Robert L. Mues, Author at Ohio Family Law Blog

Divorce: DivorceHotel Provides Vacation And A Divorce

DivorceHotel – A Relaxing Getaway to Get Away from Being Married! Hotel Resort Provides Quickie Divorce Package

divorce DivorceHotel In September 2014, a luxurious resort in upstate New York became the first hotel in the United States in which you can check in married on Friday, and check out single on Sunday! The Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs has paired with Netherlands-based company, DivorceHotel, and is now officially catering to the needs of those looking for a vacation and a divorce all at the same time.

While this is a somewhat novel concept for the U.S., hotels across Europe have been providing hundreds of “quickie divorces” to couples since 2012. DivorceHotel, seeks to offer a friendlier and more affordable separation process compared to the typical contentious and lengthy litigation proceedings that usually accompany a divorce.

The divorce package costs anywhere from $5000 to approximately $12000 and includes 2 separate rooms (however the couple can stay together if they so choose), an attorney for each spouse and a mediator who works with the couple at the hotel. Upon arrival, the spouses are greeted with a “welcome package” complete with information booklets, sparkling water, red wine and dark chocolates. The biggest … Read More... “Divorce: DivorceHotel Provides Vacation And A Divorce”

Child Support: Should Step-Parents Income Be Considered?

Ohio Law Says Step-Parent’s Income Cannot Be Considered When Determining The Amount Of Child Support Owed

child support income Generally speaking, we as a society tend to be of the mindset that if you decide to have a child, then you should be the one to take care of it…period. In reality, however, the issue is not so cut and dry. Different circumstances and factors come into play which, in the end, can alter who ultimately provides for a child. Take, for example, adoption. While the adoptive parent is not the natural, he or she ultimately chooses to become the child’s caregiver and supporter. What should happen though, in a case where a person is not the biological parent and does not necessarily choose to be financially responsible for a child, as is often the case with step-parents? When a person with children from a previous relationship remarries, should the new step-parent be on the hook for child support even when their new spouse is not the primary caregiver?

In Ohio, the answer is no. According to Ohio Revised Code 3103.03(A), the statutory duty to pay child support is only imposed on biological or adoptive parents. Therefore, when a couple with … Read More... “Child Support: Should Step-Parents Income Be Considered?”

Children, App Technology, and Messaging Safely

How vulnerable Are Children In Today’s App Technology-Driven Internet World?

New Certified Messenging Chat App For Children Provides Safe Monitoring For Parents And Encourages Responsible Social Media Development

children app safety Summer is coming.

These are the words that children ages 6-17 dream of hearing everyday as they’re leaving school. Ten to fifteen years ago, summer meant baseball, bikes, and adventures outside with your friends. The recent changes in technology have also brought about changes in interest among younger individuals in our population. Today, summer means iPads, TV’s, computers, and video games. Technology has brought about more advanced innovations at a cheaper price. This allows for easier access to extremely advanced technology. Think for a second, when was the last time you saw a child on an iPad, a tween with an iPhone, or a teenager paying more attention to their phone than their surroundings. This means your children, and your neighbors children can work those new computers, navigate your complicated phone, and dazzle with online gaming faster than you could ever hope to.

With advancement in technology, comes advancement in vulnerability. Our society will always maintain a small population of predatory individuals who attempt and succeed to deceive and infiltrate the … Read More... “Children, App Technology, and Messaging Safely”

Mother’s Day – Valuable Tips For New Stepparents

The Challenges of Blending Families – Important Advice For Mother’s Day

Patience Is Key When Stepmothers And Grandmothers Are Raising Their Grandchildren As Their Own Says Author Kate Fogerty

mother's day ohio NOTE: I was considering writing a new article about Mother’s Day so I began by looking through the Ohio Family Law Blog archives. Some advice is timeless. This one from seven years ago is still on point. Here is a reprise of “Mother’s Day – A Very Special Day!” We wish all Mother’s and Grandmother’s a wonderful Mother’s Day filled with smiles, laughter and joyous memories!

Naturally Mother’s Day is a special day for families and especially for mothers. In this day and age however, there are often multiple females who may play a key role in a child’s life. Stepmothers and grandmothers raising their grandchildren as their own are now quite the norm. These women need to be recognized on Mother’s Day.

Stepmothers are often portrayed in a negative light. It is important to look at all sides, as a step mom often has to walk the tight rope. She has to carefully navigate the road so that she is an integral part of her new child … Read More... “Mother’s Day – Valuable Tips For New Stepparents”

Prenuptial Agreement: Is it Enforcable If You Dispose of It?

Does Tearing up Your Executed Prenuptial Agreement in Ohio Revoke or Invalidate it?

prenuptial agreement ohio Recently, a New York court held that a husband could enforce a prenuptial agreement against his wife upon divorce, even though at the time the parties had no intention of ever being bound by the agreement and he ripped up his photocopy of the agreement at the same time his wife ripped up her original. Braha v. Braha, 2014 NY Slip Op 51532.

QUESTION:

The question presented here is, would the case yield the same result if it was adjudicated in Ohio?

DISCUSSION:

In Braha, the parties stated that they entered into a prenuptial agreement only because the husband’s father was insistent they do so. However, on their honeymoon they simultaneously ripped up copies of the agreement and threw them away. The parties were married for twelve years before the marriage began to dissolve. Upon dissolution, the husband produced his original copy of the prenuptial agreement and sought to enforce it. He testified that he had destroyed only a photocopy of his agreement, while his wife had destroyed her original.

In its decision, the court there held that the wife did not provide sufficient evidence by … Read More... “Prenuptial Agreement: Is it Enforcable If You Dispose of It?”

Divorce: Spouse Missing? Send Summons On Facebook!

Will Serving Divorce Papers Via Facebook be Allowed in Ohio?

Justice Matthew Cooper of the Manhattan, New York, Supreme Court is setting precedent which is likely to be a game-changer should the rest of the country follow suit.

In a recent decision, Justice Cooper gave Ellanora Baidoo the green light to serve her elusive husband, Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku, divorce papers through his Facebook account.

The couple, both from Ghana, were married in a civil ceremony in 2009. Shortly thereafter, the relationship began to unravel when Blood-Dzraku refused to fulfill his promise of participating in a traditional Ghanaian wedding ceremony. As a result, the couple parted ways and only remained in contact via social media and the occasional phone call. Nevertheless, Blood-Dzraku apparently does not want a divorce as every attempt to find him has failed.

Baidoo’s attorney, Andrew Spinnell, explained that Blood-Dzraku is nowhere to be found. The last known address for him was vacated in 2011, the post office has no forwarding address for him, no billing address linked to his prepaid cell phone exists, the Department of Motor Vehicles has no record of him, and even efforts by a private investigator hired to find him have failed. In … Read More... “Divorce: Spouse Missing? Send Summons On Facebook!”

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