Divorce: Addressing High Conflict Cases – Tips and Strategies

By Anne Shale   |   April 12th, 2014

High Conflict Divorce Tied With High Conflict Personalities According To Therapists

On March 24th, 2014, I traveled from Dayton, Ohio to Mason, Ohio to interview Brenda Patton, Therapist, Parenting Coordinator, and Mediator for The Counseling and Cooperative Parenting Center of Ohio, LLC, also known as “CCPC – Ohio”.  Initially, I was interested in interviewing a spokesperson of this Parenting Center as they were a “private” entity providing supervised visitation or supervised parenting time for families in Montgomery, Warren, and Hamilton Counties. When I learned that the service of supervised visitation had been discontinued in July 2013, I explored other topics of interest. When Ms. Patton advised me that the Center was interested in working with “high conflict” divorce matters, my interest was piqued.

What is a “high conflict” divorce matter?  Ms. Patton defined it as being cases that have a “revolving door” relationship with the Domestic Relations Courts. They are the cases that are never resolved or settled.  … View Full Article → “Divorce: Addressing High Conflict Cases – Tips and Strategies”

Custody Issues: How To Avoid International Child Abduction

By Guest Contributor, Judianne Cochran   |   April 5th, 2014

Important Custody Steps to Take to Avoid Child Abduction Overseas

Strong Custody Prevention Key In Avoiding International Child Abduction

Our guest contributor this week is Judianne Cochran a nationally recognized expert/consultant in the following disciplines: sex offender profiling; interstate and international parental abduction; interstate custody and parental alienation. She has testified in numerous Courts throughout Ohio and the country. Judi presently resides in Columbus, Ohio. This is a follow-up article to Parental Abduction: Prevention and Remedies posted by Judi on October 31, 2009.

There have been many laws and treaties put in place in recent years to assist in the prevention of international abduction.  However, I have been seeing a new complacency in the family court system that has begun to ignore the need for strong prevention, thus further thwarting a parent’s ability to be involved with their child.  Judges in many jurisdictions have been ordering that the objecting parent cooperate in obtaining passports for their children so the foreign national parent can remove the child from the country, often to non-Hague signatory countries.… View Full Article → “Custody Issues: How To Avoid International Child Abduction”

Supervised Visitation and the Role of Human Service Departments

By Guest Contributor, Daniel Pollack   |   March 29th, 2014

What Are The Basic Types And Goals Of Supervised Visitation?

Supervised child visitation can be indicated in cases involving custody; shared parenting; grandparent custody or visitation; divorce; legal separation; post-decree matters; emergency custody situations; abuse/neglect/dependency cases; concerns about parental abduction; and, reintroduction of a parent after a long absence.

Child visitation can be restricted or denied if a court finds that allowing regular visitation would endanger a child’s physical or emotional health.  In numerous situations, courts may order child visitation by stipulating how often visits are to occur, with whom, and whether the visits are to be supervised by a human services employee or some other responsible adult.  If there are protection and safety concerns the visits are supervised.

Such supervised visits also provide an opportunity for workers to observe and document parent-child interactions.

Types and Goals of Supervised Visitation

In many states there are three basic types of supervised visitation providers:  volunteers, paid professionals, or paid therapeutic providers.… View Full Article → “Supervised Visitation and the Role of Human Service Departments”

Custody Case Change – The Requirements

By Robert "Chip" Mues   |   March 22nd, 2014

What Legal Requirements Must Be Established For A Custody Case Change In Ohio?

This is a follow-up article to guest contributor Judianne Cochran’s post of March 1, 2014 titled “Custody Issues: Post-Decree Modification in Ohio”.

In that article Judi focused primarily on the importance of hiring a seasoned family law lawyer that frequently litigates post-decree custody matters.  In this article I want to discuss the legal requirements that must be provided to be successful in a change of custody case.

If you are looking to modify your divorce decree, one of the first major obstacles you will face is determining whether or not you have met the standard for a “change of circumstances” which is required before any modification can occur.  There are a few resources we can look to that provide insight as to what this amounts to, including case law and statutes.

Statute:

Ohio Revised Code Section 3109.04 (E)(1)(a) gives us a quick glimpse and some stern words on what it takes to meet the “change of circumstances” required.… View Full Article → “Custody Case Change – The Requirements”

Breaking Bad Habits: If Your Resolutions Are Slipping Away

By Guest Contributor Donna F. Ferber, LPC, LADC   |   March 15th, 2014

Research shows that most people have given up on their New Year’s Resolutions by the third week of January. Here are a couple of tips that might help you beat the odds and reach your goal.

Refocus – When the urge/craving comes on for that chocolate éclair, glass of wine, or fabulous new boots, refocusing your thoughts can go a long way in helping you slow down those urges. How does this work? Think of it as procrastination for a good cause. Most of us can find a gazillion other things to focus on instead of, say, cleaning the bathroom or doing our taxes. Refocus is simply shifting your thoughts to something else – read a book, work out, or even clean the bathroom or do your taxes early. By the time you are through with this new chore you will find your craving has passed.

Revalue – Instead of thinking about how good that cigarette will feel, think about it blackening your lungs.… View Full Article → “Breaking Bad Habits: If Your Resolutions Are Slipping Away”

Divorce Rates on the Climb as the Economy Recovers

By Robert "Chip" Mues   |   March 8th, 2014

Recent Spike In Divorce Rates Tied To Economy Study Suggests

Interestingly, while the total number of new cases filed in Ohio in 2012 hit a 10-year low, the same cannot be said about divorce actions.  Ohio has seen a recent spike in divorce after a steady decline for the past decade.  To get a better grasp on why this is occurring, we must first look at the statistics of divorce in the Greater Dayton Area and Ohio in general.

In Montgomery County, according to the Ohio Department of Public Health, the 2010 divorce rate was 65.2 per 100 marriages. The 2009 rate was 60 per 100, and the 2008 was 53.5 per 100.

Comparing Montgomery County to the rest of Ohio in 2010, Montgomery County had a rate of nearly 10 marriages per 100 higher that ended in divorce. (Ohio’s 2010 rate was just over 50 per 100).

A recent divorce study found that nationwide, divorces often increase with the economy.  … View Full Article → “Divorce Rates on the Climb as the Economy Recovers”

Custody Issues: Post-Decree Modification in Ohio

By Guest Contributor, Judianne Cochran   |   March 1st, 2014

Several Things To Know If You File To Modify Your Post-Decree Custody Order

Hire A Qualified Family Law Attorney To Present And Argue Your Custody Case

Our guest contributor this week is Judianne Cochran a nationally recognized expert/consultant in the following disciplines: sex offender profiling; interstate and international parental abduction; interstate custody and parental alienation. She has testified in numerous Courts throughout Ohio and the country. Judi presently resides in Columbus, Ohio.

There are several issues that you need to address if you have decided that you need to modify your original custody order.  The first is whether your case meets the necessary criteria for modification – the primary of which is a “change of circumstance”.  One thing you must understand is that this does NOT include the myth that at a certain age the child can make a choice – this is not supported by law. A child’s wishes may be considered but are not valid grounds to modify a custody order.  … View Full Article → “Custody Issues: Post-Decree Modification in Ohio”

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