Divorce, Dissolution, and Separation

Ohio law provides three ways for a spouse to end or alter their marital relationships; legal separation, divorce and dissolution of marriage. To obtain a dissolution or divorce, you must live in Ohio for at least six months before filing. The law does not require persons seeking a legal separation to live in Ohio for any particular length of time before filing. The terms visitation and companionship, once used to describe parental rights, now describe the rights of non-parents. Parent time allocation and parenting time now refer to the time parents spend with their children.

How long does the process take to obtain a divorce or dissolution?

If the parties have an agreement and have the paperwork completed so that they can ask for a Dissolution, the hearing, which will take a very short time (possibly only 15 minutes) will take place in about 35 to 40 days after filing. 


If the parties are in an "adversarial" proceeding (such as an action for divorce or legal separation) and cannot agree with each other, the process of getting to a settlement or final hearing could take one to two years and possibly even longer depending on the issues involved and the ability to get the matter tried to the Court. During the progress of a case, the parties might go through submission of affidavits and exhibits in support of requests for temporary orders, attendance at pre-trials, the taking of depositions, status conferences, and motion hearings as they attempt to set forth their positions and gather the evidence necessary to present or settle their cases. 


To learn more about each option click the link below:


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