A seventeen-year-old juvenile is facing over 70 criminal counts after allegations that the youth has made dozens of “swatting” calls across the nation. Although the teen had made numerous swatting calls, it was one call in August of 2018 to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office that led to the teen’s capture. In that instance, the …
“Swatting” is a Serious Criminal Offense in Ohio Read More »
There is nothing quite like a person’s death to reveal the true status of the decedent’s family relationships. A family that appears to be at odds with one another at other times can come together, find that their differences were only skin deep, and become a closer-knit family unit as a result. Conversely, a family …
Is it Legal to Be Disinherited in the State of Ohio? Read More »
For some, the Ohio divorce process is straightforward and proceeds from the initial petition for divorce to the final order granting the divorce with few, if any, hiccups. Others may find their divorce proceedings dragging on for months or years as issues of property division, spousal support, child support, and/or child custody are litigated and …
The Laws Concerning Death During Divorce in the State of Ohio Read More »
A commonly-cited “statistic” says that nine out of every ten lawsuits – both civil and criminal cases – are resolved through a plea agreement or settlement agreement. In the criminal context, these sorts of agreements generally require the defendant to enter a plea to one or more charges in return for some agreed-upon sentencing recommendation …
One of the chief reasons why people create estate plans and use vehicles such as wills and trusts is to protect and preserve their wealth for the benefit of their children, grandchildren, and other close individuals, entities, and causes. Some may be surprised, though, to find that mom’s or dad’s $1 million estate does not …
If you and your ex-partner have children in common, you and that other person will likely be co-parenting that child together until the child’s 18th birthday – and maybe even longer than that. The key to successful co-parenting is a willingness to communicate with the other parent about issues and developments that pertain to the welfare …
Does My Ex-Spouse Need to Know That I Plan to Move Under Ohio Law? Read More »
Everyone makes mistakes. The problem is, some mistakes have greater consequences than others. Some mistakes are illegal and expose you to the threat of costly fines, periods of incarceration in jail, and other negative consequences. Fortunately for some, Ohio permits prosecutors to set up deferred prosecution programs within their jurisdictions for people who are like …
Deferred Prosecution in Ohio: What You Need to Know Read More »
For most Ohioans who find themselves charged with a crime and who are not intimately familiar with the criminal justice system, our impressions of how serious a crime is can be based in whole or in part on how serious the crime sounds. For example, “murder” sounds bad – real bad – but yet the …
Have You Been Charged with a Felony or Misdemeanor in Ohio? Read More »
A will is an estate planning document that has been around for quite some time. Each state has developed its own statutes and body of case law governing what a valid will looks like. Every will, for example, must be recorded or reduced to writing: no state permits the admission of an “audio will” that …
Two Types of Wills That are Not Available in Ohio Read More »
No, a “will contest” is not what happens when you and your friend bet on who can refrain from something for the longest period of time. In the legal realm, a “will contest” refers to the proceedings that occur when someone has passed and there is a question about whether the will being offered for …
