It has been a while since our last edition of the monthly newsletter. Although we loved our glossy newsletter delivered to your mailbox via USPS, we are back, and we are paperless! MFLG’s newsletter will continue to bring you fun and informative articles about family law, current and historical events, family law pop culture, FAQs, and everything that is happening in the firm and the community. We’ll make sure to clutter your inbox with quality nuggets of info that will surely boost your I.Q. and excite you about the legal field!
What else are we up to? A lot has been going on in the firm in the past several months. We continue to stay busy in family law. Covid did not slow down the issues that families were experiencing and the courts were clogged because of it.
“Now Hiring” signs are still everywhere and as the employment pool dries in the current climate, we continue to grow and make changes wherever we find the need for improvement. We celebrated milestones, holidays, and continue to learn and develop individually and as a team. Growing pains are real. Growth is great but it comes with its share of aches and pains. Our business owner readers can relate. As a professional service, our goal is to help as many people as possible. Growth gives us the ability to do so, and with more staff and more clientele comes new lessons. Sometimes our pain is contagious and even though we try hard to prevent the spread, the occasional client may catch it. We offer some metaphoric antibiotics and forge on together the best we can. Occasionally, our journey to growth results in change in staff or a bad review. That’s okay though because MFLG wants a team who makes our clients happiness a priority. Change can be good. As for reviews, we take both positive and negative reviews and learn from each of them. We also hope that people read between the lines of many reviews and understand a former client’s anger is often rooted in something more. We know we aren’t perfect but we certainly make every effort to strive for perfection and deliver excellence.
The firm realizes that one doesn’t choose a career in family law without a willingness to listen, care, and empathize. Those qualities are not always easy to come by and therefore, family law isn’t the right area for some people, or that person is not the right fit for the firm. New staff is how we improve our service so although there may be some pains in doing so, it’s often best in the long run for our clients. What’s best for our clients is best for the firm.
This team carries much more of our clients’ pains and emotions than a person may think. For that, MFLG finds many reasons to celebrate the team and reward hard workers. MFLG tries relentlessly to create an environment to thrive in and allow staff to find satisfaction in an often thankless role.
Ms. Moore (L) and Jayne (R) 1-year anniversary
What is new, you ask? We have an amazing new attorney, Patricia Rayos, a CFLS. We have a new paralegal, Lilly, with years of family law experience. Our Intake Specialist, Joy, got married and has a baby on the way – talk about joy! EV, our Client Acquisition & Retention Manager, celebrated her two-year anniversary with MFLG. Jayne, our Billing Specialist had a work anniversary and a birthday.
Miruna (pictured R) celebrated a birthday on a Thankful Thursday catered with tacos and churros.
Our Halloween costume theme was cartoon or video game characters, with winners from both categories. The 2022 Thanksgiving lunch feast required a much bigger table. The annual Gingerbread build-off keeps getting more creative. A lovely Christmas dinner was enjoyed at a local steakhouse. Although we thought they stuck us in a converted garage, we enjoyed the company, played a game of “snowballs to the face,” enjoyed delicious steaks, exchanged gifts, and of course, the much expected and highly anticipated “surprise” birthday celebration for Ms. Moore.
During the holidays, MFLG sponsored Corona Police Dept’s Kids and Cops Holiday Magic. Our clients donated so many toys via the firm’s toy drive for the event. Our boss lady, Ms. Moore, generously matched the toy donations. MFLG sponsored a festive booth at the event where kids could win prizes and goodies by playing a variety of Christmas carnival games, or they could get their faces painted.
Heading into the new year, the office closed so the team was able to take the last week of Christmas off to spend time with family and friends, vacation, or simply wind down and recover from the holidays!
Here we are, back to the grind in 2023 with bigger goals – to build a bigger A-team to deliver excellence to more clients, and extend community outreach on a larger scale. MFLG hopes that you, too, have big goals this year that return big success and much happiness.
Thank you for your continued trust in Moore Family Law Group.
