Each year, about 40,000 people in Ohio get divorced, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s National Vital Statistics Report. This translated in 2007 to a rate somewhat below the national average, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Ohio laws governing divorce appear in Title 31 of the Ohio Revised Code, under Chapter 3105: Divorce, Alimony, Annulment, Dissolution of Marriage, available online as part of the Ohio.gov website.
Know the Law
Go straight to the source to see how Ohio law will affect your situation. You can view Ohio family law online or at the Ohio Judicial Center’s Law Library in Columbus. You can learn about the latest grounds for divorce in Ohio, which as of 2010 included incompatibility and living apart for one year as grounds for a no-fault divorce. Alternatively, you can seek a fault divorce on any of nine grounds, including adultery, extreme cruelty, habitual drunkenness and imprisonment. Your marital property will be divided equitably by the court, which will take into consideration the duration of the marriage, the assets and liabilities of the spouses and the desirability of awarding the family home to the parent with custody of the children.
Locate Legal Resources
Low-income Ohioans can contact Ohio Legal Services for help with their divorce at 866-LAW-OHIO, or 866-529-6446. Look also for community legal aid services at the local level. Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Lima, Toledo, Youngstown and other cities throughout Ohio offer legal aid societies and clinics or pro bono projects. If you can’t afford the filing fees for your divorce or dissolution papers, fill out an affidavit of indigence and file it with the court. The affidavit will require you to disclose assets and liabilities and swear that the cost of private counsel would cause a substantial hardship.
Find a Lawyer
If you are not low-income, consult the List of Lawyer Referral & Information Services Registered with the Supreme Court of Ohio for a local bar association that can find you a specialist in family law. Or describe your situation confidentially on LegalMatch.com to receive information from lawyers who may offer a preliminary consultation and estimates for working on your case.
Explore Online Divorce
You can file for divorce online if you and your spouse lack debt and agree on child custody issues. LegalZoom.com and CompleteCase.com offer legal forms for Ohio at rates of $249 to $299 as of June 2010.
Appeal
If you are not happy with the final decision of your Ohio trial judge, you can appeal to the Court of Appeals. The appeal may cost $10,000 to $15,000, notes Divorce.net, and has no guarantee of success, so weigh carefully the potential benefit against the cost.
References
- Lawriter: Ohio Laws and Rules: Chapter 3105: Divorce, Alimony, Annulment, Dissolution of Marriage
- Ohio Legal Services: Family Law : Legal Separation, Divorce and Dissolution
- Supreme Court of Ohio: Lawyer Referral and Information Services
- Woman's Divorce: Ohio Divorce Laws and Information
- DivorceSource.com: FAQs About Ohio Dissolution of Marriage
