Discovery Basics in an Ohio Divorce

discovery divorce

Why is Discovery in Ohio Divorce So Confusing? Here are the First Steps you Should Take!

discovery divorceDiscovery in a divorce or dissolution case can be a confusing part of the litigation process. It occurs in the initial pre-trial aspect of the proceeding. The ultimate purpose or goal of discovery is to make sure that both sides have all the relevant information about the factual particulars of the case. It is designed to avoid “trial by ambush” and to encourage negotiations between the lawyers after having a full understanding of all potential evidence. Ohio law allows for attorneys to request and receive almost anything which “could” lead to admissible evidence at trial. So, the scope of permissible discovery is very broad!

I. Discovery/Disclosure in a DISSOLUTION:

In a dissolution action, the entire proceeding is premised on each party making a complete disclosure of all his/her assets and liabilities to the other. The “discovery” is intended to be informal and cooperative as both parties need to come to a 100% agreement on all issues before the action is even filed with the Court.

Basic “discovery” is accomplished in the exchange of the fully completed Financial Disclosure Affidavits between them. The … Read More... “Discovery Basics in an Ohio Divorce”

Deepfakes: A Popular Growing Trend with Costly Risks to the Domestic Relations Sphere

deepfakes social media

The Origin of Deepfakes

deepfakes social mediaThe term “deepfake” was coined in 2017 by a Reddit user who originally used the online platform to share pornographic videos using face-swapping technology. Fast forward to 2021 and deepfakes have long since transcended the pornographic world to now include many other forms of trickery. Generally, deepfakes  are defined as a kind of media manipulation that includes a person’s likeness in a picture or video being swapped with another’s.

Recent examples of popular deepfakes include a Hulu commercial attaching Baker Mayfield’s voice to a look-alike’s body and a highly edited video of Mark Zuckerberg touting how great it is to own people’s data. Of course, neither represent real and honest media depictions of the actors portrayed, but nonetheless each illustrates the positive and negative impacts of deepfake technology.

A link to the Hulu commercial can be found here.

While deepfake creation can be done on a highly technical scale with complex synthetic media tools, not all designs require intense skill or training. On the simplest level, to create deepfakes all one needs is a simple phone application that allows for photo, video, and audio editing. The ease with which the everyday person can master … Read More... “Deepfakes: A Popular Growing Trend with Costly Risks to the Domestic Relations Sphere”

Blast From The Past: How to Ask for a Prenuptial and Avoid a Break-Up!

Blast from the past 13 years Ohio Family Law Blog

PUBLISHERS NOTE: More people are executing prenuptial agreements than ever before. Millennials are getting married at a later age, many have a lot of student debt and more assets.  The COVID-19 pandemic is causing people to be more aware of their mortality and planning for the future. I thought reposting this “blast from the past” from June 17, 2017, about prenuptial agreements was appropriate.

Prenuptial Agreements have increased in recent years says study…but why?

prenuptial agreements divorcePrenuptial 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 increase in prenuptial agreementsrecent years? This is NOT just a male thing either.  Forty-six percent of these lawyers also noted an increase in the number of … Read More... “Blast From The Past: How to Ask for a Prenuptial and Avoid a Break-Up!”

Divorce: New Sesame Street Videos Help Kids Deal with Trauma

toddler kissing Sesame Street Elmo

sesame street traumatic experiences helping childrenFor decades, Sesame Street has played on TV’s across the country, teaching children their ABC’s and 123’s, while also broadening their vocabulary, and increasing other academic skills. But now, Sesame Street is focused on another issue: helping children cope with traumatic experiences.

Children and Traumatic Experiences

A study conducted in 2016 found that nearly half of the children in the United States have experienced at least one traumatic or stressful event, including the death of a loved one, abuse, and divorce. The study also found that 1 in 5 of these children has experienced these events on more than one occasion. Click here to read the study.

How Can Sesame Street Help Children With Traumatic Experiences?

Children who experience traumatic experiences are more likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and even substance abuse. Early exposure to traumatic events affects the neurodevelopment of a child, which changes the way that they respond to stress and other experiences. According to the Department of Psychiatry at Saint Vincent’s Hospital in New York, “exposure to trauma also affects children’s ability to regulate, identify, and express emotions, and may have a negative effect on the way that a child views … Read More... “Divorce: New Sesame Street Videos Help Kids Deal with Trauma”

Do you Believe in Magic?

magic believeSome weeks ago, I tuned into an NPR radio interview with Penn and Teller, those amazing magicians/entertainers who have for decades defied logic and fooled us with their brilliant illusions.

What caught my interest was the oddity of the interview. The dynamic duo of Penn and Teller were being interviewed separately. This intrigued me as I wondered how NPR would handle empty radio air space if the usually silent Raymond Teller continued to be mute.

Luckily, he did not. And among the thought provoking things he had to say was this, “Nothing fools you better than the lie you tell yourself.” Of course, he was talking about magic. But I was thinking about denial. It never occurred to me before that moment that magic has so much in common with denial. The point of intersection is simple-We WANT to believe.

We know when something is “off”; maybe we can’t see it, but we feel it. And we ignore that feeling; we do this when watching a magic show as the illusion entertains us. We collude with the magicians on stage. We want to be fooled. Just for a while we want to believe in magic! We know the woman is … Read More... “Do you Believe in Magic?”

Divorce Rate Up for Older Women: The Financial Impact Divorcing Later in Life

divorce womenThe “golden years” may not be so “golden” for those couples who choose to part ways later in life.  According to researchers, even though divorce rates in general seem to be stabilizing, the divorce rate among the “baby boomer” generation continues to increase.

This trend is proving to have a disproportionately negative effect on women over 50.  Recent studies show that 1 in 5 women over 65 are still working.  This number is 2 times higher than it was in the 1980s.

Divorce Later In Life Proving Difficult Financially For Women Over 50

Compared to couples who split when they are young, divorcing later in life is proving to have severe, financial impacts on the older population, particularly women. In a recent study, Claudia Olivetti of Boston College and Dana Rotz of Mathematica Policy Research surveyed 56,000 women and found that in comparison to those who divorce at age 30, women age 50 and above are 10% more likely to be working full-time between the ages of 50-74. It appears that divorcing later in life is pushing these women back to work and is forcing them to delay retirement.

Besides the fact that divorcing later is causing the number … Read More... “Divorce Rate Up for Older Women: The Financial Impact Divorcing Later in Life”

Divorce Research Shows Children Suffer No Real, Long-Term Effects of Divorce

Important Steps Parents Can Take To Minimize Negative Side-Effects Of Divorce For Their Children

divorceDivorce can be earth-shattering for everyone, but arguably no one suffers more than the children involved. That being said, while divorce has proven to have devastating impact on these young people at the time, some research now suggests that these children do not experience long-term side-effects.

In an article in Scientific American Mind, authors Hal Arkowitz and Scott O. Lilienfeld acknowledge that while divorce is often extremely trying for children, studies show that as these children become adults, few experience lasting, serious effects.

While the divorce is occurring, and even in the period following, it is typical for kids to experience anxiety, anger, depression, shock, etc. However, Arkowitz and Lilienfeld argue that all of these negative effects are short-lived. In support of this, they point to a study conducted by sociologist, Paul R. Amato.  Amato’s research followed kids whose parents divorced during childhood, into their adolescence and teenage years.  He then compared those children to others whose family remained intact.  The results showed that there were relatively few differences between the two groups of children.  Ultimately, those with divorced parents typically recovered quickly and handled … Read More... “Divorce Research Shows Children Suffer No Real, Long-Term Effects of Divorce”

Page 1 of 5
1 2 3 … 5