Family Law

Overview

“I will always count you among the people who have helped change my life for the better.”

– Client

When “family” and “law” intersect, we are prepared to help with thoughtful advice that emphasizes diplomacy, discretion and attention to detail. Our well-regarded attorneys are experienced in handling complex divorce matters for high net worth individuals, mediation and arbitration, adoption, relocation and disputes involving the allocation of parental responsibilities. We can draw upon the firm’s national resources to resolve complicated tax, business ownership and valuation issues, as well as address stock options, deferred and executive compensation, and closely held entities.

We are skilled at high-stakes negotiations, working to find timely, innovative solutions outside the courtroom that minimize disruption and promote resolution. When necessary, we have the ability to skillfully represent client interests in the courtroom. Our clients include business owners, corporate executives, professional athletes, physicians, attorneys and other prominent professionals. Family offices turn to our attorneys for our experience in drafting and negotiating premarital and marital agreements, and we have extensive experience with the valuation and protection of heritage assets, including trusts, family limited partnerships and other entities used by estate planners for the protection and transfer of family wealth. In addition, we are adept at dealing with emerging issues such as the adequacy of financial disclosures, finality of decrees and same-sex marriages.

Knowing that divorce can have a big impact on the whole family, we are well connected to professionals in our communities who support families and children as they go through the transitions that accompany a divorce.

Select Experience

  • Used the creation of trusts for the benefit of a less-propertied spouse as a way to meet that spouse’s monetary needs during a divorce while preserving family wealth for the benefit of future generations.
  • Employed a statute that allows for the appointment of a private judge to protect clients’ privacy.
  • Negotiated a parenting plan to preserve the relationship between children and both parents when family and professional demands threatened to pull the family apart geographically.
  • Successfully argued that equalization of income is not the law in Ohio and reversed an alimony order against the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
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Experience

  • Used the creation of trusts for the benefit of a less-propertied spouse as a way to meet that spouse’s monetary needs during a divorce while preserving family wealth for the benefit of future generations.
  • Employed a statute that allows for the appointment of a private judge to protect clients’ privacy.
  • Negotiated a parenting plan to preserve the relationship between children and both parents when family and professional demands threatened to pull the family apart geographically.
  • Successfully argued that equalization of income is not the law in Ohio and reversed an alimony order against the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
  • Reversed a lifetime alimony award against the owner of a privately held company.
  • Handled successful appeals in the areas of business valuation and property division, including disputes over valuation of goodwill and other intangible assets.
  • Assisted a client in avoiding potential civil and criminal tax liability discovered during divorce proceedings through the use of the IRS’s voluntary disclosure program.
  • Oversaw the unwinding of a complicated closely held family investment entity that held virtually an entire multimillion-dollar marital estate and gave rise to significant tax liability exposure.
  • Represented an individual with world-class art collection with respect to valuation disputes.

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