Family Law
Family law is a broad area of practice that includes various methods of terminating a marriage, addressing issues of child custody, visitation/companionship and support, establishing paternity in situations where a child’s parents are not married, enforcing a divorce or dissolution decree or other court order pertaining to these issues, as well as many other related topics, such as juvenile law, adoptions and civil protection orders. Stoneman Law Office Co, LPA provide a full range of legal services in the area of family law.
Family law issues are often emotionally and financially difficult, and clients facing these issues must have an attorney who listens and responds to each client’s unique concerns, fears and goals, as well as an attorney who fully understands the process and can address the issues in the most efficient manner.
Persons facing the difficult situation of ending their marriage will benefit from the individualized attention and thorough knowledge of the law that Stoneman Law Office Co, LPA can provide. The firm assists clients in making informed decisions about their family issues by clarifying the difference between a divorce and a dissolution, as well as explaining Ohio law that governs the family and by informing clients of what they can expect in court proceedings, the issues that must be addressed, and the options available for addressing those issues.
Collaborative Family Law is a fairly recent method recognized by Ohio for terminating marriages. It is designed to allow a couple terminating their marriage to do so with the assistance of specially trained attorneys who help their clients come to complete and fair agreements on the distribution of marital assets and debts and all of the issues related to the parties’ children, as a team with full and complete disclosure and a joint commitment to work together to address their differences and terminate their marriage on terms that make sense to them. It is intended as an alternate to the traditional divorce that all too often increases tension between the couple. It also is designed to prevent unfair and bullying negotiations that only add to an already stressful time.
Kathy Stoneman is fully trained and experienced in the practice of collaborative family law and mediation. In addition, she is certified and fully trained to serve as a Guardian Ad Litem for children in divorce cases, custody and visitation disputes and in juvenile cases involving neglect and abuse. She is an approved Guardian Ad Litem in both Carroll and Stark Counties.