Ohio Family Law Blog

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Divorce Causes American Family Size to Increase By 66%

By Robert "Chip" Mues | August 4th, 2018

Divorce Study Reveals Stepkin Increase In American Households

The results of a recent divorce study indicate that the size of American families have increased 66%; a number largely attributed to stepchildren and stepparents that often follow divorce and the formation of new families after the fact.

The divorce study, entitled “Stepfamily Structure and Transfers between Generations in U.S.,” interviewed tens of thousands of people from approximately 9,000 different households in order to gain a better understanding of how stepkin relationships and the accompanying bonds, differ from biological ones.

Ultimately, researchers estimated that nearly 30% of American households have a stepkin tie from either parents or children. Twenty percent of families have at least one stepparent and over 10% have at least one adult stepchild. Generally speaking, the study showed that familial ties are not as strong with stepkin. More specifically, people are less likely to give their time and money to stepchildren and/or stepparents.… View Full Article → “Divorce Causes American Family Size to Increase By 66%”

Blast From The Past: Divorce: Relocation Issues in Ohio

By Robert "Chip" Mues | July 28th, 2018

PUBLISHERS NOTE: Looking back over the last 10 years of Ohio Family Law Blog articles is always fun for me! Here is another BLAST FROM THE PAST written by Attorney Anne Shale and published on January 21, 2008. I have edited it to include the current relocation language from Montgomery and Greene Counties.

Divorced And Thinking About Relocation? Read This Before Taking Any Action!

Twenty to thirty years ago, there was no issue related to “relocation”. There was a custodial parent, usually the Mother, and a non-custodial parent, usually the Father. If Mother wanted to relocate to return to the home of her family, to join her new husband at his next assignment, or to find a better paying employment position, Mother simply relocated or moved to her next city or state of residence.

Today, the issue of “relocation” has become an issue of much importance. Fathers’ rights have come to the forefront as Fathers have become more involved in the rearing of their children.… View Full Article → “Blast From The Past: Divorce: Relocation Issues in Ohio”

Divorce Study: Is There Support for The “Mars versus Venus” Theory?

By Robert "Chip" Mues | July 21st, 2018

New Study Examines Differences Between Informational Support and Emotional Support

When John Gray wrote Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, his primary message was that in relationships men are usually the problem solvers and women are usually the ones wanting more empathy and understanding. Many therapists were critical of Gray’s book written in 1992, citing lack of research for his conclusions about gender differences. However, studies about the differences between informational support and emotional support conducted by University of Maryland and Wyoming psychologists Lorenzo, Barry and Khalifian, support John Gray’s theory. Click here to read the study.

In their published report, the psychologists studied 114 couples female/male who were newlywed and in their first marriage. They were studying the differences between two types of support, emotional support and informational support. They were examining the type of support preferred by an individual vs. the support type he or she received to see how overproviding or underproviding of the two types of support affected the happiness of the individual in the marriage.… View Full Article → “Divorce Study: Is There Support for The “Mars versus Venus” Theory?”

TITLE FRAUD ALERT: FANS Program Will Protect Vulnerable Homeowners from Fraud

By Joseph E. Balmer | July 14th, 2018

Fraud Alert Notification System (FANS) Can Help Seniors And Homeowners Protect Themselves Against Fraudulent Scams

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon these days to see a news story on television or read an article in the newspaper or on the internet involving a senior person who has been scammed in one way or another. One common scam involves fraudulently obtaining ownership of the home of an elderly individual, by either getting him or her to sign a document that he or she doesn’t understand or by fraudulently forging his or her name on a deed. The wrongful owner then either tries to sell the property or borrows money against it by putting a mortgage on it, leaving the rightful owner with an expensive mess to try to sort out.

The Montgomery County Recorder’s Office has raised a defense against this type of title fraud by implementing FANS (Fraud Alert Notification System). … View Full Article → “TITLE FRAUD ALERT: FANS Program Will Protect Vulnerable Homeowners from Fraud”

Ohio Law Will Overhaul the Entire Child Support System!

By Robert "Chip" Mues | July 7th, 2018

New Reform Package BIll Will Change The Way Child Support Orders Are Calculated

Before June 29th, 2018, the state of Ohio’s formula used to calculate child support orders has not been reconfigured or changed since 1992. This has led to a massive amount (roughly more than a million dollars a year) of child support going uncollected and families in strife over trying to care for their children. Ohio House Bill 366 is a reform package that will change the way child support orders are calculated and is has just been signed by Governor Kasich. You might also hear it called Senate Bill 125, however it is the same bill as House Bill 366 with only minor technical changes that were made by the Senate.

For over a year, state Sen. Bill Beagle, R-Tipp City, and state Rep. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, worked on this legislation. Beagle said child support reform is a complicated, emotional issue that eluded a fix for 25 plus years.… View Full Article → “Ohio Law Will Overhaul the Entire Child Support System!”

Blast From The Past: Shared Parenting Misconceptions in Ohio

By Robert "Chip" Mues | June 30th, 2018

PUBLISHER’S COMMENT: “Confusion still continues about the distinctions between sole custody and shared parenting. An initial consultation typically includes a discussion of this topic if the couple has kids. While shared parenting makes sense in many cases, it sure doesn’t if there has been domestic violence or the parties can’t communicate effectively.”

Previously my colleague, Anne Shale, posted a very informative article laying out the legal distinctions between sole legal custody and shared parenting in Ohio. Here is the link to her article. Even though it was posted 3 years ago, the information is still correct. Nonetheless, I think it would be helpful to expand, clarify and shoot down several shared parenting myths.

Shared parenting requires an equal parenting time allocation.

Not true. The hallmark of shared parenting is that both mother and father stand on the same legal footing with respect to custody. Each are equal legal custodians of their child(ren).… View Full Article → “Blast From The Past: Shared Parenting Misconceptions in Ohio”

Ohio’s 529 Educational Savings Plan – A Primer and Latest Updates

By Joseph E. Balmer | June 16th, 2018

The 529 plan Is An Excellent Estate Planning And College Planning Tool

A 529 plan allows a parent, grandparent, other family member, friend or any other person to establishment a savings account for the benefit of any other person of any age who plans to attend elementary, secondary school and/or college regardless of the donor’s income. The federal gift tax exclusion allows an individual to gift up to $15,000 per year ($30,000 per year for a married couple) with no gift tax consequences. A donor can also give up to 5 years of gifts in one year. However, if the donor dies during the 5 year period, the amount allocated to years after the decedent’s death will be included in the donor’s gross estate. The earnings in the account accumulate tax free and the withdrawals are federal income tax free as long as they are used at an eligible educational institute for qualified educational expenses.… View Full Article → “Ohio’s 529 Educational Savings Plan – A Primer and Latest Updates”

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