Ohio legal articles

Practical legal articles from Dean Edward Hines Co., LPA

These articles answer narrower Ohio legal questions that often come up after a larger service concern. Start with the primary page for help with Dayton divorce, Dayton family law, child custody, or tax problems, then use the articles below for topic-specific reading.

Montgomery County Custody Orders: Terms Parents Should Understand - Dean Hines Lawyer featured image

Montgomery County Custody Orders: Terms Parents Should Understand

A custody order can use familiar words in a legally specific way. A school-placement designation may not give one parent every decision, and a reference to an attached schedule may carry duties that are not repeated on the signature page. Read the order, incorporated documents, and later amendments together. The glossary below uses synthetic examples …

Custody Case Timeline in Ohio: From Filing to Orders - Dean Hines Lawyer featured image

Custody Case Timeline in Ohio: From Filing to Orders

An Ohio custody case has a sequence of required steps, but not one dependable number of weeks from filing to a final order. Service problems, disputed facts, court-ordered investigations, settlement work, and hearing availability can change the pace. A date for an initial appearance is not necessarily a date for deciding custody. The most useful …

Grandparent Visitation and Custody Issues in Ohio - Dean Hines Lawyer featured image

Grandparent Visitation and Custody Issues in Ohio

Being a grandparent does not automatically create a right to court-ordered visits or custody in Ohio. First identify what is needed: contact with the child, authority to provide day-to-day care, or a court order granting legal custody. Those requests have different legal foundations, and a close relationship alone does not answer whether a particular court …

When Spousal Support Can Be Modified in Ohio - Dean Hines Lawyer featured image

When Spousal Support Can Be Modified in Ohio

A change in income does not automatically change an Ohio spousal-support order. For continuing periodic support after divorce or dissolution, the starting questions are whether the court retained authority to modify the relevant terms and whether a qualifying change in circumstances has occurred. The decree and incorporated agreement matter as much as the new financial …

How to Prepare Financially for an Ohio Custody Case - Dean Hines Lawyer featured image

How to Prepare Financially for an Ohio Custody Case

Prepare financially for a custody case by identifying the particular court proceeding, the expenses that could arise at each stage, and the money needed to keep caring for your child while it is pending. There is no single Ohio custody-case price. A new complaint, a motion in an existing case, and a contested hearing can …

IRS Bank Levy in Ohio: How the Process Works - Dean Hines Lawyer featured image

IRS Bank Levies in Ohio: The 21-Day Hold and Release Requests

An IRS bank levy can freeze money in an Ohio taxpayer’s account when the bank receives it. A 21-day holding period generally follows before the bank sends the affected funds to the IRS. That interval is a chance to address errors, ownership, or a release request, not permission to wait until the last day. These …

High-Asset Divorce in Ohio: Financial Records to Organize - Dean Hines Lawyer featured image

High-Asset Divorce in Ohio: Financial Records to Organize

A high-asset divorce inventory should explain what each asset is, where it came from, how its value was established, and what restrictions affect a transfer. A list of current balances is only the beginning. Business interests, deferred compensation, real estate, and retirement benefits often need different records to answer those questions. Ohio’s property-division statute requires …

Centerville Tax Problems: IRS vs Ohio Department of Taxation - Dean Hines Lawyer featured image

IRS vs. Ohio Department of Taxation: Notices and Resolution

The IRS handles federal taxes; the Ohio Department of Taxation administers state taxes, including individual income tax and school-district income tax. They maintain separate accounts and use different assessment and dispute procedures. Resolving an IRS notice does not, by itself, resolve an Ohio notice for the same year. Identify the issuing agency, tax type, period, …

Montgomery County Parenting-Time Problems: What Records Matter - Dean Hines Lawyer featured image

Montgomery County Parenting-Time Records and Court Procedure

For a Montgomery County parenting-time dispute, the first useful record is the operative court order, including its attached schedule and later modifications. Next identify the court division and the relief being considered. A contempt request, a schedule change, and a custody change require different supporting filings. This guide covers local records and procedure. For keeping …

How to Compare Divorce Representation Without Relying on Hype - Dean Hines Lawyer featured image

How to Compare Divorce Representation Without Relying on Hype

Comparing divorce attorneys is easier when you separate verifiable information from advertising. A high rating, confident presentation, or aggressive label does not tell you who will handle the case, what work is included, or how decisions will be communicated. Use the same questions with each lawyer so you can compare the answers fairly. When considering …