Latest Legal Insights

When photographing or videotaping children at events for promotional purposes, it's essential to comply with both federal and Ohio laws to protect children's privacy and obtain necessary parental consent. Federal Law: Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) regulates the online collection of personal information from children under 13. While COPPA primarily addresses online data collection, it also considers phot

One of the most common misunderstandings in a divorce case involves the parties and the type of divorce they need.   In Ohio, there are three basic kinds of “divorces,” although only two of them actually carry that name.   The normal, stock-standard divorce that everyone knows is a “contested divorce” – the parties each get a lawyer, the lawyers fight it out – maybe in court, maybe out of court – and at the end, there may be a trial, or there may be a settlement. This typ

“The Road goes ever on and onDown from the door where it began.Now far ahead the Road has gone,And I must follow, if I can,Pursuing it with eager feet,Until it joins some larger way, Where many paths and errands meet.” J.R.R. Tolkein EQUES ® Law Group celebrates 14 years of our journey together! There are times I feel our journey has only just begun. There is so much we know now that we did not know 14 years ago, and far larger mountains in front of us than we have ever clim

November marks National Adoption Month, a dedicated time to spotlight the crucial need for adoptive families within the foster care system. In honor of Adoption Month, this blog post will explore the adoption process when a child who is placed with a public agency is eligible to be adopted. Not every child in foster care is eligible for adoption, as parental rights must be terminated either through voluntary surrender to an agency or by a court order. Both processes are intr

“What information do you need from us to write our wills?” is the most common question we get regarding preparing a will. While every family situation is different, following is a good list of information for a will consultation with your family lawyer:

“I don’t know.”   How often do you hear an attorney utter those words? When you see attorneys on TV and in movies, you rarely hear it. Yet, the reality is, knowing what we know, and knowing what we don’t know, is one of the most important parts of advising our client. Without knowing what we don’t know, an attorney will walk their client into disaster.   Over my career, I’ve encountered many times when I don’t know something. Sometimes, I need to do some research or ask f

Many parents that separate, or have never been married to each other, often want to solve custody issues outside of court. Reasons vary, but most people seeking solutions that don’t involve an official court process agree on how they want to divide their parental responsibilities and do not think a court needs to sign off on how they choose to raise their children. While parenting and raising children is a fundamental right (most famously discussed in the Supreme Court case

“Can I adopt my spouse’s child?”   “Can I adopt my domestic partner’s child?”   “What is the process for a stepparent adoption?”   These are common questions at EQUES Law Group and I wanted to provide a brief overview of the topic.   First, to be eligible for a "stepparent adoption" in Ohio, the individual seeking the adoption (the Petitioner) must have been married to the minor's parent for at least one year before submitting the adoption certificate. Often, partners

At White Law Office, Co., it is our mission to help educate our clients and help answer some of the most difficult questions they may have. Included herein is a list of common family law questions that we often help answer for our clients.   What is the difference between a divorce and a legal separation?             A divorce in Ohio is a contested termination of a marriage by judgement of a court. It may only be granted upon a finding of a fault-based ground which includes:

Probate is the legal process of administering a person’s estate after their death, ensuring assets are distributed to the next heir, and satisfying any liabilities. In my experience, everyone would like to avoid probate, where possible. It can be costly and time-consuming; an added difficulty for a family experiencing a loss.             Here is a quick summary of 3 steps that you can take to avoid Probate: If you’re married and own property, make sure it is owned with your s

On the surface, calculating child support in the state of Ohio seems fairly easy. The state has an official formula and an official worksheet, and there are numerous programs available online to calculate what should be the result. Yet, time and time again, the order from the court will not match this calculation and leave both parents scratching their heads.   What are the basics of child support in Ohio? The calculation of child support starts with a Child Support Computati

Last week, as I was getting my hair cut in a local barbershop, I overheard some fellow customers discussing their child support arrangement – “We don’t have anything formal, I see him on these weekends and those weekdays, and I pay her this much in support”. Every single alarm bell went off in my head. Too many times have I had clients walk through my door with the same exact thinking - everything was going fine, nothing was formal, but everybody was getting along and they bo

Adopting a Child in Ohio: Types of Adoptions With infertility affecting an estimated 12-13 out of every 100 couples , adoption is a common alternative to expanding your family, and many of us know personally an adopted individual or adoptive family. A single person may also adopt a child, and of course, many families that have children still seek to adopt a child who needs a family. Whether you are wanting to begin or expand your family, or just curious, it may be helpful to

EQUES Law Group rolled out flat fee dissolution packages for clients seeking to dissolve their marriage in a non-contentious, or non-argumentative, way.  We understand that one of the most stressful factors in retaining an attorney is not knowing the exact cost of what you will pay. While we cannot offer fixed pricing for all our services, we can offer fixed pricing for dissolutions. It is a way of offering peace of mind to those who are in one of the most troubling times of

In Ohio, juries are generally one of two types: Grand or Petit (from the French for small or short) Juries. Grand juries have longer terms of service and consider many cases. Petit juries are called to try only one case.  In this article, we look at the history and function of the Grand Jury. In English legal history, each county had a Grand Jury serving for a term of court (in Ohio a term of court is for 4 months). The King's Judges rode circuits throughout the counties tryi

In criminal law, there are two basic ways that a person is informed of the charges against him or her and is brought to court to answer those charges - either via Summons or Warrant. The first way is one that is familiar to anyone who has received a traffic ticket. Few people receiving a minor traffic ticket are physically arrested. Instead of arrest, the police officer issues a ticket or citation that informs the person what they are charged with and when they must appear in

It is common knowledge that parents can pursue visitation rights in a divorce, dissolution, or legal separation. However, some of you may not be aware that the State of Ohio recognizes the rights of a grandparent to pursue visitation rights with their grandchild(ren) in certain situations. As recognized under Ohio law, grandparents may pursue visitation rights with their minor grandchild(ren) when: Married parents terminate the marriage or separate; A parent passes away; The

We are in a social media-driven day and age. On average, internet users spend about 2 hours and 22 minutes per day on social networking platforms. Saima Salim, How much time do you spend on social media? Research says 142 minutes per day. With such a significant amount of time spent on these sites, it is wise to be aware of some of the legal issues you could face. There are many aspects where social media and the law collide. Privacy First of all, consider the privacy of the

Lawyers have solutions that can be close to “one size fits all” for simple matters, those solutions are only for the most basic of situations. Every nuance and detail of your situation, no matter how small you might think it is, can cause the recommended solution for your problem to change. This, among other reasons, is why it is so hard to compare attorneys based on price point. Some attorneys will attempt to shoehorn you into a solution that may not be the best for your sit

One of the most difficult questions that one may ask themselves is, “I need a divorce, but where do I start?” Unfortunately, this is a question that you or a loved one may be asking yourself. Here at White Law Office, Co. we strive to help individuals understand their options and bring peace of mind when facing such tough questions. When facing this tough question, the first option that we discuss with clients is one that White Law Office, Co. strongly suggests and recommends