Columbus Divorce Law Blog

Some Ohio exes who have to pay alimony sometimes feel the strain of meeting their legal requirements. When their financial duty has been fulfilled, there is often cause for celebration. One man thought he had made his last alimony payment years ago but has recently received a notification claiming he missed a payment.

For 15 years the man made two payments of $1,250, via garnishment, to his ex-wife for a total of $450,000. When he retired in 2010 he was no longer required to pay. Not long ago he got a bill from the county probation service, claiming he not only missed his last payment, he also owed interest that had accumulated over eight years. He had retained a copy of his last pay stub showing he had, indeed, paid the full amount. He also says his ex-wife definitely would have let him know if she had not received the money.

Whether an Ohio spouse's income is massive or below the national average, there are still obligations he or she may have to fulfill after a divorce. If there are children born from the relationship, one parent might be ordered by the court to pay child support. Should the family consist only of the couple, one may be required to pay spousal support. The 13-year marriage between Guns N' Roses guitarist, Slash, and his wife is slowly coming to an end, after he filed for divorce four years ago.

The divorce is coming along too slowly, according to Slash. He feels is wife, Perla Ferrar, is doing everything she can to drag out the divorce, and he has asked the judge to make a decision as soon as possible. He has agreed to not only pay Ferrar $100,000 each month in spousal support but an equalization payment of over $6.5 million, as well.

Ohio residents may know of people who have tried some outrageous stunts when going through a divorce. Hiding assets so they will not be considered in property division, cutting off the money supply to the future ex and false accusations of abuse and adultery are just some of the dirty tricks that have been used by spouses wanting out of their marriages. One attorney has been suspended from practicing law in his home state because of some information revealed during divorce proceedings from his wife.

The Referee report from the Supreme Court in the man's state of residence claims he knew the papers for a loan modification on their house had been forged with his ex-wife's signature. The report did not specifically name him as the person who actually falsified the document, however. In several places, the report also expressed doubt as to the reliability of his testimony on the subject.

Ohio child custody battles usually involve parents who are no longer together. Less common, although still numerous, are situations where the state takes custody of a child for one reason or another. One couple is fighting for child custody after they say they were just trying to help their son.

The mother and stepfather of a teenager were recently arrested for giving the boy marijuana. They were charged with reckless conduct, a misdemeanor offense that will stay on their records permanently since they entered a guilty plea. Once they were arrested, the state's Division of Family and Children Services got involved and took the boy from his parents.