Richard S. Ramsey Attorney and Counselor at Law
divorce and dissolution
Divorce and Dissolution in Ohio
In Ohio there are two processes that people typically use to end a marriage: divorce and dissolution. Both processes achieve the same end result: (1) the marriage is terminated, (2) marital assets and debts are divided, and (3) parental rights and responsibilities are allocated for any minor children. The difference is procedure.
With a dissolution, the parties file a settlement. Therefore, the parties must reach an agreement on all of the terms of the division of assets and debts as well as all of the terms of the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities for their minor children.
With a divorce, a request to terminate the marriage is filed and no agreement is required before filing. The Court will allow 12 months (or 18 months if there are minor children) to reach an agreement before the Judge will decide the outcome.
Dissolutions tend to be faster and cheaper than divorces. However, the parties must be good candidates for a dissolution, otherwise they may waste time and money on unnecessary legal work.
There is a certain amount of time needed to prepare the minimum paperwork required for a divorce or dissolution. You will be paying for your lawyer's time in a divorce or dissolution. That is why it is impossible to quote a final price on these types of cases. The ability of the parties to resolve issues by agreement will dictate the amount of time and money that their case will take/cost.
The average cost of a divorce in Ohio in 2015 was more than $17,000 per person. Our fees tend to be less than that. Clients should expect to pay at least $1,500. A typical cases will cost around $4,000. However, costs depend on a number of factors including but not limited to the facts of the case and the people involved, including the attorneys.