There’s no question about it, in a divorce, dissolution, or when parents decide to live separately, one of the most difficult issues is where the children will live. When your children have been living with you full time, it’s hard to adjust to the idea that they might soon be spending most of their time […]
Ohio law says that child custody matters, also known as the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities, are to be decided based on “the best interest of the child.” But who decides what is in a child’s best interest? Ultimately, that decision is up to the judge in the case if the parents cannot reach […]
Nearly half of married couples eventually terminate their marriages by divorce or dissolution, but most of us live our lives as if we are going to be in the other half. That leads to making decisions with the expectation that our marriages will last “until death do us part.” When that parting comes sooner, by […]
A wise person once said: “Just because a decision is the right one doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt to make it.” For many people, divorce or separation from a partner is absolutely the right decision. But whether or not you want a divorce, it is a painful process to go through. Unfortunately, that is […]
Plenty of parents argue over what first name to give their child. But sometimes parents may also disagree over what a child’s last name should be, such as when the parents are unmarried and have different surnames. Changing a child’s last name can be a big process depending on your circumstances, but if you have […]
Every family faces its own challenges going through a divorce; families that have children with special needs may face more challenges than most. Depending on the age of your child and the nature of their needs, divorce or dissolution with a special needs child requires extra planning to make sure that your child is both […]
You can do lots of things without professional help: cook a gourmet meal, tile a bathroom floor, cut your own hair. But just because you can do something on your own doesn’t mean that you should. Some DIY projects have higher stakes than others. If you burn the gourmet meal, delivery from a local restaurant […]
People seek therapy or other mental health treatment for a variety of reasons: to deal with depression or anxiety, to overcome childhood trauma, to learn healthy coping mechanisms, or to deal with current life stressors. Family law clients who have been in counseling, or would like to seek counseling, often worry about the impact it […]
With apologies to the Peace Corps, which coined the phrase, we would argue that parenting is really the “toughest job you’ll ever love.” And it can be even tougher for single parents. You don’t have backup, you don’t get sick days. It’s all on you, all the time. No matter how rewarding parenting is, most […]
Most of us found 2020 to be a pretty difficult year. Many people saw their income decrease, and parents of young children were faced with the need to keep their kids safe, fed, happy, and educated through the pandemic. In the best of times, parenting is challenging. Under the circumstances many parents faced last year, […]
Melissa Graham-Hurd & Associates, LLC
4030 Massillon Road
Green, Ohio 44685
(330) 996-4099
(330) 643-0732
