New Ohio Law – Mandatory Reporting of Animal Abuse

animal abuse domestic violence pets

New Ohio Law Protects Social Workers And Veterinarians From Criminal Or Civil Liability If They Report Suspected Animal Abuse

Sadly social workers who have seen signs of what they suspect might be animal abuse, are reluctant to report it out of fear of retaliation from their client or perhaps violating their client’s privacy. Fortunately Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine has signed a bill that will attempt to change that. On April 6, 2021, Ohio House Bill 33 will take effect. It is a bill that makes it a requirement that a veterinarian or a social worker who suspects animal abuse  must report it to authorities.

This law is also attempting to create a system of cross-reporting. If dog wardens or animal control officers witness animal, child or elder abuse they are mandated to report that to social services professionals. If the people that are reporting these incidents are doing so in a manner of “good faith”, they will be protected by the law making them immune from criminal or civil liability.… View Full Article → “New Ohio Law – Mandatory Reporting of Animal Abuse”

The Value and Benefits of Signing a Consent Agreement in an Ohio Domestic Violence Case

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What is a Consent Agreement in a Civil Protection Order (CPO)?

A Consent agreement in a civil protection order occurs when the parties agree upon the terms of the protection order. If the parties are able to agree upon the terms of the protection order , then there is no need for a finding of domestic violence nor is there a place in the Consent Agreement form to include a finding of facts. In a Consent Agreement , the accused is not admitting or denying that an act of violence ever occurred. The accused is simply agreeing to follow the terms of the civil protection order. Typically, one of those terms is that the respondent agrees to stay away from the petitioner.

What are the advantages of signing a Consent Agreement?

There are many benefits to signing a Consent Agreement.

For the Respondent, signing a Consent Agreement could be extremely appealing because then the Respondent does not have to admit or deny the allegations.… View Full Article → “The Value and Benefits of Signing a Consent Agreement in an Ohio Domestic Violence Case”

Blast From The Past: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month – How Can You Help?

Blast from the past 13 years Ohio Family Law Blog

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This blog is as meaningful today as it was when we originally posted it on October 14, 2017. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We have listed links to resources and past blog articles to assist those in need during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Let’s all do our part to help erase domestic violence everywhere in our world!

10 Tips to Have an Informed Conversation About Domestic Violence

October is domestic violence awareness month. Unfortunately, at one time or another we have all come across situations of domestic violence . As a divorce lawyer, I see examples of its tragic effects all the time. In Dayton we are very fortunate to have the Artemis House resource to assist victims of domestic violence!

In order to help spread ddomestic violence awareness about this terrible situation, I have posted below the “10 Tips to Have an Informed Conversation About Domestic Violence” published by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) https://nnedv.org/.… View Full Article → “Blast From The Past: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month – How Can You Help?”

Wondering About Domestic Violence in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Shelter-in-Place Era?

coronavirus domestic violence artemis center

Dayton’s Artimis Center Ready to Provide Help for Domestic Abuse Survivors Affected by the Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Order

Recently I have read several articles online regarding the effect the various coronavirus shelter-in-place orders are having on domestic violence cases. Some places have seen a spike in those filings/incidents and others have not.

Logically, one might think that the quarantine orders along with the stress and financial hardship of COVID-19 would naturally result in a much higher number of domestic violence  incidents. To get a better handle on this situation locally, I reached out to Jane Keiffer, MSW, LISW, and the executive director of the Artemis Center in Dayton.

Interestingly, Ms. Keiffer shared with me that there has not been a spike in calls at Dayton’s Artemis Center since the stay at hone order went into effect on March 15, 2020. She said, “We believe that this is due to the abuser being at home, monitoring the victim, close quarters so calls are not private, phones are being taken away or broken.… View Full Article → “Wondering About Domestic Violence in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Shelter-in-Place Era?”

Increase in Domestic Violence Filings in Montgomery County in 2019

domestic violence civil protection order montgomery county

Call The Police First When Facing Domestic Violence Issues?

In the last 4 years in Montgomery County the Montgomery County Domestic Relations Court has cited that they have seen a 40 percent increase in the number of civil protection orders. Anyone, man or woman, can go to court and ask for a civil protection order  from another individual, if they feel threatened or endangered by that individual. There is not a fee involved to file the order, and the person filing can get a hearing immediately. The purpose of the order is to forbid the threatening party from contacting or going near the individual who feels endangered.

Of course there is no guarantee that the civil protection order will keep an individual safe from further harassment or even violence. The Montgomery County Relations Court  is finding that issuing protection orders is consuming greater than half of the entire caseload.  Chief Judge Denise Cross believes that in many cases the protection order serves it’s purpose and as a result the abuser does leave the victim alone.… View Full Article → “Increase in Domestic Violence Filings in Montgomery County in 2019”

Blast From The Past: Custody Wars: My Lawyer Suggested that I Fabricate a Child Abuse Allegation!

Blast from the past 13 years Ohio Family Law Blog

PUBLISHER’S UPDATE: Here is one of my favorites posts written by custody expert Judianne Cochran from back on September 18th, 2010! We have a ton of interesting articles in our archives of the Ohio Family Law Blog. Use our Search tool and enjoy a few oldie but goodies!

Using False Allegations In Family Law Custody Cases. Will I get A Better Position?

In recent years there has been a steady and alarming increase in the use of false allegations of vague, unsupported claims of domestic violence and even vaguer claims of child abuse, used solely in an attempt to find a shortcut to a presumed better position in custody cases.

What is more alarming is the observation that more often than not the attorneys of record for the litigants making these claims have been those unschooled in and relatively new to the family law arena, who have chosen to step outside their actual specialty and add a minor “division” of family law to their practices.… View Full Article → “Blast From The Past: Custody Wars: My Lawyer Suggested that I Fabricate a Child Abuse Allegation!”

How Attorneys and Expert Witnesses Can Effectively Manage Each Other in Domestic Violence Cases

domestic violence expert

Communication Crucial Between Attorneys And Experts in Domestic Violence Cases

The Trust Between Attorneys And Expert Witnesses Essential To Successfully Litigate A Domestic Violence case

If the lawsuit necessitates that an expert be retained, the attorney and expert need to have a relationship built on trust. This is particularly important so they can each manage the other’s expectations. How can this be accomplished?

It’s a slogan we all know: Customer satisfaction is priority number one. No different than a customer-salesperson relationship, a client embroiled in a domestic violence case who hires an attorney is looking for a positive result. Nonetheless, the attorney needs to manage the client’s expectations by properly informing the client of the intricacies and unpredictability of the legal process, and the client needs to understand the realistic potential outcomes.

If the lawsuit necessitates that an expert be retained, the attorney and expert need to have a relationship built on trust.… View Full Article → “How Attorneys and Expert Witnesses Can Effectively Manage Each Other in Domestic Violence Cases”

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