Dissolution

Columbus Marital Dissolution Attorney

Within the state of Ohio, a parties’ marriage can be terminated by divorce, dissolution or annulment. Dissolution is the process of terminating a marriage by agreement of the parties without any assignment of fault.

Jurisdiction and Venue

One of the spouses must have resided in the state of Ohio for more than six months prior to filing the divorce. Generally, a divorce is filed in the county where one of the spouses resides.

Grounds for Dissolution

There are no legal grounds required to file for a dissolution in the state of Ohio, only an agreement between the spouses to terminate their marriage.

Dissolution Process in Court – Petition for Dissolution

The parties initiate a dissolution in the state of Ohio by filing a legal document called a petition for dissolution. The parties must also file several other related documents required by the court including an affidavit listing all of the financial assets and debts and information on the minor children. Finally, the parties must file their separation agreement, which is a document that outlines their agreement on all issues for the dissolution case.

Within the parties’ separation agreement, the parties must reach an agreement on the following issues:

• Property and Debt Division
• Complex Assets
• Allocation of parental rights and responsibilities for minor children
• Spousal Support

Dissolution Process in Court - Final Hearing before Judge

Once the dissolution is filed with the court, the final hearing must be scheduled between thirty to ninety days after the petition for dissolution is filed. At the final hearing, the judge takes testimony of the parties and reviews the dissolution documents to ensure compliance with the laws of the state of Ohio.

We offer the parties the option of holding their final hearing at our law firm with a retired judge, to provide both personal privacy and convenience.

Contact Us

Please contact the lawyers at Dougherty, Hanneman and Snedaker for a confidential consultation with an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Specialist in Family Relations Law regarding your family law issue. Attorneys Douglas Dougherty, James Hanneman and Robert “Chip” Snedaker are three of just ninety-nine attorneys (as of January 1, 2008) in the state of Ohio, who have earned the designation of Certified Specialist, Family Relations Law.