Treneff Cozza Law, LLC

When your retirement income changes, so should spousal support

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC on Sunday, February 17, 2019.

With more families having two spouses working outside of the home these days, spousal support isn't as common as it once was. The courts usually only order support when there is a substantial discrepancy in earning potential between former spouses. When both spouses work for the duration of the marriage, support may not be necessary.

However, especially for couples married for a long time and divorcing later in life, spousal support or alimony is still possible in an Ohio divorce. Particularly if one spouse stayed home for much of their professional life to raise children or care for the home, the spouse with higher earning potential may end up ordered to pay spousal support.

Lorenzo Lamas satisfied with latest divorce settlement

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, February 13, 2019.

Try as they might, some Ohio couples just cannot make their marriages work. They often feel the only recourse is to file for divorce and end their union. Coming to an acceptable agreement may depend on the level of contention between the couple. Movie and TV personality Lorenzo Lamas has just finalized his fifth divorce and is satisfied with the division of assets between him and his ex-wife.

The 61-year-old actor filed for divorce from his wife, model and actress Shawna Craig, who is nearly half his age. The marriage lasted seven years, although they separated after five. He has six children from previous marriages, but this latest venture into matrimony did not yield any offspring. As such, there was no requirement for a child support resolution, and neither elected to receive spousal support.

Parents win child custody case with medical diagnosis

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, February 6, 2019.

Many custody cases that make the news these days deal with celebrities from the sports or entertainment world fighting with an ex or of grandparents who are fighting to keep their grandchildren as a result of drug abuse on the part of their children. However, sometimes a child services agency gets involved and parents end up fighting for child custody of their own child. Ohio parents might be interested in the case of two parents fighting for child custody after a medical diagnosis gave the Department of Social Services cause to remove their child from his home.

When the child was only 2 months old, the parents took him to their local emergency room for swelling on his leg. Because of the area in which they lived, the parents believed it was a spider bite. X-rays showed the boy had 16 fractures in his leg, leaving the parents shocked but without an explanation of how the injuries could have happened. Barely a month later the parents were facing charges of misconduct of a child.

Father appeals child custody case

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, January 30, 2019.

Ohio fathers who are pursuing custody of their children may be interested to hear that many states are no longer automatically giving the mother guardianship after a divorce or separation. Family courts take into consideration a number of factors pertaining to the mother and the father as they determine the best interests of a child in a child custody case. One father in another state appealed after the department of child services there challenged a child custody placement in his favor.

DCS had been working with the mother and her boyfriend on an agreement concerning her three children, all under 5 years old. There had been suspicion of substance abuse that garnered the attention of the DCS, ultimately requiring treatment ordered by the court. Only months later, an unannounced visit by police revealed the children had been left alone by the mother. The father had a stable job with a steady income, and the children were placed in his care.

More money, fewer problems in divorce

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, January 23, 2019.

For Ohio couples who have chosen to end their marriage, division of money and other assets is often the biggest point of contention. When it comes to any type of financial support during many divorce proceedings, there can be some explosive conflicts. However, it has been suggested that the more money involved in divorce proceedings, the better for the exes.

With the divorce of Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie headlining the news, a recent report offers the opinion that large amounts of money accumulated during a marriage may be the key to a friendlier divorce. Bezos is reportedly worth $137 billion and MacKenzie will be more than stable financially once they are no longer husband and wife. They say they want to remain friends from here on out.

Father files lawsuit in child custody case

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.

When divorced Ohio parents receive an order from the court, disclosing details of a custody agreement, both parties are expected to comply with the order. However, there are times when one parent chooses to stray from some of the conditions of the formal child custody directive, leaving the other parent in a state of frustration and anger. One father has filed a lawsuit against a police department, claiming it is helping the mother violate a court-ordered child custody agreement.

The mother first defied the order by moving out of state. After a couple of years, the father says the mother and other family members began calling the police department, making false claims that he was harassing them. Even though the parents eventually agreed to a new visitation schedule, the harassment claims continued, and the mother refused to meet the terms of any court orders.

Protecting your stock holdings and similar assets in a divorce

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

Couples going through divorce often find things to argue about that can make the entire process more difficult and expensive. Financial assets, such as retirement accounts or stocks, are a common source of contention for people ending their marriage. The more significant the asset, the more likely it is that both spouses will want to retain it or have a share of the asset.

Under Ohio law, most assets a couple acquires during marriage are subject to division, unless they have a prenuptial agreement stating otherwise. In typical cases, assets acquired during the marriage get divided by the courts because they are marital property, partially owned by each spouse.

Courtney Stodden missing paperwork in divorce case

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.

The reasons Ohio couples end their marriages are numerous and varied. It seems the most often-used justification for divorce is irreconcilable differences. That is the case in the divorce of Courtney Stodden and Doug Hutchison.

Stodden and Hutchison made headlines in 2011, when they married. At the time, she was 16 and he was 51. As a result of the marriage, Hutchinson stated family members and his agent turned their backs on him. The marriage lasted six years and then they announced they had separated, giving the date of Jan. 2017. However, Stodden did not file for divorce until March 2018 and claimed at that time that the separation was eight months later, in September.

Past of father fighting for child custody may be obstacle

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

There are a number of adults in Ohio fighting to be named the custodial parent of their child. Fighting for child custody is often not an easy undertaking, especially if the other parent is exceptionally opposed to the notion. Sometimes, it is not the other parent but a state agency or another relative of the child who has a differing opinion on permanent placement. One father is not only fighting for child custody of his newborn daughter but he is also fighting a past that may threaten his case.

The mother of the infant gave birth just a few days before Christmas. However, she is now in jail and anticipating the trial where a jury will be determining her fate in the murder of her young son. The father of both children now wants his daughter placed with him. One of the biggest obstacles is the question of abuse to the mother before they chose to separate, resulting in the 2-year-old boy being placed temporarily in foster care. They were not together when the boy died.

Spousal support case reviewed by appellate court

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Alimony on Wednesday, December 26, 2018.

Some divorced couples in Ohio are able to come to an amicable settlement and move on with their lives with no future problems. The paths of others are not so smoothly resolved, and child or spousal support issues rear their ugly heads after a period of time. A former couple's dispute in a restructured spousal support agreement has gone to an appellate court for further deliberation.

The original divorce agreement in 2014 stated the wife would pay her ex $850 each month -- with an extra 10 percent of the amount earned over her base salary, which was then $180,000 per year -- and 10 percent of any bonuses she received. The payments would decrease to $551 per month over time to continue until 2020. In just two years, she was making nearly $80,000 per year more, and the amount of her bonuses were nearly half that. She complains her ex-husband would become very wealthy according to the conditions set by the original divorce agreement. She petitioned the court to modify the original agreement as a change in circumstances to reflect her new salary, which it did by placing a cap on the bonus but leaving the other amounts as was laid out earlier.