Columbus Custody & Visitation Law Blog

When a child is born out of wedlock in Ohio, or when Ohio parents file for divorce, it is often necessary to arrange a child support agreement. This can be developed with your family law attorney during divorce proceedings, or through your county's Child Support Enforcement Agency.

It is necessary to come to an agreement that is in the best interests of the child and that each party will follow, because there are very serious consequences for neglecting a child support order. Not paying child support can result in restitution, fines and even jail time. Most often, this is dealt with through the Ohio court system, but in some cases the federal government becomes involved. Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published website to list the "Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents."

Many in the Delaware, Ohio, area are familiar with the case of the "Facebook Bigamist" who made headlines two years ago. What has been less reported on is that he and his wife are still in the midst of a child custody battle that erupted after the scandal.

The case involves an Ohio woman who discovered photos on Facebook two years ago that depicted her husband marrying another woman at Disneyworld. The Ohio woman had been living apart from her husband for one year before she found the photos, and in fact, it is not quite clear that she was even legally married to the man.

When a married couple splits up in Ohio, there are many paperwork matters that are important to take care of in addition to the divorce or dissolution filings. Some of these things can be taken care of during the divorce or dissolution, and others should be addressed right after everything is finalized.

This week, a national news column published a list of financial paperwork that spouses should address during and after divorce. It is very important to go over these matters with your own family law attorney, because every situation is different, however, the list does provide a good jumping point of documents to consider preparing.

In Ohio, child custody is usually a part of a divorce or dissolution. Parents who are not married to each other determine these matters through the juvenile court system. In both types of cases, child custody is decided by what the court chooses to be in the best interests of the children. In Ohio, mothers and fathers are considered equally.

However, it is important to protect your parental rights by working with a child custody lawyer. With effective representation, you have a better chance to prove your case to the judge, and to do so in a timely matter. A good example of the importance of legal representation is a Chicago area visitation battle that has gone on for 12 years now. In this case, a father - who appears to be representing himself - has fought for visitation rights for more than a decade.