Manely Firm - July 2020

Manely Firm - July 2020

Al l fami ly law. Al l around Georgia. Al l around the wor ld.

J uly 2020

L et F reedom R ing Stand Up Against Racial Injust ice

“So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

–Martin Luther King Jr.

When I was 4 years old, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. While I have no recollection of actually hearing the speech itself, it wasn’t long after this monumental event that I entered elementary school and started to get to know him. One summer, I joined a theater group in which Dr. King’s children were also enrolled. Our acting troupe put on plays for the Piedmont Park Arts Festival, which was a high-end festival that lasted for an entire week, and I believe it still goes on today. The Actors and Writers Workshop was the performance troupe that organized the plays we put on for the festival, but I was more involved in things than most. My mom was the director of the arts festival for several years, which meant I was usually in the thick of things. I got to be a part of the “summer of love” vibe and everything else that was happening in those days. It was an interesting time to be a part of all that — and an even more interesting age to witness it.

Then, in 1968, Dr. King was assassinated, and his children stopped participating. I remember being so upset about it. I got into my own share of fistfights on the school playground about it. I would imagine that most kids didn’t know about it and didn’t have an opinion about it. But there were certainly enough who did, including me, who both knew about it and grieved it. I was passionate about it because I wasn’t going to sit there and let anyone say that Dr. King’s assassination was a good thing for our country. In early June, I heard a fantastic interview from a current protester. His take on the protests was that protesters are fulfilling what Dr. King talked about in his famous speech. This is because Dr. King wasn’t just talking about one group of people, but about all races, all sexes, and all ages joining together.

The protester’s insight was profound. Folks are realizing that we are turning a corner and that this momentum is different and will have lasting power. This gives people hope. The losses due to racial injustice cut deep and cripple our ability to reach our national ideal of justice for all. In just my lifetime we have witnessed the assassination of Dr. King, the brutal beating of Rodney King, the murder of George Floyd and thousands upon thousands of heinous acts against other people of color. I surely hope this movement brings lasting change. It’s hard to tell what the results of this may be, but the entrenched powers that have long maintained their stranglehold on our civil society are not likely to easily let go. They never have. As for me, I will maintain hope and fully support the enactment of Dr. King’s speech. May it be so. –Michael Manely 1

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N urture Y our C reative P assion Wi th These 3 Onl ine Art Courses

All forms of art, like painting, drawing, and even sculpting, can be relaxing hobbies, sources of extra income, or professional careers. And with today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to begin learning a new art form. If you have an eager student at home who wants to try their hand in the arts or perfect their craft, then look into online art courses. There are many different courses available, and you should do some research to see which course is best for your student, but here are three to get you started.

INK DRAWING TECHNIQUES WITH YUKO SHIMIZU A student who prefers ink over pencil can learn drawing techniques through Yuko Shimizu’s class on Skillshare. As a veteran instructor at the School of Visual Arts, Shimizu is ready to help you on your journey to learn the essentials of inking. In the 90-minute course, Shimizu covers a lot of ground, which both novice and experienced ink artists will benefit from. Find this course by searching for ink drawing techniques on Skillshare.com. NEW MASTERS ACADEMY Known as one of the best art academies online, New Masters Academy (NMA) offers hundreds of hours of prerecorded video lectures that students can watch and follow along with as they paint, draw, and sketch. The standard fee starts at $35 a month, but with a premium membership at $44 a month, students can access NMA’s 3D reference library and over 20,000 reference images. To learn more and become familiar with the academy’s instructors, visit their website at NMA.art.

DRAWING AND SKETCHING FOR BEGINNERS BY ROBIN SLEE

This course is available through Udemy, and, at the reasonable price of $29.99, is perfect for anyone wanting to test the waters. Slee takes students through the key fundamentals of drawing, such as how to hold a pencil correctly and how to make different kinds of marks. His calm voice and simple explanations in each course help students feel encouraged as they work. The course comes with three hours of video content segmented into 25 modules and a Q&A section where students can post questions, ask for feedback, and share their work. Find this course at Udemy.com/course/sketching-for-beginners.

S potlight on K im H ollomon

A True Representat ive of Fami ly Law

Our team member and paralegal, Kim Hollomon, typically spends summers with her family. “Usually, our family takes really big road trips over the summer, and so far, we’ve driven and taken the family across 48 states,” she says. “We’re really big on visiting national parks, and two years ago, we did an 18-day road trip to Yosemite National Park.” However, because of the current pandemic, it doesn’t look like Kim and her family will get to make their annual trip. Despite that, Kim remains upbeat and eager to spend as much time as she can with them. Kim has been a part of our team for the past five years, working mostly part time as she balances her time between family and work. At home, Kim keeps busy not just with family traditions but by taking part in her three children’s lives. “My oldest is a sophomore in college, my middle is a senior in high school, and my youngest daughter is going into eighth grade this year. They keep me very busy.” Having the chance to be a steady presence both at home and work is something Kim feels incredibly thankful for. “The Manelys are very family-oriented. You can tell they genuinely care about all their employees and clients. They

work with me and my schedule and that means a lot. I really can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

Our team is thrilled to have Kim here with us. She is a dedicated individual who does everything she can to help and support our clients. Yet, it did take her some time to find this calling. Kim explains, “I actually started school as a nursing major and then ended up with an English education degree. I only taught school for a very short time and then, almost immediately after that, I decided to get my paralegal certificate. I always thought the law field was interesting. The older I became, the more drawn into it I felt. It changes and adapts over time and never stays exactly the same over long periods of time.” Having worked with us for many years now, Kim has found a deep passion for family law, and more specifically, she takes on most of the adoption cases that come through. “It’s something that’s very near and dear to my heart, and I find it extremely rewarding.” Kim is passionate, hardworking, and she truly embodies the family-oriented philosophy we represent at The Manely Firm.

