Defining “Castle Child” Status in Ohio Castle Child Legislation Updates
Key Changes in Ohio Castle Child Legislation Updates for Families with Disabled Adult Children
Brief Background:
40+ years ago I had the pleasure to become acquainted with Julie Castle, her Mother Carla and Uncle Charlie. Julie was was nearly 14 years old when her parents Carla and Don were divorced in 1977. Mom received custody and Father, a tool maker, chose to have little contact with Julie, in part because she was mentally and physically disabled and could be difficult to control. Julie received Supplemental Social Security income benefits and very minimal child support from her Father.
I got to know Julie and started representing her Mother when Father sought to terminate his support obligation as Julie approached 18, even though cognitively Julie was similar to a 5 or 6 year old and totally unable to ever take care of herself. That arduous litigation took us through the Montgomery County Domestic Relations Court several times, the Court of Appeals and finally the Ohio Supreme Court in the summer of 1984. In Ohio at that time, there was a common law duty for parents to support a disabled child.
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