You may have heard of “common law marriage” but what does it mean and does it even still exist? A valid common law marriage carries all the rights and obligations of a marriage where two people obtained a marriage license and went through a religious ceremony, except...
Divorce And Family Law
Where is the money?
Experts agree that "financial reasons" are the most commonly cited cause for divorce. Many times, one spouse handles the majority of the financial management during the marriage. The other spouse may feel confused, blind-sided, or cheated by the financial decisions the...
What to do before you hire an attorney
So, you have decided to move forward and get a divorce. What is the first step? Hire an attorney? No. Slow down and make sure you are ready for that step. If nothing has been filed with the courts yet, take some time to look at the big picture. Do you know the debts...
How H.B. 508 could impact the allocation of custody and parenting time
One of the most important parts of a custody case are the initial and permanent allocations of custody and parenting time. On a temporary basis, due to existing Local Rules and standard parenting schedules, many times one parent is given the majority of parenting time...
Divorce is a team sport
Once you decide to get a divorce, you may feel isolated. Your friends. Your family. Everyone is married. Yet, you are going to get a divorce. It was a long time coming and you finally decided. Now what? What do you do? Who do you talk to? Who will guide you through...
Commonly Asked Questions about Guardian Ad Litem
1. What is a Guardian ad litem (GAL)? A Guardian Ad Litem, or a “GAL”, is a court appointed professional who acts as a neutral third-party voice in a court case involving children. As defined by Ohio Rules of Superintendence “Guardian ad litem means an individual...
Co-parenting during the holidays
The holidays are upon us. The Christmas decor is coming out even before children have determined their Halloween costumes. This is an exciting time for children, but it can also be stressful for parents who are in the middle of custody proceedings and for those...
What role does social media have in divorce?
With nearly half of the world’s population now using some type of social media, escaping it is nearly impossible. How many people have your heard of that reconnected with an old high school flame through Facebook? It is everywhere. Innocently, we like to post pictures...
Is my child’s other parent required to give me part of the child’s stimulus check?
Division of government issued Stimulus payments between separated or divorced parents If you are a parent who shares custody or alternates years in which you can claim your child for taxes, you may be asking yourself whether you are entitled to any portion of the...
How do you stay safe at home while quarantining?
The world we live in, as COVID-19 spreads around the world and throughout our county, is not the same world we lived in a year or even a month ago. By the end of March no fewer than 30 states had implemented "stay at home orders" to help flatten the curve and...