Robert L. Mues, Author at Ohio Family Law Blog

New Study: Does Marrying After the Birth of a Child Affect Your Likelihood of Divorce?

Entering marriage without children results in positive marital outcomes according to study

Divorce Study Reveals Surprsing Data on Couples who had a Child Before Getting Married

There is one factor that seems to stand out in divorce cases; in fact, it makes it twice as likelythat a married couple might choose to call it quits. That factor? Couples who had a child before getting married.

A study conducted in 2020 and published by the Journal of Family Psychology found that couples with who had a child prior to marriage got divorced at a rate of 19.1%, as compared to those who entered marriage without a child (9.5%). That’s almost double the rate of divorces!

With both marriage rates and divorce rates down, and with more couples in the United States entering marriages with a child together already, researchers with the American Psychology Association wanted to see how those relationships fared against newlyweds without children in the mix.

“Among couples who entered marriage with a shared biological child (premarital parents), satisfaction levels were lower and communication was less effective, less positive, and more negative than couples entering marriage without children,” the study said.

Does Entering Marriage Without Children Result

Blast From The Past: Are Divorce Lawyers Just “Love Undertakers”? [A Rebuttal]

Blast from the past 13 years Ohio Family Law Blog

Should Divorce Lawyers Engage In Mental Health?

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This blog is as meaningful today as it was when we originally posted it on May 11, 2019! We have a ton of interesting articles in our archives of the Ohio Family Law Blog. Use our Search tool and enjoy a few oldie but goodies!

Divorce Lawyers Should Not Assist Clients With Mental Health Issues Says NYC Attorney

A well respected New York City divorce lawyer by the name of Val Kleyman recently sent out a newswire to divorce lawyers warning them “to be careful not to cross over into the role of personal therapist for clients. This is a common problem that does not get enough attention” Attorney Kleyman said. He added, “helping someone deal with their emotions, feelings and mental health is a very serious undertaking and must only be done by professionals who are trained and experienced doing this.”

While I agree with most of that, here is the point he made that hit me hard. “Divorce lawyers are the love undertakers. Unlike marriage counselors and therapists whose job it is to save relationships and help people heal, our job is to bury dead marriages quickly and efficiently … Read More... “Blast From The Past: Are Divorce Lawyers Just “Love Undertakers”? [A Rebuttal]”

LEGAL ALERT: New Ohio Child Welfare Reforms

Death of 10-year-old Takoda Collins Spurs Reform Of Existing Ohio Child Welfare Laws

Ohio Governor DeWine Signs Ohio House 4 Bill Into Law; New Law Intends to Protect Abused Children From Gaps In The Child Services System

New legislation aimed to reform existing child welfare laws in the state of Ohio was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine at the end of February. These reforms intend to protect abused children from gaps that existed in the system that was designed to help them; gaps like the ones in Takoda Collins’s case.

“Takoda’s case is one that fell through the cracks and in Ohio we don’t want a tragedy like this to ever happen again,” said state Rep. Phil Plummer R-Butler Twp. to Dayton Daily News.

Takoda Collins was a 10-year old boy from Dayton, OH who died in 2019 after suffering extreme abuse from his father for years. His father, Al-Mutahan McLean, contacted authorities in December of 2019 when his son was unresponsive, and Takoda Collins later died at Dayton’s Children Hospital. An investigation into his death had revealed a long history of torture by his father, and Takoda Collins had suffered both physical and emotional abuse.… Read More... “LEGAL ALERT: New Ohio Child Welfare Reforms”

Tips to Maintain Good Communications with Your Spouse During a Divorce

Divorce with your spouse not going well? Good communication plays important role for a happier outcome

It would seem to go without saying, that good communication between a couple is an essential part of a good marriage. However, did you know that good communication between the two spouses is just as important when navigating the often turbulent waters during a divorce? As a married couple you may have had good communication, or perhaps your lack of communication was one of the reasons for the divorce.

No matter what has happened in the past it is important to be able to communicate with your soon to be ex. You may be experiencing sadness, anger, stress, frustration, among other emotions, but by establishing an effective means of communication is an important part to help the process move on more smoothly.

You might be tempted to minimize contact with your ex, however this is not the way to go. If children are involved you will have to communicate with your spouse for many years to come. However, if you were married to an abusive person or if there is a restraining order involved, then it is vital you consult with … Read More... “Tips to Maintain Good Communications with Your Spouse During a Divorce”

Effects of Divorce on Children – Some Interesting Statistics

Financial Statistics Reveal Compelling Divorce Data

The Financial and Emotional Impact for Kids of Divorce – What do the Statistics Really Say?

I have always found statistics and research studies quite interesting. I like to look at them to see how they compare to my own perceptions and life experiences.

As a divorce lawyer for 40 plus years, and publisher of the Ohio Family Law Blog since 2009, keeping on top of divorce trends is something I enjoy doing. In searching the internet recently, I came across the website www.financesonline.com. I found this website to have an amazingly broad aggregation of divorce related information and statistics (including footnotes to their sources). I spent a fair amount of time reading it and thought sharing the link might be worthwhile to our blog readers. Here is a sample section. Perhaps it will pique your interest!

EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN:

Divorced spouses evade over 30% of child support payments, with less than 50% paid in full. (Leefeldt, 2019)
Moreover, only 43.5% of custodial parents receive full support from their former spouses. (Leefeldt, 2019)
In addition, more than $10 billion in child support payments in the US go uncollected. (Leefeldt, 2019)
26.5%

Don’ts if You are Considering a Divorce

Contemplating a Divorce? 5 things NOT to do!

Here are 5 things NOT to do if you are contemplating a divorce:

Number 1: Don’t Tell Everyone the News…

As much as you might want to discuss the news that you and your spouse may be headed for a divorce, bite your tongue. Do your best to try to stay calm, and not talk about it with all your friends and family. I can’t tell you how many folks I see to discuss a “possible” divorce that manage to resolve the impending crisis and remain married. By sharing the “dirt” at the thought of divorcing, you may end up poisoning your spouse’s relationship with others and damage your relationship if things are patched up.

Number 2: Don’t Retaliate…

Emotions can run very high when a person learns that a divorce may be in the near future. Do your best to curb those emotions! If you can’t sleep and the anxiety is overwhelming, be sure to go see your family doctor. I had one client who believed her husband was having an affair at work, so she cut off every button on all of his dress shirts. Another one who … Read More... “Don’ts if You are Considering a Divorce”

Did You Receive Child Tax Credit Money? Check For This Important IRS Letter Before Filing!

Internal Revenue Service Issues Letter 6419 for Those Who Received Child Tax Credit Money Last Year

The tax season began January 24, 2022, and you may be thinking you’re ready to go ahead and file your 2021 taxes. Well, there might be one more document coming from the Internal Revenue Service if you and your family received advance child tax credit money last year – Letter 6419.

The IRS began issuing these important letters in December, but according to USA Today, many people still hadn’t received their letters as of January 19, 2022. Still, it is important that, if you believe you’re going to receive that letter, you keep an eye out for it.

So, who is going to receive a Letter 6419 from the IRS?

Letter 6419 will be sent to any qualifying family that received payments from the child tax credit from July 2021 to December 2021.

The advance child tax credit payments were a temporary expanded program where families would receive half of their child tax credit over the course of six months in 2021 – July to December. The payments included up to $300 a month for each child through age 5 and up … Read More... “Did You Receive Child Tax Credit Money? Check For This Important IRS Letter Before Filing!”

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