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Predict ing an Increase of Chi ld Abduct ion Cases T he U nfortunate S ide of R eturning to N ormalcy A fair portion of what we do at The Manely Firm is international child abduction work. With quarantine and shelter-in-place orders, everyone has mostly stayed in one place, which means that the number of child abduction cases has significantly declined. But as we come out of quarantine, pent-up emotions that are inherent to a dysfunctional couple being stuck together are going to be released somehow. This means that the risk of child abduction will spike. If you have any disharmony in your relationship and have children, be mindful of the warning signs of potential child abduction. Here are some questions to keep in mind before you let your child leave with your partner or any other adult. WHERE ARE THE PASSPORTS? It’s important to keep your children’s passports somewhere you have access to. This could either be a place only you know about or a place that requires both you and your partner’s consent to access. While both of these options are good, the latter can cause some problems. Until there exists a perfectly designed lockbox that requires two people to turn their keys at the same time for it to open, it’s best to keep passports as safe and protected as possible. WHEN ARE YOUR CHILDREN COMING BACK? When a relationship is rocky, there’s cause for concern. That concern increases substantially if one parent is planning to travel to another country, perhaps to visit family members, and plans on taking the kids with them. Don’t trust that they have round-trip tickets. They could be planning on not returning, in which case, you should take the necessary steps to ensure they cannot abduct your children. WHAT CLOTHES ARE THEY TAKING? In a previous article, we mentioned that if a parent is packing clothes that aren’t appropriate for the current season, like packing a winter coat for a late summer European trip, then that could be a red flag. Keep an eye out for what your partner is packing because it could give you a clue about their motivation. The best way to prevent this form of child abduction is to create an international travel agreement that clarifies the intent of both parties. It is the smartest and best plan to make — a safeguard that will protect your family. To set up a travel agreement, call our offices today at 866-245-5685.

“People Who Are Crazy Enough To Think They Can Change The World, Are The Ones Who Do.” –Rob Si l tanen

T he B est G rilled S ummer V egetables

Inspired by DinnerAtTheZoo.com

I ngredients

onion, red bell peppers, baby carrots, and yellow squash are great on the grill)

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1 tsp salt

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1/4 tsp pepper

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1 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

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5 tbsp olive oil

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2 tbsp lemon juice

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1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced

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1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped

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2 lbs assorted vegetables, trimmed and halved (asparagus, mushrooms, red

D irections

1. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic. 2. Brush vegetables with olive oil and place in a large bowl. Top with lemon juice and seasoning mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes but no longer than 2 hours. 3. Prepare the grill at medium-high heat. 4. Grill vegetables in batches, cooking 3–5 minutes on each side until browned and tender. (Carrots will cook longer, 6–9 minutes per side.) 5. Remove from the grill, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot. 3

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211 Roswel l St . NE Mar ietta, GA 30060 1-866-245-5685 www.al l fami lylaw.com

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Let Freedom Ring

Taking Art Classes From Home A Car ing and Dr iven Mother

The Unfortunate Side of Returning to Normalcy

Stay Accountable Wi th a Vi rtual Wel lness Chal lenge

B e Y our B est S elf W ith the H elp of O thers How to Implement a Virtual Wellness Challenge

A lot of people struggle to keep up with a regular wellness routine because they lack accountability to hold them to it. Whether it’s exercise, meditation, or healthy eating, if you go through the process alone, it’s that much harder to will yourself to see it through. But at a time when isolation is still one of the best ways to stay healthy, how can you involve others in your wellness plan? The answer is simple: Create a virtual wellness challenge! UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS A wellness challenge cultivates healthy competition among participants that keeps them motivated to stick with their wellness regimens. Challenges can be fully customized depending on the goals and abilities of those participating, and when the challenge is carried out virtually, participants have more freedom and flexibility in their routines without missing out on any of the social interaction that makes it fun. GET STARTED Every challenge should have a quantifiable goal depending on the theme. Challenges like working out for 30 minutes a day, getting seven hours of

sleep at night, eating 1 cup of leafy greens with every meal, or meditating for 15 minutes every day are all great examples. Whatever it is, the target should be clear and reasonable in order to encourage maximum participation and low burnout. STAY ACCOUNTABLE Treat the challenge like you would a weekly book club. Set a time every week to meet via a video call to share wins and setbacks, discuss necessary changes to the challenge, plan for the next week’s challenge, and offer encouragement. If you really want to up the inspiration, determine a prize to be awarded to the person who actively participates the most. Just be sure you have a tangible way to record and share those results, like video evidence of the activity. A wellness challenge shared among friends and family is a great way to work on your physical or mental well-being and stay connected with loved ones when you aren’t able to visit them in person. That kind of consistent personal connection can be wellness in and of itself.

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