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Although there are probably step-by-step instructions on the Internet for do-it-yourself appendix removals or dental surgery or suturing an artery, nobody would try to perform such a delicate operation on himself. Although you know your own body, although you are intelligent and can follow instructions, it takes a trained professional to handle such matters appropriately. Family law matters are delicate operations too, and a small mistake can have long-term consequences.
The breakup of a marriage or relationship is an emotional experience ranking as high as the death of a close family member as a stressor. An emotional person does not think clearly and needs guidance from an objective professional.
Property division, support matters, and issues relating to children, if handled poorly, can have an impact for the rest of your life. We have seen situations where a person downloaded a form from the web and performed his own dissolution for him and his wife and was surprised to discover he had obligated himself to pay alimony (spousal support) for his lifetime, and the way the Separation Agreement was written by him, the court did not retain the ability to make any changes. We have seen a case where a woman waived any rights she had in a retirement account earned during the marriage, thinking because she kept hers, he should keep his. As it turned out, his was worth five times what hers was worth.
Don’t make mistakes like that. Hire a trained professional like the lawyers at Melissa Graham-Hurd & Associates.
In Ohio, people who graduate college can attend law school. People who graduate from accredited law schools can take an examination written and administered by the Ohio Supreme Court. If a person passes the Ohio Bar Examination, he or she must pass a character and fitness evaluation in order to be admitted to practice. Once admitted, lawyers must take continuing legal education courses to maintain their licenses. Melissa Graham-Hurd, as well as the Associate Attorneys, regularly takes at least twice as many credits as are required to maintain a license. We value education and staying at the top of our game. Lawyers must adhere to a Code of Professional Responsibility requiring adherence to matters such as client confidentiality, avoidance of conflicts of interest, avoiding self-interest, and many other topics. Melissa Graham-Hurd has chaired the Ohio State Bar Association Ethics Committee, and Rebecca Black has been a member of the Akron Bar Association ethics committees reviewing complaints against lawyers.
A person who chooses to represent himself/herself in family law matters must obey all the rules: the Civil Rules, Juvenile Rules, Evidence Rules, and Local Rules regarding procedures, timing, admissibility, discovery, service, filing, and all other such matters. Pro se people must also follow the law concerning the subject matter at hand, whether it is the Ohio Revised Code, the Internal Revenue Service regulations, or Bankruptcy law.
People sometimes say they have a “simple” divorce, but it is rare indeed that such a thing exists—maybe if it is a very short marriage with no wedding gifts received, no debts incurred, no employment income of any kind, no tax returns, and no payments made on any pre-marital debt. When property or debts of any kind are acquired during the marriage, they should be equitably divided or allocated in an equal way. If marital earnings are used to pay down pre-marital debt, it benefits one party to the marriage and should be compensated. Sharing pre-marital interests during the marriage should be disentangled to do equity.
The family law issues become more complex when there is a family business, when one parent wants to relocate out-of-state or far enough away to make frequent parenting difficult, or when there were separate property assets (or debts) brought to the marriage and commingled with marital property (a tracing issue). Cases are complex when there is a high net worth to be divided, there are issues of spousal support because one party earns substantially more than the other, there has been a disproportionate share of marital responsibilities, or one partner gave up a career or stayed out of the workforce for the benefit of the marriage.
Family lawyer Melissa Graham-Hurd has been licensed by the Ohio Supreme Court since 1984; Chandra Muster has been licensed since 2007; and Rebecca Black has been licensed since 2012. They have extensive knowledge and experience in family law matters. They read every Ohio appellate case concerning family law as it is released, and Melissa Graham-Hurd routinely writes for leading family law publications. Melissa Graham-Hurd is a member of the committee that writes the test for people seeking to become certified specialists on family relations law on an annual basis. All of our lawyers keep up-to-date with developments in family law matters through professional associations within the community, within the state, and nationwide. They seek to learn something new every day.
The lawyers at Melissa Graham-Hurd & Associates believe in a client-centered practice, seeking to do what is best for the client at all times, striking a balance between fully protecting a person’s rights with every tool available to a lawyer in court and out of court, and peacefully achieving settlements of disputes. Family law cases are each unique just like the people who make up the families. So not every case should be handled in the same manner. Sometimes cases need litigation and sometimes litigation would be overkill. As independent professionals, the lawyers at Melissa Graham-Hurd & Associates know the difference and can use their knowledge and experience to provide excellent professional guidance to you.
Melissa Graham-Hurd & Associates, LLC
4030 Massillon Road
Green, Ohio 44685
(330) 996-4099
(330) 643-0732