Question:
Can I get a prenup now that we are married?
Answer:
Yes, you can but since you are married, it is called a post-nuptial agreement. Prenups are entered into before the wedding. Postnups, or postnuptial agreements, are contracts entered into after the wedding. In California, pre and postnups are governed by the same laws. The key difference is timing.
Prenups and postnups are important tools for couples in California to define their rights and responsibilities during marriage, and in the event of divorce. Whether you are entering into a prenuptial agreement or considering a postnuptial agreement, it is important to seek the advice of a skilled family law attorney to ensure that your rights are protected. Call 951-534-5440 for a consultation.
Valentine’s Day can be a difficult time for those who are going through a divorce. The holiday that is supposed to celebrate love and relationships can bring up feelings of sadness, loneliness, or even anger. However, it’s important to remember that you can still celebrate Valentine’s Day, even if you’re not in a romantic relationship. Here are some ways to make the day special, even if you’re going through a divorce, so you don’t find yourself in a funk.
Gift yourself something special: Treat yourself to a little something special this Valentine’s Day. It could be a new outfit, a fishing rod, a relaxing spa day, a new tool, grill or book. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something that you’ll enjoy and will make you feel good.
Gift your children: If you have children, make them the focus of your Valentine’s Day celebration. There is no greater love than that for your babies! Buy them a special toy or game, take them out for a fun activity, or make them their favorite dinner(s)! The time you spend with them will be the best gift you could give to yourself AND them.
Gift a friend: If you have a close friend, why not celebrate Valentine’s Day together? Especially if that friend is also going through a difficult time. Plan a fun day out or treat each other to a tasty meal, mani/pedi, or gift exchange. The love and support of good friends can be a great comfort and a lot of fun!
Gift family: Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles love to see you. Elder family members love to be spoiled and giving is a true gift. Candies, flowers, or something they like will please their hearts and, in turn, please you. Right about now, a dozen eggs and a gas gift card would be a great gift!
Volunteer: If you’re feeling particularly blue this Valentine’s Day, turning your attention to others is extremely helpful. Consider volunteering your time to help others. Whether it’s at a local shelter or a food bank, maybe a clean-up, a charity 5k, your act of kindness will not only help others but also bring you a sense of fulfillment especially if you put on your running shoes and pound pavement. Take care of others and in turn, yourself.
Focus on self-care: Take some time to focus on yourself this Valentine’s Day. Whether it’s getting a massage, meditating, fishing, hunting, hiking, or taking a long bath, make sure you’re pampering your own physical and emotional needs. You know how to spoil yourself better than anyone!
Remember, Valentine’s Day is just one day out of the year. It’s okay for both men and women going through a divorce to acknowledge the difficult emotions that come with this process, but don’t let them define your day. Celebrate yourself, or so many others that you love, or love to be around, and know that you have the strength to make it through this difficult time.
Focus on what makes you happy and celebrate with gratitude of all the love you have in your life, whether it’s with a significant other, children, parents, friends, or just yourself. Regardless of whether you are a man or woman, you deserve to feel loved and appreciated every day.
Hey, you can also ditch the day altogether ‘cause you never liked spending money on a commercial holiday created by the likes of Hallmark. Stay in your jammies and binge watch some good TV all while eating your favorite crazy food combination! Just enjoy and do you, boo!
Team Spotlights
Meet Patricia Rayos, Certified Family Law Specialist. Patricia started with MFLG in August 2022.
Patricia has been working in the field of law for more than twenty years, practicing Family Law exclusively for over fifteen years. She graduated from Loyola Law School in the top 20% of her class. Her extensive legal background has prepared her to help families meet and overcome their legal challenges. In 2014, she became a Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) recognized by the California State Bar, a distinction that is not easy to obtain. She is also approved to sit as a pro-tem judge in Family Law matters.
On her time off, Patricia enjoys spending time with her children and twin cats, Snow and Cloud. We are thrilled to have Patty on the team. She serves the firm’s clients exceptionally and she is a joy to have around.
