Internet Becomes First Choice For Attorney Searches

The Most Popular Way To Find An Attorney Is Through Internet Searches According To Survey

internet attorneyA recent survey conducted by Thomas Reuters (published by Findlaw.com) found that today more individuals prefer using the internet to find an attorney than any other method.  Of the individuals surveyed, 38% preferred to use the internet as a first choice to find their next attorney.  This percentage rose from 7% in 2005 to the current 38% in 2014.  The second choice, asking a relative or friend, dropped from its 2005 percentage of 69% to a mere 29%.

The advancement of the internet as a tool to find attorneys should come as no surprise.  The internet is booming in the United States and has continued to rapidly spread among all age groups in usage and access.  The United States ranks second worldwide in internet subscriptions (behind China) but ranks number one in the world with mobile access to the internet.  The full list can be seen here.   These numbers have been increasing drastically over the past few years, but are not the only significant impact on individuals using the internet to find attorneys.

One other large factor in this increase must be attributed to … Read More... “Internet Becomes First Choice For Attorney Searches”

International Divorce: Hague Convention Abduction Report Issued

Hague report lists countries who are not compliant; seek experienced International Divorce and Abduction Attorneys as early as posibile.

International Divorce Hague AbductionThe U.S. Department of State Office of Children’s Issues has now submitted its annual report pertaining to compliance problems on international abduction matters for 2013. This “compliance report” identifies countries that are “Not Compliant with the Convention” and countries that show “Patterns of Noncompliance with the Convention”.   This 51 page report lists cases that have remained open and active for 18 months or more after the convention application was filed.  The report also lists countries with Convention enforcement concerns.

Highlights include:

  • Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras were determined to be “non-compliant” with the Convention.  Both Costa Rica and Guatemala demonstrated non-compliance in the areas of judicial and central authority performance.  Honduras demonstrated non-compliance in the areas of judicial, law enforcement, and central authority performance.
  • Brazil and the Bahamas have showed “patterns of noncompliance” with the Hague.  Bahamian courts improperly treat Hague cases as custody matters, not in an expedited fashion that is required.   Brazil’s issues seem to center with the long court review process, problems locating the child and all the permitted appeals.
  • Four countries were categorized as “Countries with
Read More... “International Divorce: Hague Convention Abduction Report Issued”

Adoptees Can Access Original Ohio Birth Certificate Says New Ohio Law

New Ohio Adoption Law Helps Adult Adoptees Find Their Original Birth Parents

adoptees law birthA new law in Ohio will unseal records for about 400,000 Ohio adult adoptees.   This law, Senate Bill 23, was signed by Gov. John Kasich on December 19th. This new law will unseal records and allow these adoptees to find out who their birth parents are.  This is done by allowing adult adoptees to access their original birth certificates, which list their birth parents.

According to Adoption Network Cleveland founder and Executive Director, Betsie Norris, this legislation was the sixth attempt to address this issue in the past 25 years. “Birth parents, adoptees, adoptive parents and adoption scholars and professionals all testified in favor of this bill,” she said. “There was no stated opposition, and we are also thrilled that the bill had such overwhelming support in the Ohio Legislature.”

The previous law regarding this type of discovery was very convoluted.  Essentially, one law had three separate requirements depending on your age and the time period in which you were adopted.  Previously for the adoptees, anyone adopted prior to 1964 had to pay a 20 dollar fee and make a request in order to receive their … Read More... “Adoptees Can Access Original Ohio Birth Certificate Says New Ohio Law”

Adultery in the Military

Is Adultery A Crime Under The Uniform Code Of Military Justice?

The Legal Ramifications For Military Members Who Commit Adultery

adultery militaryAdultery is fairly common in our society.  Frequently, adultery is the grounds for many legal separation and divorce actions; however, “marital fault” is not typically given a great deal of attention by our legal systems.  There are some steps individuals can take to help ensure their asset protection from adultery, such as prenuptial agreements, which may limit the ability for one spouse to take part in the estate once the divorce commences.

