Estate planning is defined as "the act of preparing for the transfer of a person's wealth and assets after his or her death." It is a common misconception that only those with significant assets should consider estate planning. Instead, it is something which everyone...
Gillespie Law, LLC
Modifying child custody agreements in Ohio
In the state of Ohio, child custody agreement modifications may be requested at any time by parties who have previously established such in a prior court hearing. If both parties are in agreement to a modification, they may simply pay a filing fee and submit the...
Should you get a divorce or a legal separation?
As you find your marriage coming to an end, you may balk at getting a divorce. Never did you imagine your marriage would become another statistic. Even with the acceptance of divorce in society, it can still be difficult to accept personally. The reasons for your...
Elements of adoption: matching family and child
In honor of November as National Adoption Awareness month, we have been talking about the elements of adoption. In our last blog post, we discussed the homestudy. Once that element has been satisfied, an adoptive family can then move on to the next phase, which is...
Elements of adoption: The homestudy
Any individual or family who has ever considered adoption has most likely heard of a homestudy. On television and in movies, it is often portrayed as just a simple visit to make sure a house is clean. In reality it is much more than that, and is arguably the most...
Inheritance advances
A grandson borrows money from his grandmother. A daughter accepts a family heirloom necklace from her parents. A son receives his father's 1967 Mustang for his 16th birthday. All of them are advised, jokingly or otherwise, "This is coming out of your inheritance." Is...
How are child custody determinations made?
What is the best interests of the child? It may be a term you have heard related to child custody and child custody determinations. The bests interests of the child standard is used to determine what child custody arrangement is best for a child and is worth parents...
Divorce vs. dissolution: Which is better?
When contemplating the end of your marriage in Ohio, you have two options to choose from: file for the courts to either dissolve your marriage or grant you a divorce. It is important for you to understand the pros and cons of each choice before you pick one. Ending a...
November is National Adoption Month, with a focus on teens
When prospective parents in Ohio envision adopting a child, they may be envisioning bringing home a newborn infant. However, there are many older children who are in need of a permanent home and parents, especially teenagers. In fact, currently in the United States,...
Family law: what are some benefits to postnuptial agreements?
While they certainly aren't romantic, prenuptial agreements are practical. They address the realistic possibility that one's marriage might not last and, should the couple divorce, they can make the divorce process run smoother as many important issues have already...
