Like every state, Ohio has a “shared parenting ” law. The problem is that this law was written and enacted over 40 years ago and has not been updated to account for changing times.  Flaws in the original language have proven to be no better at fully engaging both parents in the lives of their children than the old law which placed the children in the custody and care of only one parent while reducing and limiting the time of the other.

It is time to rethink this area of law and place the decisions of the family in the hands of the family rather than a third party that knows little about what is best for the individual family as the current law has failed society as well as the children of this state by removing the father from the life of the child.

We do have new information that is being added to our website that you can see here.

The State of Ohio admitted that custody awards are done 70% of the time in favor of the mother. These numbers are consistent with studies done in other states.

Legislative & Societal Goal: To maximize a child’s involvement and access to both parents in a divorce.

State of Ohio’s Interest: To protect the best interests of a child should harm to a child be proven by clear and convincing evidence.

Legal Presumption: Ohio has a legal presumption that equal custody is best for all children, yet this is ignored and a fit and active parent is regularly reduced in their time with their child.

Consistency: Consistency within the family courts of Ohio has long been a problem. The same sets of circumstances are often handled differently by judges for no reason other than personal opinion.  Differences in local rules add to this problem.

Benefits to Ohio’s Families

Maximize the involvement of both parents with their children

Reduce a child’s anxiety by lessening the disruptive impact of a divorce

Establishes a stated baseline for custody unless the parents desire something different that better fits the needs of the family after the dissolution of their relationship.

Eliminate the adversarial divorce by moving the custody of children to a mediated rather than a litigated court battle.

Provide the Domestic Relations Court with a uniform framework to address a child’s best interests

Reduce False accusations that often clog the Courts and drive up court costs

Increase a child’s familial ties with siblings, Grandparents, & Relatives

Increase each parent’s active participation with their child in school, familial, and extra-curricular activities and events

Significantly reduce all associated societal costs of single-parent homes by reducing teenage pregnancies, criminal and disruptive behavior, truancy, school suspensions, school expulsions, time spent alone without adult supervision, drug and alcohol abuse, et al.

Benefits to the State and Counties:

Significantly Reduce Court Caseloads & Judicial Resources. Lower court operational costs on multiple levels, not just the “divorce” courts. Based on the latest court new filing statics, as many as 422,000+ cases would be streamlined towards mediation with very little court involvement unless there is a major issue of fitness or ability to care for the child.

Divorces will move with a more streamlined process that is more family-centered

Lower burdens on businesses for lost time because of repeat court appearances, a friendlier environment that will attract business and raise tax revenue without raising taxes.

Better education of our children by having both parents involved will lower educational expenses on all levels.

An expected lower divorce rate shortly will strengthen families.