A research report conducted by the Associated Press found that nearly 22% of men have strayed during their married lives, and nearly 14% of women have done the same.  Even more say that if they could have an affair, and never have the risk of being caught, they would (Men = 74% Women = 68%).

These numbers are staggering, but not totally surprising.  Adultery isn’t a crime, and individuals are more often than not free to act on these urges with no legal ramifications (outside prenuptial agreements).  Things get a bit more complicated if these individuals are members of our nation’s military.

It is often a misconception … Read More... “Adultery in the Military”

Military: Immigration Citizenship Laws for Family Members

Obama Policy Memo Outlines How Illegal Immigrants Can Obtain ‘legal status’ If They Are Family Members Of A U.S. Military Service Member.

Memo Could Affect 65,000 Military Immigrants

militaryA memo released by the Obama administration outlines how and when the administration can legally permit relatives of U.S. service military members who are here illegally to stay in the country on a “parole in place” status.  This will essentially give illegal immigrants “legal status” as long as they don’t have a criminal record and are family members of a U.S. military service member.  This applies to both current and former U.S. military service member family members.

Before Policy Memorandum PM-602-0091, issued on November 15, 2013, relatives here illegally were still able to remain in the country but were required to apply for “parole in place”.  This was often very confusing and convoluted to military service member family members. Additionally, it was not taken advantage of due to the uncertainty and lack of awareness surrounding the matter.  It is currently estimated that nearly 5% of our active duty military members are currently immigrants meaning this law will affect a significant amount of individuals as there are around 65,000 military immigrants who currently … Read More... “Military: Immigration Citizenship Laws for Family Members”

Custody Case Change – The Requirements

What Legal Requirements Must Be Established For A Custody Case Change In Ohio?

This is a follow-up article to guest contributor Judianne Cochran’s post of March 1, 2014 titled “Custody Issues: Post-Decree Modification in Ohio”.

In that article Judi focused primarily on the importance of hiring a seasoned family law lawyer that frequently litigates post-decree custody matters.  In this article I want to discuss the legal requirements that must be provided to be successful in a change of custody case.

custodyIf you are looking to modify your divorce decree, one of the first major obstacles you will face is determining whether or not you have met the standard for a “change of circumstances” which is required before any modification can occur.  There are a few resources we can look to that provide insight as to what this amounts to, including case law and statutes.

Statute:

Ohio Revised Code Section 3109.04 (E)(1)(a) gives us a quick glimpse and some stern words on what it takes to meet the “change of circumstances” required.

“The court shall not modify a prior decree allocating parental rights and responsibilities for the care of children unless it finds, based on facts that have arisen since … Read More... “Custody Case Change – The Requirements”

Divorce Rates on the Climb as the Economy Recovers

Recent Spike In Divorce Rates Tied To Economy Study Suggests

divorceInterestingly, while the total number of new cases filed in Ohio in 2012 hit a 10-year low, the same cannot be said about divorce actions.  Ohio has seen a recent spike in divorce after a steady decline for the past decade.  To get a better grasp on why this is occurring, we must first look at the statistics of divorce in the Greater Dayton Area and Ohio in general.

In Montgomery County, according to the Ohio Department of Public Health, the 2010 divorce rate was 65.2 per 100 marriages. The 2009 rate was 60 per 100, and the 2008 was 53.5 per 100.

Comparing Montgomery County to the rest of Ohio in 2010, Montgomery County had a rate of nearly 10 marriages per 100 higher that ended in divorce. (Ohio’s 2010 rate was just over 50 per 100).

A recent divorce study found that nationwide, divorces often increase with the economy.  Meaning the better the economy the more divorces we see.  This is often associated with the expenses that a divorce can cost, illustrating that couples often hold on through a rough financial time until they’re able to split.  … Read More... “Divorce Rates on the Climb as the Economy Recovers”

Page 52 of 71
1 50 51 52 53 54 71