the two of you? You want to keep it intimate and private, or your budget won’t accommodate a blow-out, or perhaps you view this as just a formability. There are many reasons for the kind of wedding you want to have. There are almost as many reasons as there are people having them.

Judge Jon S Henricksen would be delighted to perform your wedding just as you would like it. In the past 37 years, Jon has joined literally thousands of couples all over the Portland Metropolitan area. From his office to the most upscale hotels and the great outdoors he has tailored ceremonies that reflect the uniqueness of each couple. He would be honored to do this for you. And after 37 years, nothing surprises him!

Please call us at 503.655.7555 so that we may begin planning your very special day. Nothing would please us more.

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