Robert L. Mues, Author at Ohio Family Law Blog

Steps to Take to Financially Prepare for a Divorce

It goes without saying, divorce is an extremely difficult and emotional journey. It can be overwhelming and it will most likely affect and change many aspects of life including finances. Financial preparation for divorce is crucial in order to move forward in your divorce. Separating finances with two spouses can be messy. In order to do so, each partner needs to prepare in order to ensure security and stability both during the divorce proceedings and after the divorce is finalized.

There are certainly things both parties can do to financially prepare for divorce. Here are some tips for those going through this sticky situation.

Gathering Financial Documents

One of the first steps to do is to gather all financial documents, including tax returns, all accounts including savings, checking and investment accounts, pay stubs, property records (home, land, vehicles) credit card statements, debts, and any retirement account statements such as 4014K plans, IRA’s, or pensions.

This is important for each party to fully understand what they own as individual accounts as well as accounts held together. This is most definitely a daunting and time-consuming task; however it is very important in order to entangle financial ties. In addition, all this information … Read More... “Steps to Take to Financially Prepare for a Divorce”

On the Fence About Divorcing or Staying Married? Discernment Counseling Might be Your Answer

Discernment counseling for couples considering divorce provides clarity and guidance on whether to end the marriage or work on reconciliation.

Understanding Discernment Counseling for Couples Considering Divorce

When a couple is having marital problems, counseling is often one of the first steps they take. However, if you are one of those couples with a “mixed agenda”, meaning one partner is leaning towards wanting a divorce while the other is wishing to stay married, then discernment counseling might be a route to try. For those not familiar with it, discernment counseling is a type of couples therapy for those who need guidance to see whether or not to terminate the marriage.

It is designed to help a couple examine their options and help them to figure out the best path to continue, whether it be it separation, reconciliation, or a divorce. It helps a couple to develop both clarity and perspective about whether divorce is right before actually going down that road.

Dr. William Doherty, a professor of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota, pioneered the discernment counseling model in 2008. He worked closely with a group of divorce lawyers and a family court judge to better understand the … Read More... “On the Fence About Divorcing or Staying Married? Discernment Counseling Might be Your Answer”

Blast From The Past: Child Visitation Exchanges – Tips to Avoid Problems!

PUBLISHERS UPDATE: Here is one of my favorites posts about child visitation exchanges, from back on June 13th, 2020! The advice rings as true now as it did then. 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!

Visitation Exchanges. Do this to Avoid Friction with your Ex!

Visitation exchanges and custody exchanges can be uncomfortable and sometimes downright combative depending upon the relationship between the parents. They can also be stressful to your child as well. The overall objective needs to be to keep things civil and reduce friction all the way around.

Here are some common-sense tips of what to do, or not do in visitation exchanges:

Coordinate Drop Off/Pick Up Location: In high conflict cases, the less you have to interact with your Ex the better. One common approach is agreeing upon making the switch at school, a daycare center, babysitters or friend’s house. Other options are at a public place such as a park or restaurant. In extreme situations, some folks will make the exchange outside the local police department. You need to figure a spot that is

LEGAL ALERT: New Proposed Ohio Law Would Allow Military Families to Choose Schools for Their Children

What does the new Ohio Senate Bill 208 military school choice mean for Military families?

Impact of Ohio Senate Bill 208 Military School Choice on Military Families

Reflecting on the recent Memorial Day holiday and thinking about how much our military families have sacrificed and continue to do so, I wanted to draw attention to Senate Bill 208 which was passed by the Ohio Senate on May 22, 2024. State Sen. Kristina Roegner, R-Hudson is credited with being the primary sponsor of the bill and says that it was brought to her attention as an issue of great importance by the Department of Defense.

“Military families are at a disadvantage when it comes to enrollment options available to their children, due to the timing of military directed moves,” said Shane Preston, Great Lakes Region Liaison for the U.S. Department of Defense, in written testimony. “Military families move frequently and change school systems upwards of 10 times prior to graduation.”

