Caring Legal Advocates for Every Concern Affecting Your Family

Representing Clients in Franklin, Delaware, & Licking Counties

The attorney-client relationship in family law is a very personal one, dealing with the most important relationships in your life.  It’s important that you feel comfortable with your family law attorney and that you trust your lawyer to understand your needs and have your best interests at heart.

At Sheppard Law Offices, we earn our clients trust every day as listening, caring legal advocates providing quality legal service with a personal touch.  Our family law attorneys  provide a wide range of legal services to assist you, whether it be in divorce, dissolution, child custody disputes, contempt proceedings or dealing with such issues as child support, spousal support, adoptions, premarital agreements or modifications of prior court orders.

Contact our Columbus (Westerville) or Newark Law Offices to schedule a free one-half (1/2) hour initial consultation with either Family Law Attorney Crystal Fernalld or Zachary Haughawout.  We welcome the opportunity to help you in any of the following areas:

DIVORCE & DISSOLUTION:  The most common reason people seek the help of a family law attorney is to obtain a divorce or dissolution and to reach an agreement on property division, child custody, child support, and alimony (spousal support).  The Ohio divorce and dissolution lawyers at Sheppard Law Offices help clients in each of these areas, and with the aid of Tax Attorney Ken Sheppard, clients can also receive a particular understanding of the tax implications of their property division and support agreements.

A dissolution is a much simpler (and a much less costly) process than a divorce.  A dissolution occurs when both a husband and wife agree in writing on all terms of the separation.  There can be no disagreement on any of the terms.  Our experienced Family Law Attorneys, Crystal Fernalld and Zachary Haughawout, will guide you through the dissolution process. 

Generally, a dissolution can be accomplished within a few months after filing the petition with the court.  There is a court hearing where both parties attend; however, at Sheppard Law Offices, we can bypass this formal court hearing through the use of the services of a retired family law judge who can officially and informally aid in this dissolution process.  Furthermore, we charge our legal fees on a fixed fee basis for dissolutions.

There are two types of divorces: contested and uncontested.  Contested divorces are what people normally think of when they hear the word divorce.  Issues of child support, child custody, visitation, shared parenting, spousal support (alimony), property division, allocation of assets and debts, and tax can be litigated for months, even years.  The cost of contested divorces can range easily from $3,500 to several thousand dollars.  When these heated battles take place at temporary order hearings, preliminary hearings, pre-trials, and the actual trial itself, you must have expereinced legal counsel on your side.  That is exactly what you get from the Divorce Attorneys of Sheppard Law Offices.

An uncontested divorce occurs where one spouse fails to appear in court during the early stages of the case or fails to answer the divorce complaint.  When Sheppard Law Offices encounters an uncontested divorce case, we charge our legal fees on a fixed fee basis.       

CHILD CUSTODY & CHILD SUPPORT:  Long after your divorce is completed, child custody and child support issues may require you to go back to court.  It’s common to seek a modification of a child support order or even a custody order as financial and family situations change and children grow.  At Sheppard Law Offices, we also help custodial parents who are having problems getting the child support that they are owed.

PRENUPTIAL & COHABITATION AGREEMENTS:  Couples have many reasons for wanting to give legal structure to their relationships.  Prenuptial agreements (also known as antenuptial agreements and premarital agreements) are becoming more common for second marriages when one or both members of the couple have children for whom they want to protect assets and ensure inheritance rights.  Cohabitation agreements give legal structure to relationships for couples who are living together and sharing expenses, who want to formalize their relationship.  A cohabitation agreement will also work for same sex couples.

ADOPTION:  The Adoption Attorneys at Sheppard Law Offices are pleased to provide assistance with all types of adoption, whether a domestic independent placement, a step-parent adoption, or finalizing an international adoption.

ESTATE PLANNING:  At Sheppard Law Offices, we have experienced that many of our clients seek to change their estate plans once their divorce or dissolution is finalized.  Typically, these clients need to remove their former spouses from their trust or will plans and redistribute their wealth to other loved ones.  Furthermore, designations on life insurance, annuity contracts, and other financial assets need to be changed to account for their new current situtation.  Designations of attorney-in-fact need to be changed on their financial powers of attorney and health care powers of attorney.

At Sheppard Law Offices, estate planning attorney Kenneth L. Sheppard, Jr. has helped hundreds of clients achieve their personal and financial estate planning objectives.  With his tax knowledge and experience, Attorney Ken Sheppard can help you successfully transfer your property to your loved ones through the use of tax saving strategies.  Furthermore, we have experienced that we significantly help our clients by adding provisions for guardianship of minor children.

Sheppard Law Offices can provide you with a Will Plan Package or a Trust Plan Package that suits your particular situation.  Both packages include living wills, durable powers of attorney for financial and healthcare.

At Sheppard Law Offices, Co., L.P.A. we listen, we advocate, and we care about the individuals and families who come to our office.  Contact our Columbus (Westerville) or Newark Law Offices to schedule a free one-half (1/2) hour initial consultation.  We look forward to serving you.

Sheppard Law Offices, Co., L.P.A.
Call Toll-Free 1 (877) 505-9455

450 Alkyre Run Drive, Suite 330
Westerville, OH 43082-6911
Telephone (614) 523-3106 • Fax (614) 523-3108
Map and Directions 

Newark Office
North Third Tower, Suite 304
51 North Third Street
Newark, OH 43055
Telephone (740) 345-7138
Map and Directions

Email Sheppard Law Offices

 "We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for protection under the Bankruptcy Code." 

Sheppard Law Offices, Co., L.P.A. serves individuals, families, and businesses throughout central Ohio, the state of Ohio, and nationwide. From offices in Columbus (Westerville) and Newark, Ohio Attorneys Kenneth L. Sheppard, Jr., Crystal L. Fernalld, Zachary R. Haughawout, and Carl N. Cottone represent clients in every county in Ohio, especially Franklin County, Delaware County, and Licking County, as well as in communities such as Columbus, Westerville, Newark, Dublin, Powell, Worthington, Lewis Center, New Albany, Upper Arlington, Hilliard, Cleveland, Akron, Beachwood, Strongsville, Canton, Massillon, Toledo, Perrysburg, Findlay, Dayton, Centerville, Mansfield, Cincinnati, Springfield, Hamilton, Mason, Fairfield, Grove City, Groveport, Bexley, Sunbury, Delaware, Lima, Marysville, Canal Winchester, Pataskala, Gahanna, Obetz, Reynoldsburg, Pickerington, Lancaster, Heath, Buckeye Lake, Johnstown, Centerburg, and Mount Vernon .

Cuyahoga County • Medina County • Summit County • Stark County • Franklin County • Delaware County • Fairfield County • Madison County • Union County • Licking County • Hamilton County • Butler County • Warren County • Montgomery County • Lucas County • Wood County • Knox County • Lorain County • Tuscarawas County