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The Bledsoe Firm JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551 FEBRUARY | 2023
YOUR CHILDREN MIGHT NOT BECOME PRO ATHLETES THEY’LL STILL BENEFIT FROM PLAYING SPORTS
February is one of the best times of the year if you enjoy sports. In February, we get three straight weekends of exciting events. The NHL All-Star Game takes place on Saturday, Feb. 4; the Super Bowl takes place the following weekend on Sunday, the 12th; and the NBA All-Star game takes place on Feb. 19. Many of our children have dreams and aspirations to someday play sports at a professional level, and they watch these games for further inspiration and entertainment. While we might hope our children one day become professional athletes, the likelihood is not very high. According to a poll conducted by NPR, 26% of U.S. parents whose children in high school play sports hope their child will become a professional athlete. In reality, your child has less than a 1% chance of making it to the professional level, according to various studies by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. That being said, just because it’s unlikely that your child will go pro in their sport of choice, they’ll still gain many benefits from playing youth sports.
member of the team. Each player will have to play their part for the team to be successful. Strong teamwork skills will come in handy during college and in their careers.
Improved Physical Health Most team sports require quite a lot of movement that requires physical strength and prowess. Exercising is incredibly beneficial to your child’s overall well-being. Their body will grow stronger and their endurance will improve, which will help them avoid injury and illness in the future. Their lungs and heart will grow stronger in the process. And they’ll even have an easier time unwinding when night falls, allowing them to get a much better night’s sleep. Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills When it comes to sports, not everyone is on the same level, but that doesn’t mean the most talented team wins every time. We see it every year during the March Madness college basketball tournament. Teams that are considered underdogs are able to devise strategies to take down the top-ranked opponents. Your children will develop these skills on their own when they face more challenging teams. Once they start creating solutions to problems while playing sports, their problem-solving skills will expand to other areas of their lives. Leadership Skills Many sports require a few players to take leadership roles to lead the team in games, practices, and exercises. Many youth sports coaches will shuffle the captains for every game to give each kid an equal opportunity to be the leader of their team. These skills could transfer to a very successful career leading a team in the workplace. While your child might not become a professional athlete, there’s still much to be gained by playing youth team sports. Keep in mind that it’s more important that your child has fun while playing the sport than anything else. —John Bledsoe
Here are a few of the benefits of team sports.
Better Teamwork Skills Teamwork makes the dream work. This is one of the truest statements when it comes to team sports. Regardless of whether your child plays soccer, football, basketball, or hockey, they are going to need to learn how to work within a team. Thankfully, playing these sports will help naturally develop those skills. Your child will learn how to communicate with others properly and develop game plans that involve every
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SPREAD THE LOVE THIS VALENTINE’S DAY!
Make the Most of the Holiday
Valentine's Day is all about showing your dear ones extra love. But you don’t always have to focus on those close to you. Love can be shared with everyone — friends, coworkers, or the community! Here are some ways you and your family can spread the love this holiday. Make a homemade meal or some goodies. They always say a way to a person's heart is through their stomach! Everyone loves a warm, homemade meal, and it can be fun to get the entire family involved. Gather the ingredients of your favorite dish and make something tasty for your local fire or police department. These people work daily to keep us safe, and a simple gesture like this may bring a smile to their faces and remind them they are appreciated.
Also, kids love helping out in the kitchen, so consider baking homemade cookies — or getting the store-bought kind; we don't judge! Let the kids decorate them with festive Valentine's designs to bring to school for their classmates and teachers! Get crafty. Nothing is more special than a one-of-a-kind card. Grab some construction paper, markers, glitter, stickers — the works — and have the kids make Valentine's Day cards! You can work with various organizations to send letters to U.S. troops serving overseas, veteran hospitals, or nursing facilities that would enjoy receiving a handmade card. Fill them with positive words, smiley faces, hearts, and lots of love! You could even send their cards in a Valentine's Day-themed care
package. But be sure to follow the rules of the organizations you work with.
Volunteer or donate. Do you have any gently used clothing, shoes, blankets, or extra personal hygiene items? Make your way to the local Goodwill, church, or shelter that accepts donations. You could call around to see if any shelters or organizations need helping hands! This is also a great way to spread the love your kids can participate in. Check to see if they need help serving food or if you can prepare or drop off warm meals to those who need them most. You can find many ways to express love and kindness to those you love or complete strangers. No matter how you spend this day, remember to spread the love to everyone!
3 FINANCIAL MISTAKES TO AVOID DURING A DIVORCE
It’s common for there to be disputes about money and finances during a divorce. Sometimes, spouses will argue over income, marital property, homes, bank accounts, alimony, and child support. These are important things to consider when going through a divorce in California, but you should also be aware of common financial mistakes often made during the divorce process.
divorce process commences. This will keep your spending habits confidential and prevent financial mismanagement by your spouse. Forgetting About Your Debts You might be focused on your income and assets during your divorce, but you also need to consider any debt you have. Just as your assets are divided during a divorce, debt accrued during the marriage is also subject to division and allocation between two spouses. While everyone’s debt profile is different, you should consider credit card debt, mortgages, car or children’s education loans, and other private loans.
Here are three financial mistakes to avoid during your divorce.
could owe the federal and state government a substantial amount after your divorce is final, thus lowering your share of those assets. You can work with a knowledgeable accountant and your California lawyer to determine the value of assets, investments, and other marital property on an after-tax basis and present those numbers to your spouse. This will give you a better understanding of what you will receive in the divorce and can even throw some bargaining power in your favor.
