Wiles & Richards Keeps Your Family’s Interests In Mind

Divorce and the issues surrounding it are emotional and complex. The attorneys at Wiles & Richards understand that no one wants to go through the turmoil of ending a marriage and dividing a household. We offer sound advice and compassionate counsel to help you through the difficult emotional, financial and legal issues that surface in this area of law.

Child Support & Custody

Child Support

Regardless of why you’re seeking out an attorney, determining the appropriate amount of child support is a daunting task that often requires skilled legal guidance. Our firm works hard to advocate for the best interests of every child and family who walks through our door, and we do our best to understand your family dynamic so you can focus on building a healthy parent-child relationship.

Under Ohio law, child support is awarded by a domestic relations court or in juvenile court through the Child Support Enforcement Agency (sometimes abbreviated as CSEA and pronounced “cee-sa”). The amount of child support is calculated based on a number of factors, including each party’s income, health insurance costs, parenting time and child care costs. Most child support orders continue until the minor child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever occurs last.

When a child support obligor (the parent ordered to pay child support) fails to pay the ordered support, it becomes necessary to bring an action to enforce the child support order. The attorneys at Wiles & Richards routinely assist clients with these types of post-decree actions and use tools such as wage garnishment and license suspension to aid clients in collecting unpaid support.

Child Custody In A Divorce

We recognize that custody is one of the major issues in any divorce. Our attorneys work with you to minimize the stress and anxiety associated with divorce so you can focus on the things that matter most. We advocate to protect your child’s best interests while working on a visitation plan geared toward preserving a workable relationship with the other party.

Child Custody Enforcement And Modification

Life is rarely static and when changes do take place, you will likely need legal representation to alter your child custody and visitation plans appropriately. Our legal team has helped clients with a variety of post-decree legal actions to ensure their agreement is current, reasonable and enforceable.

Post-Decree

Life circumstances change, which can significantly impact an existing child custody agreement. In these situations, it is best to consult with an experienced family law attorney who can assist you in seeking a court-ordered modification of your parenting or child support agreement. This is done to avoid the potential danger of the ex-spouse bringing a contempt action should you fail to follow the original agreement – even if the two of you modified it informally. Our attorneys help clients with all types of modifications, including changes in custody and visitation, parent relocation, child support modification and spousal support modification.

Juvenile

Some family law cases fall under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, particularly parenting actions in which the parties were never married. Our attorneys handle all types of juvenile cases, including paternity actions, custody and child support actions, and unruly child cases. We also represent clients involved in dependency and neglect cases brought by county Job and Family Services agencies.

Adoption

At Wiles & Richards, we consider it a privilege to assist individuals seeking to build their families through adoption. In Ohio, all adoptions must pass through the probate court, regardless of whether they are handled independently or initiated by a private or nonprofit agency. Our attorneys can assist you with the legal process of formalizing your adoption in the state of Ohio.