Grandparents Series #1 The First Obstacle: Unfit to raise your own child. Parents have powerful rights under the U.S. Constitution and the Courts are charged with protecting those rights. In Ohio, unless a Court finds that a parent is “unsuitable,” or “unfit,” a parent will keep custody unless he or she voluntarily gives custody to
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What Does a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Do? – Ohio Child Custody
For a parent involved in a child custody case, GAL may become the three most important letters in the world. Who is a Guardian ad Litem? A Guardian ad Litem (GAL for short) is a person appointed to represent the interests of a child. The GAL does not represent either parent, or any other party
Continue readingLegal Rights of Unmarried Fathers in Ohio
Under Ohio law, unmarried fathers are treated very differently than married fathers. Married fathers are protected by the law. Ohio Revised Code (ORC) §3109.03 provides that after a divorce the husband and wife “shall stand upon an equality as to the parental rights and responsibilities for the care of their children and the place of
Continue readingThe Divorce Reform Act replaced the The Tender Years Doctrine in Ohio
In theory/according to Ohio statute, mothers and fathers have equal standing before a juvenile court or domestic relations court when seeking custody of their children (assuming that the father can prove paternity and has provided financial support for the child prior to the custody case). In reality, the presumptions that determine child custody decisions have
Continue readingMemorandum Re Voluntary Terimination of Parental Rights Ohio
Co-parenting after a split is often very frustrating and time consuming. A very common question from my clients is whether the other parent can simply “sign away” their parental rights. This is usually in response to a parent who is not especially concerned with the child but uses parenting time as a weapon. Oftentimes, these
Continue readingRecent Changes to Ohio Child Support Laws
Ohio child support laws ensure that every child receives at least minimal financial contributions from both parents in the event that the child’s parents divorce (or were never together for the long term) and cannot agree on how to provide for the child’s basic needs. These Ohio laws not only benefit children but also society
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YOU WON’T HEAR IT FROM ME!
I never understood what it meant to be your own worst enemy until I spent ten months in a corporation, answering calls on the “hot line” reserved for big paying accounts.[1]Basically, to be your own worst enemy means to undermine your own best interests. This revelation appeared to me when Corporate asked us to rate
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