Child custody and visitation/parenting time law

A divorce lawyer in Dayton at the Pirnia Law Office can help you determine custody and visitation issues for your child or children.  Under Ohio divorce laws, the court rules according to the child’s best interests.

The custodial parent—the one the child lives with—has physical custody.  The non-custodial parent visits the child during parenting time.  Unless the non-custodial parent’s relationship with the child is detrimental in some way (drugs, alcohol, or child abuse), the court will grant parenting time.

When determining child custody, the court considers factors such as:

• Child’s wishes
• Child's age
• The distance between parents’ residences
• Child’s time available to spend with parents and siblings
• Previous parental child abuse or neglect
• Child's interaction with parents, siblings, other relatives, or others requesting parenting time
• Parents’ wishes
• Parents’ criminal convictions
• Parent's plans to move out of state

The court may award primary custody to either parent, making either the child’s physical and/or legal custodian, or work out a joint custody arrangement, called Ohio shared parenting.

Child support and spousal support law

Child support

Ohio courts establish child support guidelines using the Child Support Computation Worksheet, which calculates support based on the parents’ incomes.  Other factors that may cause deviation in child support:

• A child with special needs
• Parenting time expenses
• Cost of providing health insurance for the children
• Child care/daycare expenses for the children
• Parent's contributions to lessons, schooling, sports equipment, and clothing

Spousal support

Ohio courts do not always grant spousal support in divorces or separations.  The court determines spousal support based on individual cases and considers each spouse’s:

• Income
• Earning abilities
• Age
• Physical, mental, and emotional condition
• Retirement benefits
• Marriage duration
• Minor child custodial responsibilities
• Education level
• Assets and liabilities
• Contribution of spouses to each other's education, training, or earning capacity
• Time for education, training, or to seek employment
• Tax consequences
• Lost income production capacity

Contact us

At the Pirnia Law Office, you will find experienced legal representation.  Please contact a Dayton child custody lawyer with questions about your legal issue.  Call 888-501-3712 today for a free consultation or submit the online email form.

Payment options are available to help our divorce, dissolution and family law clients in the Dayton area.