Divorce Attorneys Near Xenia

In Greek, xenia means hospitality. As in all places, some Xenians are hospitable, and others, not so much. Marriage dissolution is usually the same way. Some divorces are relatively hospitable. The parties agree on all major issues. In fact, some couples get along better after their divorce than when they were married. Other divorces, however, are quite contentious. That is especially true if martial trauma, like domestic violence, was involved, or the couple had substantial property holdings.

Whether the matter is hospitable or not, the divorce attorneys near Xenia at the Comunale Law Office are well-positioned to protect your legal and financial rights. Additionally, our attorneys offer solid legal advice, so you can make the best possible choices for your family. Through it all, we proactively communicate with you, so you are never in the dark.

Emotional Issues

Unless the marriage was very brief, divorce almost always takes an emotional toll on the participants. For example, both filing and non-filing spouses often feel grief. They may not be sorry that the marriage is ending, but they usually feel sorry thinking about what might have been.

Child custody and visitation is usually the largest emotional issue in a divorce. To reduce their own emotional burdens, and also to make the divorce easier on children, many participants look to new parenting time division plans which go beyond the traditional every other weekend and every other holiday arrangement. Examples include:

• Block Schedule: Children spend a week or two with Parent A, a week or two with Parent B, and then the cycle repeats. This same schedule remains in effect all year, except for some tweaks around Christmas and other major holidays.
• Empty Nest: In the traditional arrangement, which still works well in many environments, the children move between households. In the empty nest arrangement, the children stay put and the parents move between households. This innovative setup obviously only works in some cases.
• Extended Weekend: This setup takes advantage of a fundamental rule: Over time, small adjustments lead to big changes. Starting weekends on Thursday and ending them on Monday creates a much more even timeshare arrangement.

Many parenting time orders also include protective orders. For example, the judge might order limited or supervised visitation. Or, the judge might direct a party to attend parenting classes or get help for a substance abuse problem. 

Financial Issues

Property division and financial support are usually the two most significant financial issues in a Greene County divorce.

Ohio is an equitable division state. Presumptively, property is divided 50-50. However, marital property must be divided so that the divorce is not an unfair financial burden for either party. Some factors to consider include:

• Length of the marriage,
• Relative earning capacity of each spouse,
• Non-economic contributions to the marriage, and
• Agreements between the parties.

That last bullet might be the most important one. Most judges approve most premarital agreements, as long as they are not blatantly one-sided and each party had a divorce attorney near Xenia.

Spousal support is available in Ohio as well. Generally, judges determine the amount and duration of payments by balancing the obligee’s economic need with the obligor’s ability to pay. Child support obligations usually follow guideline amounts based on the income of each spouse, the parenting time division, and a few other factors. Judges sometimes deviate from the guideline amounts, in some cases.

Contact a Dedicated Attorney

Divorces are hardly ever simple or fast. For a free consultation with an experienced divorce attorney near Xenia, contact the Comunale Law Office. Convenient payment plans are available.