10 Tips to Have an Informed Conversation About Domestic Violence
October is domestic violence awareness month. Unfortunately, at one time or another we have all come across situations of domestic violence. As a divorce lawyer, I see examples of its tragic effects all the time. In Dayton we are very fortunate to have the Artemis House resource to assist victims of domestic violence!
In order to help spread awareness about this terrible situation, I have posted below the “10 Tips to Have an Informed Conversation About Domestic Violence” published by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) https://nnedv.org/. Also, at the end of this article, I have share links to some of the prior articles we have published on this topic on the Ohio Family Law Blog in the past. Let’s all do our part to help eradicate domestic violence throughout society!
- NEVER victim blame.Abuse is never the victim’s fault. As a society, we continue to place blame on victims by asking, “What did she do to deserve that?” or “What was she wearing?” or “Why was she there?” or “Why couldn’t she just keep her knees together?” Yet we do not ask these questions to
Prenuptial agreements are daunting to bring up to one’s significant other and many individuals fear bringing up the topic. Many individuals worry that the prenuptial discussion will cause problems, such as making their significant other feel as if they are not trusted or as if there is an anticipation of a divorce in Ohio via a lack of commitment. However, research has shown that having a prenuptial agreement may in fact strengthen a relationship. Did you know that According to a survey of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), 63 percent of divorce attorneys say they’ve seen an 
To have a successful marriage there are several factors that need to be considered such as being honest with your spouse, being respectful of your spouse, being loyal to your spouse, and, a more recent trend, splitting household chores with your spouse. This last one may seem out of place, but according to research from Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Study more than half of married individuals feel that sharing household chores is important for a successful marriage. Another study, led by Michael Rosenfield, Associate Professor of Sociology at Stanford University, discovered that women are more likely to seek a divorce due to their frustration when their husbands do not “pull their weight.” Read the study 
Most intact families have established holiday traditions for their family. After a divorce, this may all change. The courts generally have established standard orders for parenting time that many people have adopted. Each varies county by county. However, those orders can be modified by agreement. The standard order is basically a default arrangement utilized when parents have difficulty agreeing with one another. It is NOT intended to be the ‘perfect” parenting order in all cases.
Some divorce cases are really nasty and contentious. I have been handling divorce cases in Dayton, Ohio for almost 39 years and I have seen some doozies! Clients regularly ask how they can protect their FICO credit score after their divorce is over. There are some very good articles that I’ve linked to below about those suggestions. I want to focus on the option of requesting a credit reporting freeze especially if you were the primary breadwinner.