Law Office of Loretta Marie Helfrich
Attorney At Law
Mediator
3573 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
Telephone: 513-632-5317
Fax: 513-241-3332
Email: Loretta@LMH-LAW.com

Ohio Collaborative Family Law

Collaborative family law addresses the need for peaceful resolution of custody, visitation, parental rights, child support, and financial issues, through an out-of-court, problem-solving approach. Utilizing the collaborative process in a family law action involves a commitment to settling a dispute without resorting to litigation or threats of litigation. The lawyers chosen by the divorcing spouses are retained to help them reach a settlement and act more as advisors and counselors than as lead negotiators or litigators. The object of collaborative family law is for the spouses to maintain control of the process with the lawyers present as legal resources. Divorcing couples are encouraged to take a mature, cooperative, non-combative approach to child custody, child support, spousal support, and marital property issues. Some of the benefits of collaborative family law include:

• A commitment to cooperation and communication;
• Spouses retain control of the process;
• Accountants, appraisers, and other experts are hired by both parties, which reduces overall expense;
• Spouses shape the form of the marital settlement agreement, which diminishes conflict and keeps children out of the dispute;
• Spouses enjoy additional privacy and confidentiality, which reduces fear and anxiety.

Mediation

Mediation is another method for resolving custody, child support, visitation, parental rights, and marital property issues without going to court. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods such as mediation have many potential advantages, including:

• Reduced cost;
• Efficient resolution;
• Less emotional stress;
• Flexibility with rules and procedures;
• Control over the results.

Attorney Loretta Marie Helfrich is a mediator approved by the Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations. 

Frequently, parties want to avoid for themselves and their children the bitterness and frustration that often accompany controversies when terminating a marriage and allocating parental rights and responsibilities. Mediation offers a chance to solve problems cooperatively both pre-decree and post decree on a non-adversarial forum. Through mediation, the parties can create an agreement that settles the major issues involved in dissolving a marriage. The agreement represents the interest of both parties, and an agreement that is fair to both parties and to their children.

The Law Office of Loretta Marie Helfrich represents families in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, including Cincinnati, Batavia, Milford, Westchester, and other communities in the counties of Hamilton, Clermont, Butler, and Warren. To learn more about collaborative family law or mediation in Ohio, please contact us today.