When can parents obtain an emergency custody order in Ohio?
Ohio custody orders are often the result of protracted legal negotiations. People either present their case to a family law judge in Ohio or negotiate...
Carpenter Family Law LLC provides strategic, personalized, and outcome-focused representation in family law matters throughout Columbus and Central Ohio. Our law firm is relentless in its commitment to protecting what matters most to you—family, reputation, and financial security.
Led by Kendra Carpenter, a certified family law specialist recognized by Ohio Super Lawyers, Columbus CEO’s Top Attorneys, and other respected publications, the firm is trusted by professionals who have the most at stake. With extensive experience and a proven track record of success, Carpenter Family Law is the law office to trust when the outcome truly matters.
The stakes are always higher when you have more to protect. Many we work with have significant assets, business interests, real estate, and investment portfolios. We protect your financial interests through strategic planning and strong advocacy.
We are skilled negotiators and litigators, known to represent our clients’ interests fully. Our goal is to protect your long-term financial interests and ensure fair, workable parenting arrangements. Whether that means avoiding a completely one-sided financial burden or securing meaningful parenting time.
We assist clients with private, stepparent, and grandparent adoptions, ensuring all legal requirements are met with efficiency and care. Our goal is to protect your family interests by securing legally protected bonds.
Our family law lawyers in Columbus focus exclusively on family law, high-asset divorces, custody disputes, spousal support, and property division involving business valuations and complex financial matters.
Every case begins with a meeting and a plan. We know what it takes to understand your goals and can consult with you on how to get there while maintaining your financial and personal interests.
We have vast experience in family law. Our founding attorney is certified as a family law specialist in Ohio and is a leader in family law. She has been recognized among the top in her field by many publications. She chairs several statewide family law committees and is a contributing author of Ohio’s only domestic relations journal, as well as the attorney-relied upon treatise. She has testified before the Ohio legislature on pending family law bills and serves on committees that are responsible for reviewing proposed changes to family law.
When it comes to fighting for our clients, we are second to none. Whether we are navigating mediation or pushed to litigation, we never shy away from a court battle if that’s what it takes to protect your interests. That’s why we say that we have the courage to fight and the knowledge to win.
Our law firm is focused only on family law, and this allows us to put all our time and energy into growing our expertise in this area of law. Many attorneys are generalists and handle a wide variety of cases, we are not.
Family law is personal, and discretion is essential. High-level professionals turn to us because we understand the stakes. We work closely with financial experts, business advisors, and other professionals to build strong, data-supported cases.
Your success is our priority. We are committed to doing everything possible to achieve meaningful, lasting results for you and your family. Every step we take is guided by this promise, and we’ve helped hundreds of people overcome their most challenging family law matters with skill, dedication, and care.
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Kendra is an excellent attorney, who not only knows the law, more importantly she also understands...
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Our clients value clarity, efficiency, and candor—and that’s exactly what we deliver. Here are some questions our clients typically ask at our initial consultation.
If you are facing or would like to initiate a significant life change involving family, such as a potential divorce, child custody dispute, child support issue, or anything of that nature, you should have an attorney available. It is always recommended to have an Ohio family law attorney involved before any actions are taken if possible.
No, not necessarily, and not with an experienced attorney. There are two types of property, marital and separate. Marital property refers to assets acquired during the marriage. Separate property is not subject to division and includes things like inheritance, gifts, and things owned prior to the marriage. Separate property issues can be complicated, because it is your burden to prove the assets are separate. Our law firm is experienced and knowledgeable about tracing assets to prove they remain your separate property.
In Ohio, the two most common methods of ending a marriage is either a divorce or a dissolution of marriage divorce. A divorce is a type of civil lawsuit with the spouse who files for divorce being the plaintiff, and the other spouse acting as the defendant. The divorce process can be most necessary when one spouse does not want to end the marriage the spouses cannot settle property division, you believe your spouse is hiding assets, there is a dispute over custody of your children. In a dissolution, the spouses file jointly after reaching agreements on key issues. Dissolution tends to be faster and less expensive than divorce, but it isn’t appropriate or possible in every case.
It’s possible but not guaranteed. In Ohio, courts consider various factors when deciding whether to award spousal support, including the length of the marriage, the income and earning abilities of each spouse, and the standard of living established during the marriage.
In Ohio, child custody (known as parental rights and responsibilities) is determined based on the “best interests of the child.” The court considers many factors, including how well the parties cooperate with each other, the parent who is more likely to honor a court order relating to parenting time, and the child’s adjustment to their home, school, and community.
That is a common question that is not easily answered. It all depends on how much time is spent on the case, which can be reflective of how difficult the other side is. Are they going to cooperate with discovery? Are they going to file motion after motion which requires multiple hearings? Are they going to act in good faith and work toward settlement, or do they want to keep fighting? Cost also depends upon the court. Each county and each judge within the county run their respective courtrooms in their own manner. Smaller counties get cases done faster than bigger counties.
Ohio custody orders are often the result of protracted legal negotiations. People either present their case to a family law judge in Ohio or negotiate...
Divorce is difficult for anyone who goes through it – especially when the couple has a child or children. Child custody matters can cause significant...
There was a time when married couples approaching their fifties primarily remained together, regardless of any problems with their marriages. “Toughing it out” for stability’s...
