Ohio Hates Dads - Fighting for Father's Rights

If You're a Father in Ohio Facing Divorce, Act Immediately: You Must File First.

Over the past two decades, Ohio's family court system—especially in Franklin County—has shifted from a model of 50/50 shared parenting to a profit-driven scheme favoring sole custody. What began as an effort to keep both parents involved has devolved into a system that consolidates power and revenue for judges, lawyers, and affiliated service providers, while stripping rights from parents.

By coining the vague, unchallengeable term "best interest of the child," which only courts interpret, judges now routinely award primary custody to one parent, nearly every time. The system incentivizes conflict, legal fees, and campaign contributions.

Here in Franklin County judges like, Judge James Brown exemplifies this shift, running his courtroom like a pay-to-play scheme that enriches insiders while destroying families. The reality in Ohio is simple: Family Court is broken, judges are corrupt, and no one in this system cares about anything but profiting from your family's suffering.

Learn How to Protect Yourself

Key Facts About Ohio Family Courts

No Presumption of Equal Custody

Ohio law does not default to 50/50 custody. Unlike most states, in Ohio, even after paternity is legally established, courts still default to 100% custody for the mother. The father must hire an attorney to "petition" for any rights to his own children. By requiring EVERY father to hire a lawyer if he wants to see his kids, the system creates an incredibly profitable revenue stream for Ohio divorce attorneys. Ohio House Bill 14 aims to fix this by giving 50/50 time to both parents by default. (Ohio Revised Code Section 3109.042)

Systemic Bias Against Fathers

It's not you, the system is biased. The legal disparity between fathers' and mothers' default rights has resulted in Ohio being what is called a, "Mother's Rights State," in other words, this bias is baked into the system and it unequally affects fathers.

Financial Incentives

The Ohio divorce industry is a billion-dollar-a-year industry that is fueled by artificial conflict at every step. "Parenting coaches," "coordinators," "supervisors," "therapists," and other professionals all profit from prolonged custody battles. The longer and more contentious the custody battle, the more financial gain for attorneys and associated professionals.

Child Support Burden

Non-custodial parents can be mandated to pay up to 50% of their income in child support. What most people don't know is that the court in Ohio, unlike most states, is run like a business that needs to partially support itself. The state makes HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year by skimming 3% of all child support. This is hundreds of millions of dollars the court system is literally stealing directly from Ohio children to fund itself, so it naturally balloons to capture more of that income source as any institution must.

Judicial Discretion (bad and getting worse!)

These dame judges have written and introduced, "The Judges Bill", SB174 in Ohio, which takes away ALL parental rights and gives ALL power to the court under the guise of them deciding the "best interests of the child". Again, giving only themsleves the ability to decide. Oddly enough, this "best interest" often seems to align with what's in the best interest of the pocket book of the court system, judges and their affiliated professionals, odd.

No Legal Rights for Unmarried Fathers

If unmarried in Ohio, even with paternity established, a father has no legal rights to his children. Ohio is one of the few states where mothers have 100% default custody until the father legally challenges it, known as petitioning the court. In most states 50/50 custody is the default and it should be in Ohio as well.

Statistical Overview

Father's Custody Time by State

Ohio fathers receive only 32.8% of custody time on average

32.8%

Average custody time fathers in Ohio receive post-divorce

Up to 50%

Of income that can be taken as child support from non-custodial parents

Ohio is one of the WORST states statistically to have kids as a man. More often than not, a father ends up with less than equal time with his children. This is only because of our backwards and profit-driven legal system, NOT because fathers in Ohio are especially terrible dads compared to those in Kentucky or West Virginia right next door.

Divorce family silhouette showing imbalance in custody decisions

Children suffer when courts create imbalanced parenting arrangements

Sources: Custody X Change, Law Offices Of Cara L. Santosuosso, LLC

Call to Action

If you're a father in Ohio facing divorce:

DO NOT BECOME A FATHER IN THE STATE OF OHIO: Being a loving and present father is simply not an option for modern men in Ohio. Men have 0% custody of their own children by default in Ohio and an 85% chance you lose your kids if you go through a divorce. Ohio is NOT a safe place to have a child.
FILE NOW! If you are in Ohio and anyone is even THINKING of divorce, unfortunately as a man you MUST file first or risk losing everything through the use of the "Silver Bullet" technique.
Document Everything: This will do nothing but is necessary. Maintain meticulous records of all interactions and proceedings.
Seek Legal Counsel: This will do nothing but it is necessary. Consult with an attorney experienced in father's rights, if they are honest, they will tell you its already too late, if not, they will take every penny you have, then tell you its over.

OhioHatesDads.com