Manely Firm - June 2021

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J une 2021

S ummer on S teroids

How to Make Plans as the World Reopens

June marks the start of summer, and even in a typical year, there’d be excitement about school letting out and anticipation of vacations and other fun plans, but this isn’t a typical year. With COVID-19 cases under control and the number of vaccinated individuals ticking up each day, city officials are planning for full-on summertime activities, which means excitement is through the roof. I’m thinking of this summer not just as back to normal, but as back to normal on steroids! That likely means parents aren’t just planning a vacation; they’re planning the best vacation, the most enjoyable or elaborate thing they can think of to make up for lost time. But this can cause issues when it comes to custody schedules. If one parent wants to take the vacation of a lifetime to the Bahamas instead of their usual annual visit to the Florida beaches, it can cause tension or conflict with the other parent. And that’s not to say anything about children who may have their own ideas about how they want to spend their summer. It’s important to remember that each party is coming to the table with their own needs, desires, and even lessons learned from the past year, which came with considerable challenges. As you approach these conversations with your ex-spouse and your children, keep in mind that the last year has been one of great tumult. “This is actually a wonderful opportunity. It invites us to have better, more open dialogue and be forward-thinking and proactive when making summer plans.”

We can see that similarly tumultuous times in the past have changed people and society for decades afterward. I think of my own grandparents and how the financial lessons they learned during the Great Depression stayed with them and were passed on to their children. With COVID-19, we’ve all learned important lessons about what it feels like not to have close, frequent contact with those we care about. We’ve had a lot of time and space for introspection, and that means many of us won’t be the same people post-COVID-19 that we were before. This is actually a wonderful opportunity. It invites us to have better, more open dialogue and be forward-thinking and proactive when making summer plans. Maybe your child is expressing a strong need to reconnect with their friends and have some dedicated social time they missed out on in the last year. Perhaps the noncustodial parent has missed out on time with their child in the past year and a half, and there needs to be a conversation about how to reconnect and reestablish that relationship. Of course, each situation is unique, but we can all benefit from bringing the lessons we’ve learned to the conversations we have moving forward. This summer feels ripe with opportunity to make up for lost time after a very strange year. Simply bringing an open mind and trying to avoid black-and-white thinking will go a long way toward helping everyone plan the unforgettable summer experience they’re seeking.

I hope you’re able to make the most of what is sure to be a unique summer.

–Michael Manely

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T he S uper B enefits of Y oga

June 21 is International Yoga Day, which makes it a great time of year to talk about the unique benefits of yoga — the “superfood” of fitness. As a mixture of exercise and mindfulness, yoga is not only challenging but also has myriad health benefits. Many people assume yoga is mainly useful for increasing your flexibility. However, it’s also excellent for further developing your strength, mobility, and balance. These can be key benefits for living a healthier lifestyle, whether you’re an athlete or concerned about aging. Kaitlyn Hochart, a yoga instructor from San Diego, California, writes on Healthline, “During yoga, your body goes through a full range and variety of motion that can counteract aches and pains associated with tension or poor postural habits.” Yoga can help you become more aware of these habits, “[allowing] you to fix these imbalances and improve overall athleticism.” Many forms of exercise are useful against depression and cardiovascular disease, but in yoga’s case, you don’t have to break a sweat to start benefiting from its stress- relieving properties. “The breathing exercises you practice during yoga can help lower your heart rate and shift your nervous system into a more relaxed state. It also promotes better sleep and increased focus,” Hochart writes.

Multiple studies agree: Yoga can significantly decrease the secretion of cortisol, the primary stress hormone. In one study, 64 women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) participated in a 10-week program, performing yoga at least once a week. By the end of the 10 weeks, 52% of participants no longer met the criteria for PTSD at all. As with starting any new hobby or regular exercise, it may help to set clear goals for yourself. By doing yoga regularly, there are several physical improvements you can look forward to, such as:

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Improved range of motion or ease of movement

A reduction in pain, discomfort, or other symptoms

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An increase in physical strength and endurance

Less weight fluctuation

Changes in the way your clothes fit

Better-quality sleeping habits and increased or stabilized energy levels

One of the best qualities of yoga is that you can be of any age or fitness level. So, pull up a YouTube video, find a soft surface, and give it a try!

L elys E merson Meet Our Client Care Coordinator

Current and former clients may recognize Lelys’ name and voice because she’s the one who speaks to our clients first to determine if The Manely Firm can help them and which attorney on staff will be the best fit for their case. She’s been with us for about a year and a half, and her many years of prior customer service experience help her provide excellent service to our clients. Prior to starting with us, Lelys worked in education, the medical industry, and sales, but she says she really feels like she’s found her home in the law field. “I’ve always been intrigued by law because as a little girl, my parents always said I should be an attorney because I was good at arguing,” she says, adding that The Manely Firm is a particularly good fit because the firm’s values line up well with her own. “I’m proud to work for a firm that has a passion for family law and to help people resolve their problems,” Lelys says.

be struggling or dealing with difficult family matters — Lelys says it’s incredibly rewarding to help clients fight for their families. She also draws inspiration from her clients. Continuing to work through COVID-19, Lelys said, showed her “what incredible people we have out there and how strong people are. They still want to get on with their lives and have the courage to file for divorce even in the middle of a pandemic. I’m happy I was there to help them through that.” Lelys grew up in Florida, but she’s called Georgia home for 18 years. She raised her son, Cory, and her daughter, Shelby, here; they are now 24 and 19 years old, respectively. Spending her free time hanging out with family is one of her favorite things to do. She’s also looking forward to a more social summer than last year, enjoying time with friends, going out to dinner, and listening to live music. Lelys’ positive attitude and care for our clients are what make her such an asset to our staff. Thanks for all your hard work, Lelys!

