COVID-19 and Family Law

April 28, 2020

Divorce during COVID-19 may seem impossible, however, the courts are still open and filings are still being processed. Our Divorce During COVID-19 blog highlights the steps needed in order to ensure the process is as painless as possible.


April 22, 2020

Domestic violence updates in relation to COVID-19 can be found here.


April 13, 2020

The issues caused by COVID-19 on child custody plans are mounting. Our recent blog post focuses on the issues at-hand and the lack of general guidelines currently in force to rectify the problem.


April 10, 2020

Domestic violence cases have shown a marked increase during the mandated stay-at-home orders. Cincinnati’s numbers have increased as well. Learn more about the impact COVID-19 is having on reported cases worldwide.


April 6, 2020

The CARES Act provides many important changes to retirement plan and retirement account withdrawals. For more information regarding additional retirement withdrawal options due to COVID-19, refer to the Retirement Law Changes Under CARES blog post.


April 3, 2020

Under the emergency stimulus act (CARES), people who were not previously eligible to collect unemployment are now eligible to do so. This includes self-employed people and independent contractors. In a word, anyone whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19 will be eligible for unemployment. Additionally, the law pays an additional $600 per week to laid-off and furloughed workers for up to four months and also extends benefits by 13 weeks.

If you are partially paid in tips, the amount for which you are eligible will depend on how much of the tip income was reported as income, either by you or your employer. The amount of unemployment compensation is based upon your prior four quarters of reported income. Likewise, gig and self-employed workers must provide proper work and pay documentation in order to qualify for benefits. If you have been working exclusively under the table, you will not be entitled to any benefits whatsoever.

You can get more information about Ohio unemployment benefits at the link below:

http:// jfs.ohio.gov/ ouio/ CoronavirusAndUI. stm


April 2, 2020

In this time of crisis, health care workers are our heroes; unfortunately, many of them are on the front lines of a battle without sufficient protective equipment. We all want to offer more than words of gratitude, and Pleasantry Restaurant in OTR has created a way to help. Pleasantry is preparing and delivering meals to health care workers, and you can contribute by buying a gift meal for $10. There’s no limit to how much you can contribute, so here’s to giving back:

http:// www. pleasantryotr. com/ cardsandmeals/ buy-a- meal-for- a-healthcare- worker


April 1, 2020

Since I last posted about the Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations Court not accepting any filings, issuing any orders or holding any telephonic hearings (unlike the surrounding counties of Clermont, Butler and Warren), a new but still very limited order was issued today. This new order states that effective April 6, 2020, the Clerk of Court will accept all filings. While this will be helpful, this order does not go far enough. The Court still will not be holding any telephonic hearings or issuing decisions on cases where trials have already occurred. Furthermore, the Court will not be issuing temporary support and custody orders, leaving many families with no remedies. There is also no remedy for people violating support or parenting orders. I will continue to post on this developing issue. For more information, please access this link:

https:// www. hamiltoncountyohio. gov/ UserFiles/ Servers/ Server_3788196/ File/ Government/ Courts/ Court%20 of%20Domestic% 20Relations/ About/ UPDATED% 20Order% 20and% 20Modification %20to%20 Reduction% 20in% 20Services %20(4-1-2020) .pdf


March 31, 2020

Small businesses have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus response. For those affected, help may be on the way in the form of special “paycheck protection” loans authorized by the CARES Act. Businesses with fewer than 500 employees may qualify for loans based on previous payroll costs. Please see CARES Act for more information:

https:// www.congress.gov/ bill/116th- congress/ house-bill/ 748/text ?fbclid =IwAR2oEciJ0dNPYZo8 y8N8RPl1ynx nGFOafHJ_ FH2S2dTiQ ps7HOiCg uK-zno#toc -HB16E14 DC62F5402A B0F42414B 78CAF42


March 30, 2020

One of the unintended consequences of the coronavirus response is an increased risk for victims of domestic violence. Please note that the Hamilton, Warren, and Clermont County Domestic Relations Courts all remain open for Domestic Violence related issues:

https://www. nytimes. com/2020/ 03/24/ us/coronavirus- lockdown- domestic- violence. html?fbclid= IwAR3NBxJif _zlK5Qomd0 ruJnRu25 5SnIc0 RfvBb5hm SJsdYDH xpEQAs EFke4</a


March 25, 2020

This is a particularly dangerous time for victims of domestic violence. People are experiencing unheard of levels of stress as a result of COVID-19, facing unemployment, illness, worry about finances and health, etc. People are also ordered to stay at home. Thus, people are living under the same roof 24/7 under extremely stressful circumstances. This poses risk for spouses, partners and children. The courts are open to handle Civil Protection Order hearings and to handle criminal domestic violence cases. The procedures for obtaining a Civil Protection Order and a Temporary Protection Order have not changed.

The Alice Paul House remains open to shelter women and children. The link is below. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is also available to take calls and answer questions.

If you are in fear for your safety, resources continue to be available to you.

https: //alicepaulhouse. org

https:// www. thehotline. org/help/


March 24, 2020

As you probably know, a Stay at Home Order issued by the Ohio Department of Health is now in effect. Under the terms of the Order, all Ohio residents are required to stay at home unless they are working in an essential industry or engaging in a specific permitted activity.

However, it is important to note that travel for the purpose of transporting children pursuant to a custody agreement is considered “Essential Travel” and permitted by item 14a. Please see the terms of the Order and the Ohio Department of Health’s FAQ for more information.

https:// coronavirus. ohio.gov/ wps/portal/ gov/covid-19/ home/stay-at -home-information/ stay-at-home- order-frequently- asked-questions ?fbclid= IwAR15w4F BAydeDjOK9 fT1hka8gu4 j8LaQHM YSgBcSkq aUWA8jieAK vhamhJ8

https:// coronavirus. ohio.gov/ static/Directors OrderStayAt Home.pdf? fbclid= IwAR1TJG0 rMaavlB Tog3zwI gu7LFyfSIT tBT6IpZ-I PZ45VnGM iH67ZS2p Mrw

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