Key Provisions of the new proposed Ohio Senate Bill

Ohio Senate Bill 208 military school choice allows military personnel the opportunity to enroll their children in almost any Ohio public school regardless of the district they live in. Ohio law … Read More... “LEGAL ALERT: New Proposed Ohio Law Would Allow Military Families to Choose Schools for Their Children”

The Ohio Supreme Court Clarifies What a Divorce Court Must Find for a Party to be Found to Be Voluntarily Unemployed for Support Purposes

Practical Advice for Parents Post-Ohio Supreme Court Ayers v Ayers Child Support Decision

What Legal Professionals Need to Know About the Ohio Supreme Court Ayers v. Ayers Child Support Decision

On May 15, 2024, the Ohio Supreme Court Ayers v. Ayers child support decision reversed the judgment of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and remanded the issue to the trial court. The issue on appeal in the Ohio Supreme Court Ayers v. Ayers child support decision was whether the Court must infer that the domestic-relations court made a proper determination of a parent’s voluntary unemployment when it was silent in its decision on that issue, but nonetheless imputed potential income to a parent for the computation of child support.

It is rare that the Supreme Court of Ohio decides cases pertaining to matters of divorce and child support, making the importance of this decision noteworthy in the realm of Ohio Family Law.

Prior Requirements of Ohio Appellate Districts:

There are 12 appellate districts in Ohio. These districts have historically varied as to whether they require domestic relations courts to expressly include a finding of voluntary unemployment to impute income to that person when calculating child support in a divorce. … Read More... “The Ohio Supreme Court Clarifies What a Divorce Court Must Find for a Party to be Found to Be Voluntarily Unemployed for Support Purposes”

Is it Time to Divorce my Divorce Lawyer?

Steps to Take When Facing Divorce Lawyer Problems

How Divorce Lawyer Problems Can Impact Your Case Outcome

No one wants to be in a position to get divorced. Marriage is meant for life, right? Unfortunately, that is not always the case. So, for whatever the reason, you determine that your marriage has irretrievably broken down. You start the lawyer selection process. You listen to friends, interview several divorce lawyers, exercise due diligence and finally make your decision. You then formally hire your divorce lawyer.

Now, in the midst of your divorce action, you are becoming concerned that perhaps you did not hire the “right” divorce lawyer. What should you do next? Let”s first discuss some “problems” which you might be encountering causing you to consider firing your lawyer.

COMMUNICATION ISSUES?

Historically, some lawyers are just bad at returning phone calls and communicating well with their clients. It is certainly reasonable to expect good communications with your divorce lawyer! Some lawyers are overloaded with clients or don”t have adequate support staff to help answer client questions and updating them on the status of their case. Others, frankly just don”t feel that client communications are all that important. I have sat on … Read More... “Is it Time to Divorce my Divorce Lawyer?”

Blast From The Past: May is Mental Health Month – How Divorce can Affect Mental Health?

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: May is Mental Health Month. I want to thank now former paralegal Kaylyn Hohn for writing this article. We all miss you!

Higher Conflict Divorces Lead To A Worse Decline In Mental Health Issues According To Study. Nearly 25% Of All Ohioans Impacted

For the last 70 years, the month of May has been observed as “Mental Health Month“, and according to the community-based non-profit, Mental Health America, nearly 25% of Ohioans have experienced mental health issues in the last few years.

“Mental Health Month provides an opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of mental illness, and to remind Ohioans that it’s OK not to be OK and it’s OK to ask for help,” said Aimee Shadwich, the RecoveryOhio Director in a press release by the state of Ohio on May 4th of this year.

“It is critical that access to timely and effective care is available to those who need it,” she continued.

Nationwide, about 1 in every 5 Americans will be diagnosed with a mental health condition in any given year, like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. These conditions can affect one’s “emotional, psychological and social well-being” according … Read More... “Blast From The Past: May is Mental Health Month – How Divorce can Affect Mental Health?”

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