Dedicated Assistance with Divorce and Child Custody
- We handle divorce, dissolution, child custody, and child support matters;
- We approach these complex cases with sensitivity;
- We are the premier law firm for family law attorneys in Dayton, Ohio;
- Our attorneys bring more than five decades of combined legal experience.
If not, read through the FAQs on family law below.
How Does a Family Lawyer Help Me?
Family law attorneys handle problems that occur in marriages, domestic partnerships, and civil unions.
While Ohio law allows people to represent themselves in court, this can be a risky plan. There are many complicated aspects of family law that attorneys have spent years studying.
Consulting a family law attorney in Dayton, Ohio can provide you the best strategy for your legal dispute.
A Dayton family law attorney can represent you confidently in court and help you achieve the best result.
Family law attorneys can help you with the following:
- Divorce
- Child custody
- Child support
- Civil protection orders
- Dissolution
- Enforcements
- Father’s rights
- Modifications
- Property division
- Spousal support
- Compassionate Support
When one of these challenging legal issues affects your marriage or domestic partnership, an experienced family attorney can help. A family law attorney will explain the law to you, answer your questions, and advocate for you in court.
Family Lawyers Help in Challenging Times
Often people seeking family law advice may feel hurt and betrayed by those they love.
It is reassuring for these clients to have an attorney who is entirely on their side, fighting for their best interests.
Hiring a family lawyer in Dayton Ohio makes these challenging issues easier to handle.
Your attorney can expertly negotiate with your spouse’s attorney.
This representation allows you the freedom to heal in your personal life without needing to handle the specific legal issues yourself.
An attorney keeps up with changing legal rules.
For instance, divorce law is an area of family law that may change frequently.
An experienced lawyer will stay up to date on the latest changes in the field.
Family law issues often come with mountains of paperwork.
They can fill out your legal paperwork and file it, removing a stressful task from your to-do list.
If you have a family matter requiring legal assistance, call one of our experienced family law attorneys in Dayton, Ohio for a free consultation.
How Do I Decide Between a Divorce and a Dissolution?
If you and your spouse are having marital problems, Ohio offers you the option of divorce or dissolution of your marriage.
When you and your spouse agree on all aspects of your separation, you can choose a dissolution.
You should agree on issues including property division, settlement of debts, alimony, child support, and child custody.
Dissolution is the fastest and easiest way to sever your marriage in Ohio.
Related: How to File For Divorce in Dayton
Dissolution requires legal documents, including a petition for dissolution, signed by you and your spouse.
A family law attorney in Dayton will file a petition for dissolution with the clerk in the appropriate county.
Within 30 days of submitting this petition for dissolution, you will receive a court date to finalize the dissolution of your marriage before a judge.
However, if there are areas that you disagree on, or you are severing your marriage on fault-based grounds, you will probably choose divorce.
If you decide on divorce, you can file a divorce complaint through one of our experienced divorce attorneys.
A spouse must file an answer to the divorce complaint within 28 days.
The divorce process may span several months as spouses work out an agreement that satisfies both.
Sometimes spouses cannot settle the terms of the divorce outside of court. In that instance, they must appear before a domestic relations judge to resolve disputed issues.
A family law attorney in Dayton, Ohio helps you decide whether divorce or dissolution is best for you.
My Spouse Obtained a Divorce without My Presence and Now Has Custody of My Child. Is There Anything I Can Do?
In a divorce proceeding, if a complaint about divorce is filed and service is obtained, the opposing party has 28 days to answer the complaint.
If the opposing party does not answer, the court will set the matter for a non-contested divorce.
In a non-contested divorce, the court will usually grant all that the party seeking the divorce requested.
In this case, the opposing party can file a Motion to Vacate the Judgment under Ohio Civil Rule 60 (B), asking the court to vacate the judgment and reopen the matter.
We recommend seeking the advice of an experienced attorney before taking this step.
If this has happened to you, contact the experienced family law attorneys of Gounaris Abboud, LPA for an immediate consultation to determine if your case is eligible to be reopened.