Shelby Lakin, MFLG’s “First Impression” (aka Receptionist), quickly became an asset to the firm. She began in July 2022 handling several busy phones at the reception desk replacing our former receptionist who left us for retirement! Only five months later, Shelby has successfully demonstrated that she can take on many more responsibilities.
Being an administrative assistant at MFLG is not easy. It can be tedious, demanding, and broad in scope – keeping you running around too. Shelby is now taking on those duties flawlessly all while rarely missing a call! Her resilient personality, resourcefulness, and sense of humor have no doubt helped her in this growing role. We look forward to Shelby shooting for more and becoming a Rock Star Administrative Assistant and ultimately finding her replacement at the front desk! We appreciate Shelby and her hard work.
Oh, and it turns out Shelby is pretty crafty. She placed 2nd in the Gingerbread Build Off behind EV with her gingerbread house crime scene. It was quite the 180-degree creative decision from a couple months before when she won 1st place for best Halloween costume in the Cartoon category as Snow White.
She is a great example of delivering excellence and meeting the Black & Gold Standard. When you call in, be sure to say hi and congratulate her for all her wins! Way to Grow, Shelby.
Happy Birthday, Boss!
The team does their best to spoil Ms. Moore on the holidays but it never matches her year-round generosity to her team. From celebrations, rewards, Thankful Thursdays, personal and professional development, she truly does want her team to thrive both personally and professionally. To another year of aging like a fine wine!
EV Guerra is an all-around team player. EV has a job that is essential to the firm. Day in and day out she meets with potential clients, listens to, and empathizes with them. Clients experiencing family law issues often unload emotional heartache, anger, fear, uncertainty about their future during a consultation. It takes a certain type of person to handle that each day.
Being the Client Acquisition & Retention Manager, EV performs all of the firm’s complimentary consultations and case evaluations. She also performs very valuable check-ins with all of our clients to ensure that we are delivering excellence and meeting their expectations. It is a demanding and necessary position in which she helps to hold the team accountable pursuant to client feedback.
We recognize that this can weigh on a person. It is the very reason why the firm has fun events like our Halloween costume party and Gingerbread build off. EV has a heavy position, but she is not shy when it comes to having a good time!
EV placed in the Halloween costume contest in the Best Cartoon category for her version of spooky Poppy from Trolls. At the Halloween party, EV celebrated her two-year anniversary and was presented her anniversary gift from Ms. Moore. Then in December, EV, upped her gingerbread game and won the grand prize at the annual Gingerbread House Build-Off. She brought techniques you only find on Pinterest all-stars!
We are thrilled to have EV on the team and celebrating holidays and milestones with her. If you or someone you know has a family law issue, be sure to meet with EV. Tell her the newsletter sent you!
Community Corner
Kids and Cops Holiday Magic was a successful event hosted by Corona Police Department. Kids and Cops Holiday Magic supports underprivileged children 12 and under. The kids can meet Santa & Mrs. Clause and pet Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Santa gives each child a wrapped present from the thousands of donated gifts. The kids also received tickets to enjoy all of the fun booths. The firm’s sponsorship efforts were coordinated by MFLG’s COO, Valerie, who is a loyal supporter of the law enforcement community. She worked closely with Officer Placensia, (left in photo) who took charge of this amazing event.
Holly and her kiddos, EV, Lilly, Betsy, Shelby, and Val all volunteered to run a Christmas carnival booth. The kids played Ring Toss Reindeer and Ski Ball Santa.
The MFLG booth was popular with the kids as Betsy and Shelby painted countless little faces.
With live music, real snow, sledding, games, police vehicles, K9 cops, a car show, and a Home Depot workshop, the event was a great time for all. It was a joy and a privilege to spread some Christmas cheer and watch all the kids enjoy themselves.
Thanks to Corona Police Department for hosting and inviting us to partake. Big thanks to the MFLG Rock Stars who volunteered on their free time to spread some cheer.
