Ohio Family Law Blog

Safe Haven’s Law in Ohio – Teens Should Take Advantage

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Publisher’s Note: Attorney Charles “Bill” Morrison in our office posted this article on our Ohio Criminal Defense Law Blog on January 9, 2018. The topic of Safe Haven’s Law certainly has both criminal law and family law relevance warranting posting here as well. It is indeed a shame that this legal option is not better publicized! Click here to read more of Bill’s excellent posts.

There has been another high-profile case involving a pregnant teen accused of killing her newborn baby. Now, it needs to be made absolutely clear that this blog is NOT claiming that the teen caused the death of the child. The defendant in this case is claiming the baby was still-born. As we are not privy to the evidence, and she has not been convicted after the state has been put to its proof at a trial, we will presume that the young lady is innocent, as required under our constitution.

However, the linked article mentioned a little-known provision under Ohio law that allows parents of a newborn to effectively give up their child and face no adverse consequences. The theory behind “Ohio’s … Read More... “Safe Haven’s Law in Ohio – Teens Should Take Advantage”

New Year, New Divorce? Things to Consider First!

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Experts say that January is the most popular month of the year for couples to file for divorce in Ohio. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas), it is common for couples to put off their divorce plans until after the first of the year. Even though many couples are struggling with their marriage before the holiday season, they tend to push back getting a divorce in order to make the holidays more enjoyable and memorable for their kids.

According to Cathy Meyer, who founded DivorcedWomenOnline.com and is a certified divorce consultant stated, “Dissatisfied husbands and wives begin searching for information on divorce immediately after the holidays”. She has experienced a huge increase in page views and searches the day after Christmas. People start looking for information before the New Year starts, but they cannot do much until the attorneys are back in the office, making January 12-16 the magic week for filings.

Courtney Stovall, founder of BounceBack.com, says that while it may be important to realize popular times for divorce filings, one should not ignore the heartbreak in the off months. … Read More... “New Year, New Divorce? Things to Consider First!”

New Insurance Product to Guarantee Child and Spousal Support Payments During Unemployment

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Often times when a couple divorces, a court will order one party to pay spousal support in Ohio and/or child support if there are minor children involved. And while it can seem that every, last detail from property division, to health insurance and retirement benefits is hammered out in the final decree, there may be an area that is too often overlooked.

What happens if the party obligated to pay child or spousal support suddenly becomes unemployed? Then what?

The Great American Insurance Group now offers Marital Settlement Agreement Insurance (“MSAI”), to insure divorce obligations during periods of unemployment. The program, which has been 40 years in the making, was developed by Richard S. Zizian, J.D., of the Zizian Agency in San Diego, California. It is now available in all states except Hawaii and Alaska.

Insurance Group Offers Spousal Support And Child Support Payments During Times Of Unemployment

In order to qualify, a person must be a full-time, W-2 wage earner. The holder can choose to pay the premiums annually, quarterly or monthly. The policy pays up to 24 weeks of benefits per year for child and/or … Read More... “New Insurance Product to Guarantee Child and Spousal Support Payments During Unemployment”

Divorce: Study Finds That Women are Twice as Likely as Their Husbands to File for Divorce

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The Early Years of Marriage Project is an ongoing marriage and divorce study that began in 1986. As part of this project, researchers from the University of Michigan conducted a study in which they interviewed 355 married couples throughout the course of sixteen years.

Divorce study says tension and stress have a negative impact on marriage

Results from this study concluded that women are twice as likely as men to file for a divorce. Women typically entered their marriage with higher levels of tension caused by fights and disagreements, whereas men started off with a lower level of tension that increased over the course of their marriage. Researcher Kira Birditt of the University of Michigan, states that, “the association with divorce was greater if men reported low levels of tension when women reported a higher accumulation of tension” (Macdonald, 2017).

Are men to blame?

Kira Birditt believes that women may be more likely to divorce because of “a lack of investment towards the relationship on the husband’s part” (Macdonald, 2017). Whether or not men are to blame, tension and stress have a negative impact on marriage. … Read More... “Divorce: Study Finds That Women are Twice as Likely as Their Husbands to File for Divorce”

HIPAA Authorization Form: How to Ensure You Can Help Your Adult College Kids in the Event of a Medical Emergency

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Ohio HIPAA Authorization Form

Parents spend their entire lives worrying about, and trying to protect their children. When they are younger, we try to teach them the necessary skills they will need to become a successful adult, and above all, keep them safe.

In Ohio, once a person turns 18 years old, they are no longer considered a “child” in the eyes of the law, though, for a parent, they will always be considered such. Therefore, imagine the potential nightmare that could occur if your young, adult child were to be involved in an accident leaving them incapacitated, and the medical staff informs you that they cannot give you any information due to HIPPA regulations.

Download a sample Medical Information HIPAA Release Form For Your Adult Child To Complete

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that safeguards who can access an adult’s private health information. Under this, a covered entity cannot technically share an adult’s medical data with others unless specifically authorized by the patient to do so. Of course, like all things, there are exceptions to … Read More... “HIPAA Authorization Form: How to Ensure You Can Help Your Adult College Kids in the Event of a Medical Emergency”

Parenting with Dr. Ramey: 6 of the Best, Most Inspiring Quotes

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In addition to collecting baseball cards, I started writing down favorite quotes when I was in elementary school. My mom “cleaned out” (i.e., threw away) my cards when I went to college, but I’ve continued to collect the inspirational perspectives from others.

My collection has changed over the years. I’ve deleted “feel good” quotes that didn’t make any sense. Peter Pan’s admonition that “Anything is possible if you wish hard enough” falls into that category. Here are some of my favorites.

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” (William Ward) Our happiness is less dependent upon what happens to us, and more related to how we adjust to minor frustrations and serious traumas. Therapy is about learning how to “adjust the sails” to deal with life.
“Sometimes you never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” (Dr. Seuss) Many parents feel overwhelmed by the challenges of getting through the day, and fail to appreciate the fleeting joys of family life. I encourage families, both parents and children, to take a few moments to

Blast From The Past: Strategies to Make Your Christmas Less Stressful

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Publisher’s Comment: This “Blast from the Past” comes from Psychotherapist Donna F. Ferber. She was kind enough to share this article with us 8 years ago. Excellent advice then and now from Donna!

If this is your first Christmas since the separation and divorce, the anticipation can fill you with sadness and trepidation. Here are some solid, easy tips to help make the holidays less painful and hopefully, maybe, even (surprisingly!) enjoyable!

Let go of traditions that no longer work for you. This is an opportunity to re-invent your holidays. Keep the traditions that you enjoy and get rid of the ones that you don’t. No one expects you to be on your best behavior during this time, so you can probably pull it off without anyone getting too upset.

Stick to your regular routine as closely as possible. Sleep, exercise, eat well and don’t skip those therapy appointments.

Don’t use money, alcohol, food, or sex to deal with pain and sadness. These indulgences will leave you poor, hung over, fat, and guilty on December 26th.

Don’t be afraid to do something different. Go away or … Read More... “Blast From The Past: Strategies to Make Your Christmas Less Stressful”

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