In Ohio, you may terminate your marriage by divorce or dissolution.  Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of each, will help you make the right decision about which avenue to take.  Attorney Wentworth, with over 29 years of legal experience, will guide you through the difficult and often emotional process of a divorce or dissolution.  She will protect your rights and help you obtain the best possible results.

There are specific requirements for filing a divorce.  For example, one of the divorcing parties must be a resident of Ohio for at least six months and a resident of the county where they plan to file for divorce for at least 90 days preceding the filing of the divorce complaint.  To obtain a divorce in Ohio, you also must have proper grounds.  Grounds for divorce may  include: incompatibility (unless denied by either party), gross neglect of duty, adultery, living separate and apart without cohabitating for one year, fraud, and habitual drunkenness.  If you have questions about obtaining a divorce, dissolution or legal separation, contact us for a consultation and we will explain your legal rights.

High-Asset Divorce

At our firm, we often represent clients with high-value assets in complex divorce cases.  When necessary, we use outside professionals to value business interests and to evaluate assets.  Often these cases involve locating and tracing of marital assets and income.  Our law firm can help you achieve practical, cost-effective approaches to resolving complex financial issues that are found in these types of divorce cases.

Collaborative Law / Mediation

We provide legal services  to clients engaged in various forms of alternative dispute resolution, including mediation.

Spousal Support

We assist client with spousal support issues, including advising clients about new trends and changes to Ohio spousal support laws.   We can help you obtain spousal support, modify an existing order, or defend against a modification or termination of support.

In Ohio, there are two types of child custody: sole custody and shared parenting. Sole custody means that one parent is designated as the sole residential parent and may make decisions regarding the child’s care. The term “shared parenting” means that both parents are the legal custodians of the child and both are deemed to be the “residential parents” of the child. When parents have a shared parenting arrangement, they will make joint decisions concerning their child’s care. The way the shared parenting arrangement works will depend on the terms set forth in their shared parenting plan. When you contact our office for a consultation, we can help you achieve a custody plan that will work well for you and your family. As an experienced attorney, Karen H. Wentworth is well versed in Ohio child custody laws and can provide you with the guidance you need.

Paternity

In Ohio, if an unmarried couple has a child, the mother is deemed to be the residential parent of the child. If the father wishes to establish his rights with the child, he may need to file a paternity action. We can assist parents through this process.

Child Support

We have significant experience in performing child support calculations under the Ohio Child Support Guidelines. To assist you, we can prepare a child support worksheet to let you know in advance how much child support you can expect to pay or receive in your case. If your financial situation has changed and you need to modify the amount of child support you are required to pay, a motion to modify child support may be appropriate. Contact our office and we can assist you.

Relocation

If you are concerned that the other parent may relocate your child to another state, we can assist you in obtaining temporary restraining orders to prevent the relocation until the matter can be properly reviewed by the Court.

Grandparents’ Rights

Our firm advocates for the rights of grandparents who wish to be involved in the lives of their grandchildren.

No person should have to stay in an abusive relationship. If you are the victim of domestic abuse and need a lawyer to file a petition for a civil protection order on your behalf or on behalf of your children, we can guide you through the process. We also represent client’s who have had civil protection orders issued against them and wish to have them dismissed or modified. Protection Orders are also available to help those who are being harassed or stalked by others.

If you are in need of a Will or a Power of Attorney, our law firm can offer experienced guidance to help you protect your assets and plan for the needs of your family.  We also prepare Health Care Powers of Attorney and Living Wills.

Before you enter into a marital relationship, it is helpful to consult with an attorney. An attorney can prepare an antenuptial agreement to help protect your assets in the event of a divorce.

If you are interested in adopting a child, let us help you with the process. We handle all types of adoptions, including private adoptions, step parent adoptions, grandparent adoptions and agency adoptions.