Columbus Lawyer Blog

When people think about dividing assets in a divorce, they usually focus on houses, bank accounts, and retirement plans. But one asset that is often overlooked—and can be very valuable—is life insurance with cash value. In Ohio (including Columbus and Franklin County), life insurance policies that build cash value are treated as marital property if paid for during the marriage. That means they must be addressed in your property division just like any other account. At Hoff

In most Ohio divorce cases, reinvested dividends are not considered income. Why? Ohio courts separate: Property division (what assets are divided), and Income (what is used to calculate child or spousal support). If dividends are automatically reinvested and no cash is paid out, they are treated as growth of the investment account, not income. They may increase the value of the account for property division, but they usually do not count as income for support. When Could Rein

When most people think about ending a marriage in Ohio, they think about divorce or dissolution. But in some situations, a marriage can be treated as if it never legally existed. That process is called an annulment. At Hoffman Law, we regularly advise clients on whether they qualify for annulment under Ohio law—and whether it is the best option based on their goals. Below is a clear explanation of the grounds for annulment and the time limits for filing, based on the Ohio Rev

When parents do not share the same faith, questions naturally arise about how a child will be raised after a separation or divorce. One of the most common concerns we hear at Hoffman Law is: “If the other parent has sole legal custody, do I still have a right to share my religion with my child?” For many families in Columbus and throughout Central Ohio, this is a deeply personal and important issue. Whether one parent wants to raise the child in one religion and the other wan

It’s not uncommon for spouses to have some degree of financial independence during marriage — separate credit cards, personal purchases, or even helping family members. But what happens when one spouse secretly sends money to others without the other’s knowledge or consent? In Ohio, that kind of behavior can rise to the level of marital financial misconduct   — often referred to as marital fraud . What Is Marital Financial Misconduct? Under Ohio Revised Code § 3105.171(E)(4),

Dividing property in an Ohio divorce is rarely simple. Tensions rise quickly when one spouse makes risky stock market investments and the...