Domestic Violence – No More Silence
The number of reported domestic violence cases has dramatically increased over the years since the domestic violence statute went into effect in Ohio in 1978. These numbers shocked me, even as a Dayton divorce lawyer who entered the practice back in 1978.
Chief Montgomery County Magistrate Keith Hall recently reported the following:
- In 1978 there were 35 Civil Domestic Violence Filings
- In 1979 there were 50 Civil Domestic Violence Filings
- In 2016 there were 1,400 Civil Domestic Violence Filings
- In 2017 there were 1,710 Civil Domestic Violence Filings
Believe it or not, this number of Civil Domestic Violence Filings in 2017 EXCEEDED the total number of divorces and dissolutions combined that year!
To try to help put this in context, I interviewed Jane Keiffer, MSW, LISW, the Executive Director of the Artemis Center in Dayton. Ms. Keiffer explained that she did not interpret these numbers to mean necessarily that MORE domestic violence was occurring, but that there was much more awareness in our society. She told me that in addition the #metoo movement “has allowed individuals to speak up when they have been afraid and has given some the courage to acknowledge what they … Read More... “Domestic Violence – Let’s Look at the Local Statistics!”
Don’t forget to discuss with your Dayton divorce lawyer before the final hearing if you want to be reinstated to a former name. This is the time to accomplish the name change with ease, and typically, without any additional costs! Procedures vary from court to court whether the name change can be submitted as part of the Final Decree or by way of a separate Court Order. Either way, it is easy, and the wife has the right to decide whether she wants to keep her married surname. No, husbands, you cannot require your ex to relinquish your surname. And wives cannot pick a new surname; they can only be reinstated to a maiden or former name.