Child Support Enforcement with Punishment Up To Jail Time, But No Enforcement for Parenting Plans?

Most domestic situations that end in divorce also end up having a child support payment going to one parent or the other. This is common knowledge, and nothing that most citizens are not aware of, because almost everyone seems to know someone that has a child support obligation or gets child support. Ever since child [...]

Avoid Harassment During an Ohio Divorce or Dissolution with a Civil Protection Order

Among the most tumultuous of all human dilemmas is the separation from your spouse. Nobody of sound mind calculates that day ever coming.  After all, when a marriage occurs, the parties presumably knowingly and willingly vow to stay together for life. The reality of it is that divorce is at a higher rate in our [...]

Common Law Marriage in Ohio

Many people in Ohio chose to live together instead of entering into a formal marriage.  People who live together, without the benefit of a formal marriage, may believe that they are in a common law marriage relationship. However, in 1991 the Ohio legislature disallowed common law marriage in the State of Ohio. Accordingly, if you [...]

Modifying Spousal Support in Ohio

A complicated area of domestic relations law in Ohio is a party’s modification of spousal support. Intitally, Ohio Revised Code 3105.18(E)(1) states that a spousal support amount and the term of spousal support can only be modified if the Decree and/or Separation Agreement specifically retain jurisdiction for the court to modify either the amount or [...]

Adoptions by Step-Parents in Ohio

More and more married couples are seeking to adopt the stepchild of their husband and/or wife. Under Ohio law, as a general rule, the biological parent of a child must consent, in writing, to the adoption by a step-parent. However, there are two (2) exceptions to the consent requirement.  The first is the consent of [...]

Legal Rights for Grandparents Caring for Their Grandchildren: Caretaker Affidavit and Power of Attorney

More and more grandparents, in the State of Ohio, are faced with the task of raising their grandchildren. Ohio provides two (2) solutions for grandparents in these types of situations, without the need to go to court and litigate full legal custody between the grandparents and the natural parents. Ohio Revised Code §3109.65, provides a [...]

High Net Worth Divorce, You Have A Lot To Lose Or Gain

If you are about to go through a divorce in Ohio, and you are a business owner, CEO or high-level executive, physician or other professional, investor, have a trust fund, or have means from any source, the emotional pain of your divorce may be nothing next to the financial hit you could take. You need [...]

Enforcing an Out Of State Domestic Violence Protection Order

Have you or someone you know recently moved to Ohio with a domestic violence protection order from another state? Your (non-military) protection order will be enforceable in Ohio under the following conditions: It was issued to prevent violent, threatening, or harassing behavior against another person, OR it was issued to forbid contact or communication with [...]

What is a Guardian Ad Litem?

If you have a minor child who is a part of a custody battle, and other some other circumstances, a court may appoint a separate attorney or other capable party to represent the child’s interests. This court- appointed protector for the child is called a “Guardian ad Litem,” or “GAL, which means “guardian for the [...]

What To Do When A Parent Relocates Before or After a Divorce or Dissolution

What happens when an Ohio parent involved in a custody issue wants to move out of the jurisdiction of the court? This is a free country, and people can live where they want to. But there are going to be consequences if one of the parents of a minor child, either during or after a divorce, [...]