Resources

Clients             Professional

SONOMA COUNTY RESOURCES

Sonoma County Resources list (PDF)
List of various resources for individuals and families in Sonoma County.

Sonoma County Bar Association
Local organization of attorneys. Includes information regarding their legal referral service. Good informational links near the bottom of the page regarding fee arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.

Sonoma County Courts
Website for Sonoma County courts. Includes calendars, rules, resources and other information.

Can't We All Just Get Along
Article on Collaborative Law in Northbay Business magazine.

FAMILY LAW RESOURCES (PDF)

Glossary of Family Law Terms

Commonly Asked Questions about Divorce in California

California's Premarital Agreement

Introduction to the Collaborative Process and the Legal Dissolution of Marriage Procedures

FAMILY LAW WEBSITES

Dispute resolution choices

Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire
A multi-disciplinary group of professionals dedicated to the collaborative approach to conflict resolution.

International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Resources page has many articles regarding collaborative approach.

Mediate.com
Website with many articles and resources related to mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods.

General divorce information

Divorcemagazine.com
A no-nonsense, online magazine with various articles and columns of interest to the separated or divorced person, including links by state for finding an attorney.

Legal information

California Bar Association, Consumer Information
Consumer information page of state bar website. The State of California has produced a series of good pamphlets, which includes pamphlets on "Divorce and Custody" and "Domestic Violence." These pamphlets are available to you online through the Bar Association website.

Divorcenet.com
Divorcenet features a series of informational articles regarding various aspects of California family law.

Nolo Press
Publisher of legal self-help books. Website includes many resources, including articles, legal encyclopedia and dictionary.

California Courts "Self-Help" website
Includes FAQs and information on estate planning, seniors' rights, family law and many other topics.

Parenting and step-parenting

National Parenting Center
Dedicated to providing parents with comprehensive and responsible guidance from the world's most renowned child-rearing authorities since 1989.

Comamas
"The goal of the CoMamas Association is to teach stepwives and their families how to develop cooperative and respectful relationships so they can end their war and get along for the sake of the children."

National Stepfamily Resource Center
Dedicated to successful stepfamily living. The site provides educational information and resources for anyone interested in stepfamilies and their issues.

ESTATE PLANNING RESOURCES (PDF)

ABCs of Estate Planning

ABCs of Living Trusts

Your Will, Courtesy of the State of California

Estate Planning Questionnaire, Married

Estate Planning Questionnaire, Single

Estate Planning Questionnaire, Unmarried Couples

MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY / HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE

There may come a time in anyone's life when you are no longer capable of making your own health care decisions. This could be because of dementia. It could be because you've been hit by a bus and are in a coma. Whatever the reason, if you can't make your own decisions, it's important to name the person who will make them for you.

At Conner, Lawrence & Rodney, we recommend that your Medical Power of Attorney or Health Care Directive (they are the same thing!) be specifically drafted for you with YOUR wishes in mind. Usually, this is done in conjunction with a complete estate plan, although we will also prepare them for you without an estate plan. Our Powers of Attorney are carefully based on what YOU tell us about your wishes, especially concerning end of life issues.

We understand that everyone can't afford an individually-tailored document. For that reason, we are happy to offer a link to the State of California Health Care Directive form. We modestly state that it's not as good as ours, but it will probably do the trick. And it is SO much better than nothing! Please take a couple of minutes to download the form and FILL IT OUT! Give the person you are asking to make decisions for you a copy.

We hope you never need this, but if you do, your family will be grateful that it's there.

Generic Blank Advanced Health Care Directive Form (opens as a .pdf)

ESTATE PLANNING WEBSITES

California Bar Association, Consumer Information
Consumer information page of state bar website. Link to on-line pamphlets, which includes pamphlets on "Seniors and the Law" and "Estate Planning" as well as other topics.

California Courts "Self-Help" website
Includes FAQs and information on estate planning, seniors' rights, family law and many other topics.

Social Security Administration
This website allows you to do rough calculations of your own Social Security benefits, request detailed, accurate calculations to be sent you in the mail, apply for Social Security disability on-line, and many other options.

IRS website
This site allows you to file income tax returns on-line, get forms, read about tax scams, and many other subjects.

Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute
Includes more technical articles on estate planning, wills and trusts.

Pennsylvania Attorney Robert Clofine's Estate Planning website
Mr. Clofine has assembled a wonderful selection of articles on estate planning. The vast majority are relevant to California residents, although a small percentage refer only to Pennsylvania residents.

National Association for Financial Estate Planning
Numerous articles on estate planning geared towards consumers.

The Rushforth Firm's Educational Website
A Nevada attorney's website with a number of advanced articles on estate planning for people who are concerned about estate taxes, gift taxes, and transferring highly appreciating property to the next generation.

National Association of Estate Planning Councils: Recent Articles & Interviews
MaryClare is a member of the local Estate Planning Council. This page features a number of articles on estate planning, written for the consumer.