Treneff Cozza Law, LLC

Mother having to choose between child custody and pain relief

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, September 18, 2019.

There are numerous reasons for which the state feels children should be taken from their parents. Sometimes child custody is taken away because of an abusive situation, but sometimes it is a situation out of a parent's control. Ohio parents may be interested in the child custody dilemma in which a mother has found herself.

The mother is currently between having constant, debilitating pain, the aftereffects of a car accident, or maintaining custody of her two daughters, ages 2 and 4. During a visit to a friend in another state where it had been legalized, she tried CBD oil and found it eased her pain considerably. Her state legalized the substance last year, and her doctor told her she qualified for the medical marijuana program, and provided a letter of authorization. The state got involved when she and her husband lost their house and subsequently became homeless. That along with ensuing arguments between them resulted in the state temporarily removing the girls from the parents' care.

Should or shouldn't you choose mediation for your divorce?

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC on Monday, September 16, 2019.

As you embark on your divorce, one common question people have is if mediation could work for them. Mediation is an alternative to litigation. It is a type of alternative dispute resolution.

For many couples, mediation provides a way to work through disputes and different aspects of the divorce without having to worry about litigation. It creates a safe place to discuss divorce while encouraging both parties to work together to open lines of communication and resolve disputes amicably.

Man in disbelief at spousal support ruling

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Alimony on Thursday, September 12, 2019.

When a judgment from the Ohio court system is not what a plaintiff or defendant wants to hear, the case can be pursued before an appellate court. One man may have to wait up to two years after a judge in another state ruled in the man's spousal support case. He is understandably upset because the judge refuses to acknowledge his ex-wife's criminal past and is ordering him to pay retroactive spousal support.

The man fell in love with a woman and believed she loved him back. They got married two years ago. When the man's adult son ran a background check on his new stepmother, it was revealed she had been married at least three other times but only one divorce certificate could be located. That led to their divorce just two months after committing the rest of their lives to each other.

Wife of state supreme court justice files for divorce

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, September 4, 2019.

When it comes to ending a marriage, the reasons vary from one to the next. Sometimes, it is as simple as irreconcilable differences, and the finalized divorce is hassle-free. Other times, however, accusations are flung from both sides, and acrimony replaces matrimony. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine and his wife, Rhonda, are getting a divorce after an 18-month separation.

Ms. DeWine recently filed with allegations of cruelty, adultery and gross neglect of duty. She claims her husband has paid a number of household bills since he moved out, but he has given her almost no spousal support. According to tax records, she only made $4,000 last year working in her hair salon. She also says she supported him by traveling with him and taking care of their children, two of whom are hers and three are his from previous marriages.

Public marriage ends in contentious divorce

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, August 28, 2019.

Some Ohio married couples go through a lot together and then decide things are just not working. Getting a divorce seems to be the only option for both to have peace of mind and hope for the future. A popular news anchor and her husband have filed for divorce after 10 years of marriage.

The couple gained popularity in her viewing area over six years ago when they allowed viewers to follow their very personal journey that led to the birth of their triplets. Since their two sons and daughter were born, however, their marriage has come to an end. He filed first, requesting temporary spousal support and help with the monthly bills, as he claims she makes five times his own salary.

He wants spousal support, she does not want to pay

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, August 21, 2019.

Money is listed as one of the top reasons couples divorce. Money problems between Ohio couples do not just end with filing for the dissolution of the marriage, however, but can continue and even escalate when it comes to dividing assets and debts, and settling on child and spousal support amounts. Former hedge fund manager, Buddy Fletcher, claims he is now broke and wants his wife, Ellen Pao and former interim CEO of Reddit, to pay him spousal support.

Once said to be worth $150 million, Fletcher lost his money from a number of lawsuits after it was discovered he squandered the money with which his investors entrusted him. Now he claims he does not even have enough money for the expense of getting a witness to court in order to provide testimony, much less to hire himself an attorney. He is currently representing himself in court proceedings.

Judge says White's ex can file for spousal support

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Alimony on Wednesday, August 14, 2019.

What constitutes as a marriage ceremony varies by state, but there are certain elements that Ohio and all other states recognize as binding. Adherence to these rituals is important should the day come when the marriage dissolves and, specifically, should one ex pursue spousal support. Although the comedian denies he and his ex took part in a marriage ceremony, a judge has ruled that Ron White's marriage was valid and that his ex, Margo Rey, can request spousal support.

On Oct. 13, 2013, White and Rey sent invitations for at least 300 guests, vows were exchanged in front of a minister, they gave each other rings, they were pronounced man and wife, and the news was broadcast to media. When their union ended and Rey sought spousal support in 2017, White claimed the two were never married because Rey did not sign the prenuptial agreement he had presented prior to the day of their wedding. He maintains their union was a common-law marriage and therefore not subject to a determination of spousal support.

How your spouse may attempt to hide assets

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC on Wednesday, August 14, 2019.

Do you know that both you and your spouse need to disclose all assets if you end your marriage? It's the only way for the court to help you split them up in accordance with state laws. You can't lie about what you own. You can't fudge the numbers. You can't try to hide assets.

However, people still do it. A few ways that your spouse may attempt it include:

Overpaying on taxes.
Making up fake expenses at work.
Putting money in another account.
Making cash withdrawals.
Giving money or assets to friends or family members.
Transferring assets to a business.
Putting off raises, commissions, payments and other types of income.
Buying expensive items and undervaluing them.
Undervaluing items you already own.
Underreporting income.

Settlement reached in divorce between "Bachelor" creator and ex

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Thursday, August 8, 2019.

When two Ohioans choose to end their marriage, some concessions might have to be made on both sides before it is final. Coming to a divorce agreement may take months or even years before the two can decide on a mutually acceptable agreement. Michael Fleiss, the creator of the famed "Bachelor" TV series, and his wife, Laura, have finally reached an agreement in their divorce proceedings.

One of the concessions made by Laura, a former Miss America, was to drop the temporary restraining order she had filed against him. Only a few weeks ago, she had filed a TRO claiming Fleiss had threatened her and then followed through on his threats of physical violence. Reportedly, Laura will receive $10 million. Fleiss denies the claims of physical abuse, although he was previously investigated by police over similar threats.

Money issues at the center of divorce

On behalf of Treneff Cozza Law, LLC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, July 31, 2019.

People have fought over money ever since it was invented. An Ohio divorce is often no different. Fighting over asset and debt division, spousal support and child support amounts can bring out the worst in two people who may have seemingly already reached the point of hostility. The wife of an elevator company CEO is said to be dragging out the divorce between the couple so that it is lasting longer than their 14-month marriage.

The two were married in November 2015 but decided to end things just over a year later. The wife has accused her husband of illegal drug use, physical abuse and cheating, not only in their marriage but with his business dealings as well. She says she wants the $2,425 monthly spousal support payments to continue as well as an increase in the child support amount of nearly $1,700 each month she receives for their 2-year-old daughter.