Profile
I have been practicing law since I graduated from the
University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1984. With the exception
of my first few years of working in the law, I have
dedicated my entire practice to family law including divorce,
dissolutions, custody matters, child support, and juvenile court cases.
Collaboration, settlement or litigation?
In my practice, I do everything in my power to assist
the client in coming to a negotiated settlement. One approach to
arriving at a settlement is within a collaborative law context.
This is where both parties agree to use a collaborative model, rather
than an adversarial model, and agree to keep their case out of the court
system. A contract is signed with the collaborative lawyers to
maintain this commitment. For more information on collaborative law,
please visit the website
www.Collaborative Law.com
If the parties do not agree on signing a
collaborative contract, their attorneys can attempt to reach a
settlement through negotiation. In these cases, the clients must decide
whether they wish to be directly involved in the negotiations.
There are cases where a divorce lawsuit
must be filed. Normally, these are cases where there is some emergency-such as a need for support, a withholding of contact from children, a
concern for one’s safety, or the dissipation of assets. Even when
litigation is initiated, it is quite common for a negotiated settlement
to be reached on at least some, if not all, issues. Regrettably, there
are cases where a settlement cannot be reached, and the Court must make
the decisions.
Once you have decided that you want to
pursue a separation or termination of your marriage, it is important to
become educated about all of your options and legal rights. I can
provide you with this information, and assist you in making decisions
that will best serve your needs.
THE WELL-BEING OF YOUR CHILDREN
In many cases, my client’s main concern
is to insure the well-being of their children. All professionals agree
that parents should do everything in their power to keep their children
out of the court system. The people who know them best should be making
the decisions which affect their lives – not a judge.
Mental health professionals are often
utilized to meet with the children or parents, to help in obtaining and
presenting information concerning what is in the child’s best interest.
Frequently, parents are encouraged to utilize mediation to negotiate
agreements concerning their children. Until your children turn
eighteen, or graduate from high school, all agreements are subject to
change – including custodial arrangements, child support and
decision-making.
RIGHTS TO PROPERTY AND SUPPORT
In most cases, assets and debts acquired
during the marriage are equally divided. Inheritances or gifts are
usually excluded. Spousal support may be appropriate depending on the
circumstances, after considering earnings disparity, length of the
marriage, need for education or medical problems. Child support may be
ordered for children who have not turned age 18 or graduated from high
school.
SELECTING AN ATTORNEY
If you are attempting to select an
attorney to represent you, it is a good idea to get recommendations from
others who have been satisfied with their counsel. I am available to
speak with you over the telephone to discuss your particular situation.
You may want to consider meeting with more than one lawyer. This may be
helpful in assessing the type of person that you would feel most
comfortable working with. You will want to obtain information about an
attorney’s fee structure and their expertise in Family Law.
At an initial meeting, I typically will
ask a client to bring financial information such as wage verification,
financial accounts, retirement benefits, and debts. In the first
meeting, typically I am able to discuss with a client their substantive
rights, as well as their options in proceeding toward a separation or a
termination of the marriage. Unfortunately, it is impossible to
predict, in any case, the length of time it will take, or the cost. The
largest determining factor is not necessarily the complexity of the
issues, but rather the cooperation of both parties as well as the
attorneys.
MY GOAL AND MY PRACTICE
It is my goal to understand my client’s
priorities and to attempt to address those priorities.
It is very important to me to be
accessible to clients as issues develop. I am almost always able to
return a phone call during the same day or, if not, within twenty-four
hours. I provide every client with copies of all correspondence and
pleadings that come from my office or to my office. I use the services
of an agency for delivering documents to the court, for cost savings. I
also rely on a paralegal, when possible, in administrative matters. I
do not employ any other attorneys and I will be the only attorney
involved in representing you.
I am more than happy to speak with you if
you would like further information. Please feel free to call me – (513)
241-9844.
|
