Treneff Cozza Law, LLC

Father takes child custody case to appellate court

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, July 17, 2019.

Determining with which Ohio parent a child should live after a divorce is one of the most important decisions a court will make. The judge's decision in a child custody case must be based upon all evidence submitted and not just a few singled-out facts that may prove bias on behalf of one party. A father recently had an appellate court review an original judgment in his fight for child custody.

Three years ago the father, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, and his wife had been stationed at an Air Force base on the West Coast when she left him to go back to her home state because she believed he had cheated on her. She was pregnant when she left and had the child just weeks later. She claims her husband came to see them with the intent of kidnapping the child but she managed to prevent it. She has since allowed the father opportunities for visitation between him and the child.

Could you and your ex qualify for dissolution instead of divorce?

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC on Tuesday, July 16, 2019.

There is a lot of confusion about how divorce works, and the fact that laws differ from state to state does not help people understand it any better. What works in one state will not in another, and the same terms can have different meanings under different legal codes.

In Ohio, married couples have the option of filing either for divorce or dissolution when they want to end their marriage. It can be hard to tell which would be a better fit for your family if you don't understand the definition of either term. This is particularly true if you don't understand what dissolution actually is.

Child custody of baby found in dumpster granted to father

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, July 10, 2019.

Some Ohio parents seeking custody of a child know what an uphill battle it can be. The child custody battle well worth fighting, however, sometimes ends happily for the parent who gives it his or her all. One father's quest for child custody has come to fruition after a harrowing beginning.

Only two months ago a woman gave birth to a little girl. Police say she then proceeded to put the baby in a trash bag and put the trash bag in a dumpster filled with garbage. Maintenance workers found the baby after hearing her cry and rescued her from her filthy surroundings. The mother was identified through a receipt in the dumpster.

Wife looking to have prenup thrown out in divorce

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, July 3, 2019.

Money issues are said to be among the top reasons Ohio couples end their marriage. Many couples fight about money while they are married and they continue the fight after the divorce. Former NBA star Kevin Garnett and his wife, Brandi are fighting about prenuptial agreement details as they go through their divorce.

The couple married in 2004 but Brandi filed for divorce last year. They have two daughters, for which she is seeking physical custody. She claims Garnett has not kept to the provisions of the prenup and questions the legality of the document as a result. According to her, she would get no spousal support but an initial payment of $500,000 to $1 million and then half of an account that was supposed to total $12 million. As there is nothing in that account, she believes Garnett violated the agreement.

Lottery winnings can affect judgment of divorce

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Thursday, June 27, 2019.

While winning the Ohio lottery can be a source of extreme happiness to some, to others it can cause great frustration. Couples going through a divorce, for instance, may have a difficult time agreeing on a fair settlement when lottery winnings come into play. Those cases often end up in court, where a judge or panel decides who will get what. Two couples who each finalized their divorce last year took their respective cases to court for help in their settlements.

One woman's case went to an appellate court as she argued she should have a portion of her ex-husband's $80 million winnings, even though he bought the ticket after he had filed for divorce. However, the divorce was not final for another five years and she felt the money should have been included as part of their marital property. Furthermore, the husband did not use any of the money in the support of their three children. The appellate court agreed with her, ruling any losing tickets the ex had bought during their marriage were shared, so the winnings should also go to both. She was awarded $15 million.

Divorce nearly over for Matt Lauer and his wife

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, June 19, 2019.

Like many couples in Ohio and across the country, Matt Lauer and his wife, Annette Roque, experienced a travesty in their marital relationship from which they could not recover. Back in 2017, Lauer lost his job on the "Today" show due to numerous extramarital affairs. Since that time, the pair has been working on their divorce settlement. With a significant amount of wealth at stake, negotiating an agreement requires time and attention to detail.

Apparently, Lauer decided to give his future ex-wife whatever she wanted in the divorce due to his guilt over what happened. Even so, it has taken some time for them to reach an agreement. In the interim, the couple continued to live in the same home with their children and intend to continue to raise them together as much as possible. Lauer is rumored to be moving out when the divorce is final.

What should you bring when you meet your divorce attorney?

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC on Monday, June 17, 2019.

Just thinking about divorce can cause an increase in blood pressure for some people. It is common for someone in a struggling marriage to put off addressing issues until they are so overwhelming that they simply cannot get ignored anymore. However, even the most patient person has their breaking point.

If you have reached a point where divorce is no longer a theoretical concept and more an imminent reality, talking with an divorce attorney is probably a good next step to take. Your attorney can help you understand your rights as a married person in Ohio, prepare a divorce strategy and determine what the best case scenario would be for you.

Divorce settlement woes for Kevin Dillon and ex

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Friday, June 14, 2019.

Some Ohio divorces settlements go smoothly but some do not. When the former partners cannot agree on child and spousal support, the division of debts and assets or other financial decisions, the court has to get involved in the finalization of the divorce. A former cast member of HBO's comedy series Entourage, Kevin Dillon and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Jane Stuart are getting a divorce.

The two were married for 10 years before they decided to part ways in 2017. Stuart has made claims that Dillon does not make some of the payments he is supposed to make, especially for the children's private school tuition. Dillon says he does not make as much since the show ended to make the payments the two had agreed upon earlier.

Child custody celebration for reunited families

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, June 5, 2019.

Losing custody of a child for any reason can be heartbreaking, no matter the state in which the parents find themselves. The fight against the state to regain child custody can be an uphill battle where the parents sometimes feel they will never reach the top. Ohio parents fighting for child custody may be able to take heart with the celebration stories coming from another state.

An annual "Family Reunification Day" was recently held to celebrate the families who have overcome the problems that split them apart so that they can be together once again. In the program's sixth year, the governor's wife, who stays involved with a number of organizations that deal with child welfare, was on hand to congratulate the parents on overcoming the sometimes overwhelming complications as they worked to become the parents their children need. A spokesperson for the event stated in a report on the celebration that there is always an attempt to return the children to their biological parents if it is what is best for them.

Spousal support payments not ending with commitment ceremony

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Alimony on Wednesday, May 29, 2019.

The terms of an Ohio divorce should clearly define the financial arrangement as it applies to spousal and child support. There may come a time for modification to either child or spousal support, for which the court will need to render a decision, should the former spouses not agree on a new arrangement. An ex-husband is seeking to terminate the spousal support he currently pays.

The man's ex-wife and her new partner recently went through a commitment ceremony, and he feels he should no longer be expected to pay the spousal support as determined in their divorce arrangement. His ex-wife does not agree, and the court has sided with her. They have ruled that the ceremony was not a marriage and does not negate the terms of the divorce arrangement.