Keeping Your Money in Shared Accounts You need a clean break from a former spouse. Couples often muddy the waters around their divorce by delaying the separation of bank accounts and credit cards. You don’t need to close down a shared account the day divorce papers are filed. A divorce lawyer in California may advise you to wait several days or weeks before clearing out an account, but you should open your own separate accounts once the
Ignoring How Taxes Will Impact Your California Divorce
One implication that won’t appear on the balance sheet or a list of investments is the impact of taxes on your divorce settlement. You
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W ord S earch Aquarius Bicycle Dream
WILLFUL UNEMPLOYMENT DURING A DIVORCE
Equality Festival Groundhog King Lincoln Muffin Pancake Rabbit Roses
CURRIED STEAK WITH SCALLION RICE AND PEAS
It Might Not Have the Effect You Think
The biggest factor determining the amount of money awarded as spousal or child support payments is the amount of money earned by the party obligated to pay. One dirty trick some use to game the system is willful unemployment or underemployment. The logic is that since they won’t earn as much, their support order will be reduced. Although the support order may be reduced, more often, this scheme can backfire through a legal mechanism known as “imputed income.” Consider the case of a man who has held a steady job with an annual income of $100K for the past few years while he was married. During his divorce, he decides to quit his job to travel and reports that he has no current income. The judge may look at this situation and determine that this man has the proven ability to earn $100K per year and decided to quit his job, so the support order will be calculated as if he was actually still earning $100K per year! The main considerations determining whether actual income will be disregarded in favor of imputed income are the ability and opportunity the person has to earn income. A person who can prove their job loss was an involuntary layoff and that they are conducting a substantial effort to secure another job can avoid being ordered to pay a support order based on imputed income. Things get more complicated when the party is not an employee but is self-employed. Consider what happens when a man who works as an independent contractor or runs a small business gets divorced. Since self- employed people typically set their own hours and have a higher degree of control over how much money they make, it is easy for someone in this position to intentionally (or perhaps subconsciously) make changes that reduce the amount of income they are earning. It’s also true that businesses fluctuate and markets change, and the self-employed spouse may experience a reduction in income despite their best efforts. Whether you are due to receive or pay a support order, it’s very important to be represented by excellent legal counsel who can help ensure a fair outcome that does not place an undue burden on you.
Inspired by MarthaStewart.com
INGREDIENTS
• • • • • •
1 lb flank steak, room temperature Kosher salt and ground pepper 3 tbsp massaman curry paste, divided
1 1/4 cups white rice
2 1/2 cups water, divided
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, white and light-green parts separated from dark-green tops • 8 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved on the bias
DIRECTIONS
1. Season steak with salt and pepper. Brush with 1 tbsp curry paste, and let stand 10 minutes. 2. In a saucepan, combine rice, 1 3/4 cups water, 1 tbsp oil, and 3/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer about 15 minutes before adding white and light- green scallions. Cover to steam. 3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in 1 tbsp oil. Add the steak, flipping once; cook this for 7–9 minutes, then transfer to a carving board. 4. Reduce the skillet to medium heat, then add 1 tbsp oil and the remaining 2 tbsp curry paste. Cook this for 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup water and cook until reduced, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and cover. 5. Wipe skillet clean, then add remaining 1 tbsp oil. While stirring, add snap peas. Season with salt and cook this until crisp-tender, about 2–3 minutes. 6. Fluff rice before stirring in scallion tops. Slice steak against the grain, then serve with rice, peas, and curry sauce.
If you have questions or are in need of representation, call us today!
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Inside
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How Sports Help Your Children Grow
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3 Ways to Show Love to the Community Financial Mistakes to Avoid During Your Divorce
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How Willful Unemployment Affects Divorce Settlements Curried Steak With Scallion Rice and Peas
Relieving Headaches With Natural Remedies
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PREVENTING MIGRAINES THE NATURAL WAY 3 SUPPLEMENTS TO TRY
Chronic headaches and migraines seem to strike at the worst times. If you suffer from frequent migraines, you’re familiar with canceling dinner plans last minute or leaving work early due to throbbing head pain, nausea, and discomfort. The worst part is that many medications don’t help; the only true cure is rest, darkness, and time. However, the next time a migraine strikes, try a natural remedy. These three natural products are safe, inexpensive, and have little to no side effects. Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2) According to the National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health, 400
milligrams of riboflavin daily is proven to be beneficial in reducing migraines in both adults and children. Riboflavin occurs naturally in dairy milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, chicken breast, and salmon or can be purchased over the counter as a supplement. Magnesium As one of the most prevalent minerals in our bodies, magnesium can help treat chronic headaches and migraines. According to WebMD, studies have proven that those who suffer from migraines tend to have lower levels of magnesium than those who do not. Furthermore, some scientists believe that the mineral can block the chemicals in the brain that trigger pain and specific signals responsible
for the auras (changes in vision or other senses) that many experience during a migraine.
Melatonin Melatonin, a hormone secreted by your brain’s pineal gland, has been proven to reduce the frequency and length of migraines. Those who suffer from chronic migraines have abnormally low melatonin levels, so taking melatonin supplements at bedtime is likely to help prevent nagging headaches and migraines. To prevent your next throbbing headache, it may be worth giving one of these safe and natural supplements a try after consulting your health care provider! After all, what do you have to lose?
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