22 December

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Pulling Numbers Out of a Hat: How We Calculate Child Support

On the surface, calculating child support in the state of Ohio seems fairly easy. The state has an official formula and an official worksheet, and there are numerous programs available online to calculate what should be the result. Yet, time and time again, the order from the court will not match this calculation and leave both parents scratching their heads. What are the basics of child support in Ohio? The calculation of child support starts with a Child Support Computation Worksheet, which will create what is called the “guideline” amount. This guideline uses several factors that are established in the Ohio Revised Code...

25 November

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National Adoption Month: Adoption from Foster Care

Posted by Moriah E. Schmidt

in Family Law

This month is National Adoption Month, a month set aside to raise awareness for the need for adoptive families for those in foster care. In honor of adoption month, this blog post will discuss part of the process of adoptions from foster care agencies. Not every child who is in foster care is, or will be, eligible for adoption. In order for a parent’s rights to be terminated, they have to either permanently surrender their rights to an Agency or have their rights terminated by Court order. Neither of these is a simple, quick process. A foster care agency’s first goal...

18 November

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Child Custody and Support: A Few Minutes Today Saves You Hours Tomorrow

Posted by Robert Barga

in Family Law

Last week, as I was getting my hair cut in a local barbershop, I overheard some fellow customers discussing their child support arrangement – “We don’t have anything formal, I see him on these weekends and those weekdays, and I pay her this much in support”. Every single alarm bell went off in my head. Too many times have I had clients walk through my door with the same exact thinking - everything was going fine, nothing was formal, but everybody was getting along and they both thought it was fair. They had the perfect arrangement until it turned into a nightmare. “Does...

17 September

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Everything You Need to Know About Ohio Adoptions

Posted by Moriah E. Schmidt

in Family Law

Adopting a Child in Ohio: Types of Adoptions With infertility affecting an estimated 12-13 out of every 100 couples, adoption is a common alternative to expanding your family, and many of us know personally an adopted individual or adoptive family. A single person may also adopt a child, and of course, many families that have children still seek to adopt a child who needs a family. Whether you are wanting to begin or expand your family, or just curious, it may be helpful to review the types of adoptions that are available. This is an intentionally brief overview that does not cover...

20 May

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Why we developed “flat fee” dissolution packages at White Law Office, Co.

Posted by Matthew Kearney

in Family Law

Recently, White Law Office, Co. rolled out flat fee dissolution packages for clients seeking to dissolve their marriage in a non-contentious, or non-argumentative, way. We understand that one of the most stressful factors in retaining an attorney is not knowing the exact cost of what you will pay. While we cannot offer fixed pricing for all our services, we can offer fixed pricing for dissolutions. It is a way of offering peace of mind to those who are in one of the most troubling times of their life. Our office developed flat fee dissolution packages to provide clients with the comfort of...

27 March

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What is a Grand Jury?

Posted by Thomas D. White

in Business Law, Civil Law, Criminal Law, Family Law, Litigation

In Ohio, juries are generally one of two types: Grand or Petit (from the French for small or short) Juries. Grand juries have longer terms of service and consider many cases. Petit juries are called to try only one case. In this article, we look at the history and function of the Grand Jury. In English legal history, each county had a Grand Jury serving for a term of court (in Ohio a term of court is for 4 months). The King's Judges rode circuits throughout the counties trying to have court in each county at least once per term. Without resident...

16 January

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What is the difference between a warrant and a summons?

Posted by Thomas D. White

in Civil Law, Criminal Law, Family Law, Litigation

What is the difference between a warrant and a summons

In criminal law, there are two basic ways that a person is informed of the charges against him or her and are brought to court to answer those charges. The first way is one is familiar to anyone who has received a traffic ticket. Few people receiving a minor traffic ticket are physically arrested. Instead of arrest, the police officer issues a ticket or citation that informs the person what they are charged with and when they must appear in court to answer the charge. The portion of the ticket, usually at the bottom, is called a summons. The summons gives...