ALERT: Ohio Licenses No Longer Threatened for Non-Payment of Child Support

By Robert "Chip" Mues   |   October 1st, 2011

Tucked deep into the recently passed state budget is a new provision that will reduce driver’s license suspensions of alleged “deadbeat” parents.  Currently, a parent owing more than a month in child support faces the possibility of the loss of his or her driver’s license and professional licenses. Under current law, neither the courts nor the Child Support Enforcement Agency can grant limited driving privileges for occupational purposes on a child support license suspension.

The new law, codified in Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3123, which went into effect on September 28, 2011,  provides that parents who pay at least half of their court-ordered child support will no longer face suspension of their driver’s or professional licenses. Another provision will allow parents to have prior suspensions for failing to pay child support removed from their driving record. Benjamin Johnson, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said that under the new law, county child-support enforcement agencies must look back 90 days to see if a parent has paid less than 50 percent of his/her child support obligation.… View Full Article → “ALERT: Ohio Licenses No Longer Threatened for Non-Payment of Child Support”

Keep an Emergency Information Card in Your Wallet!

By Robert "Chip" Mues   |   September 24th, 2011

It is wise to keep an “In Case of Emergency” (ICE) information card in our wallets, purses, and car glove box at all times. An emergency can happen at any time. The leading cause of death for people under the age of 44 in America is emergency trauma. Emergency contact cards can prevent a bad situation from getting worse. An unexpected emergency can shatter the lives of any family at any time. But, by having emergency contact cards, you and your loved ones will be more prepared if a sudden crisis strikes. Give yourself a greatly improved chance to receive appropriate medical care by preparing information in advance that explains your medical needs immediately for first responders.

Without emergency contact information, hospital staff cannot immediately locate family members or access medical information that would be critical to treating the patient. Tragically, some patients die in emergency rooms without any of their family members present.… View Full Article → “Keep an Emergency Information Card in Your Wallet!”

The Pendulum of Divorce Discovery

By Guest Contributor Donna F. Ferber, LPC, LADC   |   September 17th, 2011

No one wants to get divorced. We don’t walk down the aisle thinking, “Aw, what the hell, if this doesn’t work, I can always get a divorce.” You probably thought more along the lines of, “I don’t care how many people get divorced. This is not going to happen to us!” Yet here you are. It is awful and it hurts more than you could have ever imagined.

Divorce is a process, with many issues, facets, twists, and turns. Your emotional well being, along with your financial and legal assets, will all be called into play. Where you live, how you live, how you define yourself, and what you want from life are all going to be examined, evaluated, and possibly changed. As the process unfolds, the most important thing you can do is learn to pace yourself. You will learn many new things about life, finances, the legal system, your spouse, and mostly yourself.… View Full Article → “The Pendulum of Divorce Discovery”

Did You Know that National Stepfamily Day is September 16th?

By John C. Meehling   |   September 10th, 2011

There’s a good chance that you yourself are part of a stepfamily.  If you’re not, you almost certainly have close friends or family members who are.  Statistics show that one in three Americans live in a stepfamily and that more than 50% of Americans will live in a stepfamily at some point in their lives.  A term that is now commonly used to describe a family that forms after divorce or re-marriage is a “blended” family.

With so many Americans being a part of a “blended” family these days, it should come as no surprise that there is actually a day to celebrate being in a stepfamily…National Stepfamily Day!  September 16 is the day that has been designated as the day to honor all the “Step Heroes” out there who choose every day to be parents to ALL the children in their lives.

In 1997, Christy Brogeld, who herself was a remarried mother and member of a blended family, decided that it was time to begin a campaign to bring stepfamily support and awareness to the nation’s attention.  … View Full Article → “Did You Know that National Stepfamily Day is September 16th?”

The “New” and “Improved” Montgomery County Standard Order of Parenting Time

By Anne Shale   |   September 3rd, 2011

On July 1, 2011, the Domestic Relations Court of Montgomery County, Ohio adopted a “new” and “revised” Standard Order of Parenting Time, previously known as the Standard Order of Visitation.  Over the years, our elected officials in Columbus, Ohio have chosen to “rename” terms frequently used in the Domestic Relations Court.  The phrase “parenting time” replaces the older word of “visitation”, and, the term “parental rights and responsibilities” replaces the older word of “custody”.  It should be noted that with each change in legislation, the older or former terms have been replaced with longer names or phrases!

I have practiced Family Law for over twenty years.  Until recently, the Standard Order of Parenting Time, fka Standard Order of Visitation, provided for the non-custodial or non-residential parent to have five (5) weeks (35 days) of visitation or parenting time each summer.  Additionally, if the non-residential parent submitted to the custodial parent his/her request for summer parenting time between the dates of March 1 and April 1 of each year, the non-custodial parent was to have preference as to the summer parenting time schedule.… View Full Article → “The “New” and “Improved” Montgomery County Standard Order of Parenting Time”

Extremely Obese Children…Should Their Parents Lose Custody?

By John C. Meehling   |   August 27th, 2011

When parents neglect or fail to provide even basic food, shelter, or medical care for their children, we would all agree that Children’s Services needs to step in and remove a child from their parent’s control.  If a child’s immediate safety and well being are at risk, we would argue that such a situation must not be allowed to continue.

But what about parents who allow their children to become extremely obese over time…obese to the point that a child’s health, or even life, is in danger?  If a child is experiencing medical problems because his or her parent allows them to eat to excess and maintain an inactive lifestyle, should Children’s Services remove a child from that environment?  Doesn’t the situation amount to a form of child abuse that authorities should act upon?  A recent commentary in one of the nation’s most distinguished medical journals, the Journal of the American Medical Association, argues “Yes!”,… View Full Article → “Extremely Obese Children…Should Their Parents Lose Custody?”

The Mediation Process in Montgomery County Domestic Relations Court

By Robert "Chip" Mues   |   August 20th, 2011

Alternative dispute resolution can be a wonderful tool in divorce cases. Montgomery County’s Domestic Relations Court, along with many other divorce Courts, have adopted mediation conferences as a voluntary or, in some cases, mandatory prerequisite to trial. I am focusing this article on how that process works in Montgomery County.

So one might ask, “What is mediation?” In this context it is essentially a way of resolving disputes between the husband and wife and to hopefully eliminate issues in the divorce case.  In Montgomery County there are two neutral mediators (facilitators) involved in the session(s). One is a lawyer who has experience as a divorce court magistrate and the other has a family services social worker background.  They work to assist the parties to negotiate their own settlement. They can let the couple know what the laws are, but not give legal advice, and try to guide them through the complicated process in a way that helps them find solutions.… View Full Article → “The Mediation Process in Montgomery County Domestic Relations Court”

Page 101 of 128
1 … 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 … 128