Top Divorce, Dissolution, and Custody Attorneys in Ohio

Divorce, Dissolution, and Custody/Visitation Attorneys   

At Plakas Mannos, our top-rated Ohio divorce, dissolution, and child custody lawyers provide counsel and attention to help you get through the most difficult and stressful time in your life. Led by perennial Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers award recipients James Mannos, Marietta Pavlidis, and Pete Cahoon, our team of family law lawyers and paralegals is experienced and equipped to help you handle all of the complicated personal, emotional, business, and legal issues related to your divorce.     

Whether you are a business owner, a professional, or a stay-at-home parent, it is critical that you know your options and your rights as you explore ending your marriage or determining custody for your child(ren).      

The decisions you make and the actions you take during divorce and dissolution proceedings can have long-lasting consequences. This is particularly true where a family includes a high-earner or a high-net-worth individual. Our family law lawyers in Akron or Canton can help guide you through these decisions to set you up for future success and avoid the obstacles that may appear in your divorce, dissolution, or child custody/visitation proceedings.   

 Is Plakas Mannos’ Family Law Team the Right Fit for Me?   

We know that you only get one shot to obtain a fair resolution when it comes to resolving family law disputes involving your family and your finances. Our family law team believes it is critical to dive into a case from the outset and have a full understanding of all financial, custody, and other issues so they are prepared to best negotiate or try your case. Because of our comprehensive approach to divorce and dissolution cases, we are not a one-size-fits-all law firm. Our firm is especially skilled at high-asset or complicated divorce and dissolution proceedings. We have worked with hundreds of individuals going through marriage termination proceedings, including doctors, dentists, lawyers, pharmacists, business owners/entrepreneurs, franchise owners, and medical, legal, educational, and other professionals. The more assets you have, the more important it is to ensure that you have an experienced team behind you.   

What Is a Dissolution?   

For couples that can agree on all issues related to their marriage, such as division of property and marital debt, spousal and child support, and visitation with their children, the simplest, most expedient and usually least expensive manner to end their marriage is through a dissolution. Our team has decades of experience navigating through uncontested dissolution proceedings, and working with our clients to ensure that your dissolution can proceed with as little stress and as efficiently as possible – and most importantly, to ensure that all issues are properly addressed in the settlement documents. If you and your spouse are in agreement as to the terms of your dissolution, we can work with you to ensure that the process goes as seamlessly as possible.  

What If We Can’t Agree on Terms for a Dissolution and Need to Get a Divorce?   

Unfortunately, due to the high level of emotional involvement most couples experience during their marital discourse, it is common for couples to be unable to agree on all matters relating to the end of their marriage. For couples that cannot agree, it is necessary to pursue the more complicated, more expensive, and more time-intensive procedure of divorce.     

In a divorce, both parties to the marriage are entitled to a fair and just division of earnings, savings, pensions, retirement funds, and personal and real property for their contribution to the family. Many marriages include family-owned businesses or professional practices which require sophisticated evaluation recognizing that both parties have made valuable contributions to the success of such an enterprise. This often requires an analysis of whether asset appreciation is active or passive and could necessitate a tracing of assets.     

Many times, experts will need to be retained to establish business valuations and assist with performing future projections. Our divorce attorneys are experienced in working with financial experts in divorce cases and understand the issues that need to be analyzed to prepare an appropriate and compelling presentation.  

Child Custody & Child Visitation   

Oftentimes the most terrifying and stressful part of a marriage termination proceeding is child custody. Many times, parents are hesitant to move forward with a much-needed divorce, because they are concerned about protecting their children. Our family law team gets it. Not only are our child custody lawyers all accomplished in their profession, but we are also parents. We understand that your children are the most important thing in your life, and we will stand with you and do all we can to help you protect them.   

Child Support & Spousal Support    

Although the end result of a dissolution or divorce is the termination of a couple’s marriage, in most instances there remain certain ties between the couple such as children or one party’s obligation to pay spousal support. Issues such as these are addressed in a couple’s original separation agreement or in the court’s judgment entry.     

In order to best protect yourself and your children in the event of a dissolution or divorce, it is important to have a child support attorney who can ensure you know your rights, and that your income and children are being protected.    

Moreover, circumstances may change over time, justifying revisiting these issues in the future. Depending on the extent of the changes, certain adjustments may have to be made to the terms of the parties’ original separation agreement or the court’s original orders. (So long as the court retains continuing jurisdiction of these matters.) Connect with one of our experienced attorneys in family law near you.   

Prenuptial Agreements     

Prenuptial agreements are more common today than in the past, and individuals with significant personal wealth, family wealth, or assets continually seek the security offered through prenuptial agreements. The requirements for a valid prenuptial agreement are stringent. Plakas Mannos offers counsel in structuring a prenuptial agreement that is enforceable, fair to both parties, and provides you with the security of knowing you will be financially protected in the event your marriage terminates. In the event the stringent requirements for a valid prenuptial agreement are not met, the prenuptial agreement can be thrown out completely and all of its potential protections will be lost.  

Post-Divorce Proceedings   

Our family law team is experienced in working with parties who have already terminated their marriages are seeking just and equitable modifications to their separation agreements or the court’s initial orders. If you have been through a divorce or dissolution and believe that a modification is appropriate, we may be able to help.     

Additional Family Law Services     

The extent of domestic relations law covers more than just dissolution and divorce at the surface. Our family law team is also experienced with and guide you through the following:    

• Separation Agreement Drafting   
• Division of property issues     
• Child Custody     
• Child Visitation   
• Grandparent Visitation    
•  Legal Separation      
• Postnuptial Agreements   
• Civil Protection Orders 
• Domestic Abuse   

Do you need a family law lawyer? Contact us today to get started when only the best will do.