For Families
Family and Divorce Lawyers in Columbus, Ohio
A family change is hard enough without legal fog. We explain each path in plain terms, keep the focus on your children and your future, and help you reach agreements you can live with.
The Short Answer
What you should know first
Ohio offers two ways to end a marriage. A dissolution works when both spouses already agree on every term and file together; a divorce starts when one spouse files and the terms are negotiated or decided by the court. We help you choose the path that fits, organize the finances, build a parenting plan around real routines and see the case through.
Family & Divorce Law
Divorce and Dissolution
In a dissolution, spouses sign a separation agreement covering property, debts, support and, if they have children, a parenting plan, then file it together. The court must hold the hearing between 30 and 90 days after filing. Dissolutions are usually faster and less expensive, but only work if every issue is truly settled.
In a divorce, one spouse files and serves the other, and the case moves through financial disclosure, negotiation, often mediation, and a final hearing or trial on anything unresolved. Either path starts with the same work: a clear list of assets and debts, current income for both spouses, and an honest conversation about what you need.
Property division in Ohio starts by sorting marital property from separate property, such as assets owned before the marriage or received as a gift or inheritance. Marital property is generally divided equitably, which usually means equally unless that would be unfair. Retirement accounts, the family home and business interests each need their own approach, and we explain the tradeoffs of keeping one asset versus another before you agree to anything.
- Choosing between dissolution and divorce
- Separation agreements
- Division of property, debts and retirement accounts
- Spousal support
- Premarital and postnuptial agreements
The Process
What the process looks like
Here is the usual path. A dissolution moves straight from agreement to hearing; a contested divorce takes longer.
- 01Week 1First conversationYour situation, your goals and which path fits.
- 022 to 4 weeksFinancial pictureIncome, assets, debts and budgets gathered and organized.
- 03VariesAgreement or filingA separation agreement for dissolution, or a complaint for divorce.
- 04Weeks to monthsNegotiation and mediationParenting and property terms worked out, often with a mediator.
- 05When readyFinal hearingThe court reviews the terms and issues the decree.
Family & Divorce Law
Custody and Parenting Plans
Ohio courts decide parenting questions based on the best interest of the child. Parents can agree to a shared parenting plan that sets out where the children live, how decisions about school and health care get made and how holidays are divided, or one parent can be named the residential parent with time set for the other.
We build schedules around the actual week: school start times, practices, work shifts and the drive between homes. Child support is calculated with the Ohio guideline worksheet using both parents’ incomes and the parenting time, so the numbers are predictable once the inputs are known. When parents cannot agree, we prepare the case for the court with the children’s routines at the center.
Parenting plans work best when they are specific. Vague language such as reasonable time invites argument; exact pickup times, a holiday rotation that alternates by year and a plan for how parents share school information prevent most of it. We also plan for change: children grow, schedules shift and jobs move, so a good plan explains how parents will adjust it before anyone needs to go back to court.
- Shared parenting plans
- Residential parent and parenting time schedules
- Child support calculations and changes
- Relocation and modification requests
- Holiday, summer and travel provisions
Ohio Law
Ohio rules that shape your timeline
A few statutes set the outer frame of every Ohio divorce or dissolution. Your own timeline depends on how much is agreed.
6 months
living in Ohio before filing
ORC 3105.03; also 90 days in the county
30 to 90 days
after filing for a dissolution hearing
ORC 3105.64
Best interest
of the child guides every parenting decision
Ohio parenting statutes
Guideline
worksheet sets child support
based on both incomes and parenting time
Franklin County cases are heard by the Domestic Relations division of the Court of Common Pleas. Local rules add their own steps, such as parenting classes for parents of minor children.
Prepare
What to gather before we meet
Organized records turn a first meeting into a real plan. Bring copies, not originals.
- Two years of tax returns
- Recent pay stubs for both spouses if available
- Bank, retirement and investment statements
- Mortgage, car loan and credit card statements
- Any premarital agreement
- Your children’s school and activity schedules
Your Attorneys
The Attorneys Who Handle This Work
Your lead attorney reads every document and stays your direct line. A second attorney reviews strategy on anything complex.
Lena MoralesFamily Counsel / Divorce, custody and supportLena guides parents through divorce, custody and support with a steady focus on children and on fair, lasting agreements.
Anna BrandtEstate Counsel / Wills, trusts and guardiansAnna drafts wills, trusts, and health care and financial directives, helping families plan ahead with documents that are easy to follow.What Can Go Wrong
What can make a family case harder
Moving out without advice
Leaving the home can affect early parenting arrangements.
Social media posts
Posts and messages can be read out of context in court.
Hiding or moving money
Courts take financial disclosure seriously and penalize concealment.
Involving the children
Keep adult conversations away from the kids; courts notice.
Fees
What a family case costs
Cost depends mostly on how much is agreed. An uncontested dissolution with a finished agreement is far less expensive than a divorce where every issue is contested. Family matters are usually billed hourly against a retainer, and some defined tasks, such as drafting a premarital agreement, can be quoted at a flat fee.
We give you a written estimate at the start, update it if the case changes, and point out when mediation could save you time and money.
| Fee type | Usually used for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Flat fee | Premarital agreements, simple dissolutions | Set price once terms are known |
| Hourly with retainer | Divorce, custody, support changes | Itemized monthly, retainer replenished |
| Mediation | Any stage | Mediator fees are often shared by both spouses |
Fee structures are described in general terms. Your written fee outline comes before any work begins.
Next Steps
This week, if you are considering a divorce
- 1Copy key records
Make copies of financial statements and store them somewhere private.
- 2Write your goals
For the children, the home and your finances, in a few lines each.
- 3Keep it calm
Communicate with your spouse briefly and in writing where possible.
Family & Divorce Law
Questions Clients Ask
Plain answers to the questions we hear most about family & divorce law in Ohio. General information, not advice for your situation.
Not seeing your question?
A dissolution is a joint filing by spouses who already agree on every term. A divorce begins when one spouse files and the terms are negotiated or decided by the court.
The court holds the hearing between 30 and 90 days after filing, so most finish within about three months once the agreement is signed.
One spouse must have lived in Ohio for at least six months before filing, and generally in the county for 90 days.
With the Ohio guideline worksheet, using both parents’ incomes, parenting time and costs such as health insurance and child care.
Yes. Plans can be modified when circumstances change and the change serves the children’s best interest.
Related Practice Areas
Matters often overlap
Family & Divorce Law
Talk Through Your Family and Divorce Law Question
Thirty minutes, no charge and no pressure. You leave with written next steps and a plain fee outline before any work begins.
Weekdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Messages answered within one business day.