Best Family Law Attorneys in Columbus, OH

To file for divorce in Ohio, you must be legally married, and you must have lived in the state for at least six months. For a no-fault dissolution, you can file if either you or your spouse has lived in Ohio for at least six months.

In Ohio, with limited exceptions, child support payments are calculated according to strict guidelines established by the state legislature. There are standard worksheets and schedules that parents are required to use in order to determine their child support rights and obligations. Child support can be deviated depending on the financial situation of the parties and other factors based on Ohio law.

A mediator cannot grant you a divorce through mediation. You must still file for divorce and appear in court to receive final divorce orders. However, you and your spouse may absolutely come to an agreement on your divorce issues and terms through mediation, which most often the court prefers. You may seek a non-contested divorce or a dissolution if you and your spouse settle all divorce issues on your own, which will proceed much more quickly than a contested divorce.

A child or adult can be adopted by a step parent, privately, meaning no agency is involved, through a private agency, or through a public agency. These adoptions can be between counties in Ohio, states in the US or international.

Litigation is not cheap. The cost of your case will depend on the complexity of the case, willingness of the parties to reach an agreement, use of possible experts and GAL, and length of the case. Every case is unique. Included in litigation expenses are attorneys fees, filing fees, depositions, GAL fees, etc.