Marriage Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Ohio Family Law Blog

Kim Davis: Adherence to Moral Conscience or Violations of the Law?

Will The Law Protect Clerk Kim Davis and Her Refusal To Issue Marriage Licenses For Same-Sex Couples?

kim davis same-sex marriage No doubt, in the last few weeks or so, you’ve encountered the name Kim Davis in conversation around the water cooler or dinner table. It is also of little doubt that you’ve confronted staunch opinions regarding the Kentucky clerk of court who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Various media outlets, as well as some individual social media enthusiasts, compare Kim Davis to Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King, Jr. – an outspoken activist of her time, doing what she believes is right to uphold her moral duty to God and her conscience. Others, particularly those same-sex couples seeking a marriage license, find fault in Kim Davis’ failure to adhere to the oath of office she took when she secured her position as clerk of courts.

Still, this did not keep U.S. District Judge David Bunning from jailing Kim Davis and holding her in contempt of court after investigating her argument that her “conscience will not allow” her to comply with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling legalizing gay marriage. Judge Bunning did attempt to give Kim Davis a break, explaining that … Read More... “Kim Davis: Adherence to Moral Conscience or Violations of the Law?”

3 Ways to Save a Bad Marriage

marriage You got married hoping for a soul mate, but ended up in a relationship that feels like a roommate.

You know that marriages are never perfect. You expect occasional disagreements and a certain boredom that comes after a while from living together.

The experts say that a good marriage partner does four things very well: communicates, resolves problems, builds trust, and does nice things for their spouse. You rarely have those experiences with your partner.

You think about divorce, but you’re scared. You tolerate a known meaningless marriage to avoid an unknown future. Maybe this is as good it gets, and you should lower your expectations and be grateful for what you have.

What should you do?

Begin with you. Before you demonize your partner, reflect upon your own behaviors. Are you happy with yourself? Do you act in ways that are caring, enthusiastic, and positive? Are you the type of person that others enjoy being around? Do others trust you and view you as a valued friend?Bad marriages are rarely the responsibility of only one partner. What happens over time is that a spouse develops negative habits in response to the behavior of the other. This is the “I

Here’s What Functioning Marriages Have in Common

marriages functioning I’m often asked if it’s difficult being a psychologist and listening to kids’ problems all day. I enjoy that part of the job, because it’s fun helping young people make positive changes.

It’s a lot tougher listening to parents discuss their troubled marriages. These are often narratives of lives of quiet desperation and unfulfilled dreams.

Here’s what great marriages have in common.

Communicate. Partners in great relationships freely talk about their hopes, feelings, fears and dreams. They are responsive to their spouse’s styles and adjust accordingly. When problems occur, they avoid either extreme of acting with emotional escalation or withdrawal. Great communication is based upon each partner creating a sense of safety that allows the other person to freely say what they think and feel. One of my favorite quotes is from the English novelist George Eliot. “Oh, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out… knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away.”
Build Trust. Great marriages are based upon each person being authentic. Partners

Cohabitation Births On The Rise As Marriage Stats Fall

Marriage Rates Decline While Births For Cohabitation Couples Increase According To A Recent Study

At Least One Child In Eight Is Born Into A Cohabitation Parent Family. Economic Factors Play Role In Non Marriage Births

cohabitation marriage births A recent study by the Council on Contemporary Families discusses the increase in cohabitating couples and planned children. In births among cohabitating couples have increased 58% from 2006 to 2010. The study also suggests that half of these births were planned. All in all, the rise in cohabitation is well documented, with cohabitation playing an increasingly prominent role in the lives of American adults and children. At least one child in eight is born into a cohabiting parent family, and this rate has doubled over the course of a single decade.

The increase in cohabitating union births leads to the question of why couples are not getting married as frequently as they had in the past. Some insights may be gained from a recent NBC News article which interviews a 34-year-old mother, Anne-Marie Rinaldi, who has been cohabitating with her partner and fellow parent for the past decade. Ms. Rinaldi believes that having a child while cohabitating may become the “new normal.” Ms. Rinaldi believes … Read More... “Cohabitation Births On The Rise As Marriage Stats Fall”

Beta Marriage Concept – A Trial Union for 2 Years?

Can Beta Marriage Avoid A Complicated Divorce?

beta marriage ohio Time magazine recently published an article discussing the concept of a “beta marriage” and millennials. For those unfamiliar with the word “Beta” let me explain. In the tech world, the word “beta” is often affiliated with a trial period, in other words, it’s something that’s tested before it’s released or finalized. For example, when a video game company is nearing the release of a new video game, they’ll often release a “beta version” to a select few individuals. This version is played and enjoyed as if it were a full released video game. Instead, what is really going on is the developers are collecting information, analyzing all types of data, and fixing various bugs that may not have been discovered prior to the beta.

In other words, a beta is a test run designed to fix errors. After a beta has ran its course (often a predefined period of time) the beta is closed. Following the beta, the developers can choose whether or not they’ll release the game or not or if they’ll continue to develop and fix the kinks they became aware of during the beta period.

Divorce: Dividing Property, Assets & Debts in Ohio

Property Division in Ohio Can Be Complicated In Marriage Breakup – Hire A Experienced Divorce Lawyer Early

divorce property marriage ohio Depending upon the issues in a marriage breakup, dividing assets and debts is usually a preliminary topic of conversation. This can be a complex and lengthy discussion depending upon the nature of the assets, length of the marriage, and title of the property. The first aspect of analyzing how the court may divide property pertains to whether or not the property was acquired before or after the date of marriage. If the property is separate pre-marital property, that property would remain the property of the initial owner and would not be subject to division. In Ohio, property acquired during the term of the marriage is generally divided “equitably”. While the courts in Ohio strive to create a fair property division, this may not always lead to a 50/50 equal distribution. But, an equal division is presumed to be the starting point. The Court hopes to end up with a decision, that when viewed as a whole, leaves both parties with roughly equal shares of the marital estate.

If a spouse inherits property (or is gifted specific property during the course … Read More... “Divorce: Dividing Property, Assets & Debts in Ohio”

DOMA: Same-Sex Marriage Rights Update

A Look At The Same-Sex Marriage Law And The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), One Year Later

DOMA Same-Sex Marriage A few weeks ago marked the one year anniversary since the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was struck down by the Supreme Court of the United States. This article aims to analyze changes and new laws that have arisen since this decision, discussing where the states and national laws stand in regards to same-sex marriages.

What was the DOMA ruling?

The decision regarding the DOMA law was released on June 26,2013. The decision that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act had some implications; however, it did not require that states recognize or allow same sex marriage. The significant portion of the DOMA ruling allowed for states that recognized same sex marriages at the time to be granted the same federal benefits as heterosexual marries couples. We posted this linked blog article on the Ohio Family Law Blog at the time of that historic decision. At the time of the ruling, there were a total of 13 states and the District of Columbia that had legalized same-sex marriage.

Same-Sex Marriage Laws in States following the DOMA ruling

Since the DOMA ruling, … Read More... “DOMA: Same-Sex Marriage Rights Update”

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