Consult an Attorney at Our Divorce Law Firm in Columbus, Ohio

In many cases, there are areas of genuine disagreement between a wife and husband that cannot be resolved. That results in the filing of a divorce. A divorce complaint begins the process of beginning to separate the parties, their assets and liabilities, and establishing initial guidelines for the custody, visitation and support of any children.

My spouse served me with divorce papers. What action should I take? If you have been served with divorce papers by your spouse you are required to file a response known as an "answer" in a timely manner.

It is important to immediately seek the counsel of an experienced Columbus divorce attorney to discuss your unique situation and to formulate a strategy that will protect your interests and ultimately resolve your marriage in a way that most closely reflects your interests and priorities.

To obtain a divorce in Ohio, the spouse seeking the divorce must have resided in Ohio for at least six months before the divorce was filed. Generally, a divorce is filed in the county where one of the spouses resides.

For a divorce to be granted, at least one of the parties must establish grounds for divorce. There are several different grounds for divorce. These grounds can be classified as "no fault" grounds or "fault based" grounds.

A divorce may be granted based on two no fault grounds.

• The parties agree that they are incompatible
• The parties have lived separate and apart from each other for one year or more

A divorce may also be granted based on eight fault based grounds.

• Adultery
• Extreme cruelty
• Fraudulent contract
• Gross neglect of duty
• Habitual drunkenness
• Imprisonment of a spouse
• One spouse already had another spouse living at the time of marriage (bigamy)
• One spouse has been willfully absent for one year or more

A divorce begins when a party files a document called a complaint for divorce. The party who files the complaint is called the plaintiff. Several other documents must also be filed with the complaint. These documents include a financial disclosure affidavit which must state a party's assets, liabilities, income, and other financial information.

The complaint and the other documents are filed at the appropriate clerk of court's office. After the documents are filed, a case is opened, the case is given a case number, and a judge is assigned to the case.

The complaint and the other documents must then be served on the other party. The other party is called the defendant. There are several ways to serve the documents. These include the following.

• Certified mail service
• Personal delivery by a private process server
• Personal delivery by the sheriff's department
• Publication in a newspaper (if the other party cannot be found)

A party may request a court to grant a temporary restraining order. A temporary restraining order prohibits the other party from taking certain actions. For example, a temporary restraining order usually prohibits a party from:

• Selling, transferring, or hiding assets
• Incurring additional marital liabilities
• Terminating utility service or insurance coverage
• Permanently removing a minor child from the state

A party can request a court to issue temporary substantive orders. Generally, such orders are called temporary orders. A court may issue temporary orders regarding the following issues:

• Child custody and visitation
• Child support
• Spousal support (alimony)
• Health insurance and uncovered health expenses
• Use and possession of the marital home
• Use and possession of motor vehicles
• Attorney fees
• Expert witness fees and other litigation expenses

Each party has the right to receive relevant information and documents from the other party and from non-parties. Generally, these rights are called discovery rights. Each party has the right to use the following legal tools.

A party may request relevant documents from the other party. For example, a party may request documents showing the other party's assets, liabilities, and income. Generally, the responding party must provide the documents within thirty days.

A party may send written questions to the other party. The responding party has a duty to provide written answers. Generally, the responding party must provide the answers within thirty days.

A party may take depositions. Generally, at a deposition, both parties, their attorneys, and a court reporter are present. The attorney for one party will ask the other party questions. The other party must answer the questions. The court reporter makes a written record of all questions and answers.

A party may demand that the other party submit to a vocational evaluation. After the evaluation, a vocational expert will state what jobs a party could do and what income a party could earn. Vocational evaluations may be very important in determining appropriate child support and spousal support (alimony) orders.

A party may request that an asset be valued by a competent expert. For example, real estate, pensions, business interests, and other complex assets are frequently appraised.

A party may send a subpoena to a non-party who has documents or information relevant to the divorce. A subpoena is a court order. The subpoena can command a person to provide documents or electronic data. Further, a subpoena can command a person to appear and answer questions at a deposition.

More than one-half of all divorce lawsuits are settled without a trial. That is, in these lawsuits, the parties reach an agreement on all issues before the trial.

To settle a divorce, the parties must reach an agreement on the following issues.

• Grounds for divorce
• Property and debt division issues
• Child custody and visitation issues
• Child support issues
• Spousal support (alimony) issues
• What to Expect in a Divorce

If the parties are not able to reach an agreement on all issues, the court will conduct a contested trial. A trial may last from a few hours to several weeks. The length of the trial will depend primarily on the number of contested issues, the complexity of the issues, and the amount of evidence to be presented on each issue.

The judge will consider the evidence and the arguments presented at the trial. The judge will then issue a final court order called a decree of divorce. The decree of divorce terminates the parties' marriage. The decree of divorce also addresses all other issues raised in the case.

The decree of divorce may be issued immediately after the trial. However, in some cases it takes weeks, and even months, for a judge to issue a decree of divorce.

If a party believes that a court has issued an improper decision, the party can file an objection or an appeal. An objection or an appeal must be filed soon after the final decision is issued.

The DHP law firm attorneys have produced successful outcomes for many family law clients. Please click here to read about success stories that reflect various family law issues. Perhaps you will see your marital issues reflected in one or more of these brief stories.

Contact DHP for a free confidential consultation with one of our attorneys. We can give you information about your specific rights and options.

Our firm has 4 attorneys who are Certified Specialists in Family Relations Law. No other law firm in Central Ohio has more Certified Specialists.

Fewer than 1% of all attorneys in Ohio have earned the Certified Specialist designation.

DHP is located in a safe and convenient suburban location with free on-site parking. We are located within minutes of Upper Arlington, Hilliard, Dublin, Worthington, and Northwest Columbus.

• 3010 Hayden Road
• Next to Bravo restaurant