Though her work is not without its challenges — she hears a lot of personal stories from our clients who may

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C elebrating E quality for A ll Without Losing Sight of the Road Ahead

June is nationally recognized as LGTBQ Pride Month. Here at The Manely Firm, we’ve been advocating for the rights of same-sex couples for decades, and we’re happy to celebrate hard-won legal protections for same-sex couples. At the same time, we want to recognize the battles that remain and continue to support same-sex couples in securing the rights they deserve, especially around current issues of parentage. Many will remember the landmark 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges that granted same-sex couples the legal right to marry. Prior to the decision, all but 13 states had legalized gay marriage, but the federal decision granted this right equally to all couples throughout the country. This also led to a cultural tide change in how gay couples are perceived. It was encouraging to see the major cultural shift that accompanied this years-long legal battle. As Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his opinion, “It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves …They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.” Justice Kennedy also said that marriage is a union that “embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family,” and that final point — family — is the current legal battleground where many same-sex couples face discrimination. When gay couples decide to start a family, they’re often using in-vitro fertilization, assisted reproduction, or adoption. Georgia law states that “all children born in wedlock are legitimate.” However, it also allows for legitimacy to be disputed by evidence that a child is not biologically related to the spouse. This is inherently discriminatory against gay couples who cannot both be biologically related to a child. These fertility and custody issues have been playing out in courts across the country, and here in Georgia, we have a long way to go in rooting out this kind of discrimination in our court system. At The Manely Firm, we’re committed to helping same-sex couples and their families receive the same treatment in the courts as all other couples and families. If you’re in need of representation for your custody case, reach out and see how we can help.

T he summer night is like a perfection

of thought . —W allace S tevens

G rilled C hicken S hawarma

Inspired by FeastingAtHome.com

A spice-filled marinade and time do all the work in this recipe that features Middle Eastern flavors.

I ngredients

• • • • • •

2 tbsp ground cumin

• • • • •

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp ground coriander

2 tsp allspice

2 tsp kosher salt

8 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

6 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp turmeric

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tsp ground ginger

D irections

1. To create marinade, whisk all spices with the garlic and olive oil in a medium bowl. 2. Add chicken to the bowl, coat well with marinade, cover, and let sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes — or up to 48 hours. Strain off excess marinade before cooking. 3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill thighs for 10–12 minutes on each side, or until a meat thermometer reads 165 F. 4. Serve with rice, vegetables, or pita bread with tzatziki.

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211 Roswell St. NE Marietta, GA 30060 (866) 687-8561 www.allfamilylaw.com

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Planning for the Summer of a Lifetime

The Super Benefits of Yoga

Team Member Spotlight: Lelys Emerson

Celebrating Equality for All

Grilled Chicken Shawarma

Lightbulb Primer: Choosing the Right Bulb for the Right Job

L ight U p Y our L ife Get the Most Out of Each Lightbulb

We’ve all stood in front of the lightbulb section at the home improvement store. There are so many to choose from. But most of the time, we just grab the one we know will fit in any given spot. We don’t always consider things like color temperature, brightness, wattage (outside of compatibility with lamps or sockets). However, the bulb you choose does matter. The type of light it puts out can dramatically change a room — and not just in appearance, but functionality, too. Consider the following: Working Spaces (Kitchen and Bathrooms) These rooms, more or less, are utility rooms. They serve specific functions. In the kitchen, you prepare meals and cook. Kids may do homework in the kitchen. In the bathroom, you get ready for work. You may choose outfits, put on makeup, groom yourself, and so on. In these rooms, you need to see detail. As such, brighter lightbulbs are essential. These bulbs give off 5,000–10,000 lumens and have a bright or cool white color temperature (the packaging may say 4,100 kelvins). Day lightbulbs are a good option as well (5,000–6,000 kelvins). The type of bulb (incandescent, compact fluorescent, LED, halogen, etc.) isn’t as important as the first two features. A bright bulb that emits cool light will open up the room, allowing you to clearly see the job at hand. Living Spaces (Dining Rooms, Home Offices, Bedrooms, Reading Areas) These rooms are more casual than the utility spaces and don’t require as much light as in the kitchen or bathroom. These are rooms where you may be relaxing or need to be less energetic. Bright, white light is more of an “awake” light, but it’s not ideal when you’re just chilling out (or even working behind a computer screen in a home office).

You want bulbs in the 2,000–6,000 lumen range that give off softer, warmer light around 2,700 kelvins. This type of light is just as the naming suggests — warmer. It gives the room a more inviting feeling. It’s easier on the eyes and looks more natural in these types of rooms. In the home office, warmer light helps balance the light emitted by monitors, which can be harder on the eyes. Softer, warmer light reduces eye strain. This is also why it’s ideal for reading areas!

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