Top best Family Lawyers in Cleveland | 68 available

With more than two decades of experience practicing law in both the private and public sectors, Michele Simonelli has the knowledge necessary to handle highly personal client matters with honesty, discretion, and zealous advocacy. Her background as a Judicial Staff Attorney for the Ohio District Courts of Appeals for both the Eleventh and Seventh Districts as well as managing her private practice has provided her with unique experience and insight into the administration and practice of law in a broad scope of matters.. Michele’s experience includes researching, analyzing, and drafting judicial opinions for a three-judge panel in a variety of legal matters such as defamation, criminal menacing, and breach of contract disputes, which required her not only knowing the current law in these areas but where they may be headed. With the quickly changing laws and judgments addressing internet defamation, the ability to pivot quickly and cautiously anticipate future trends has been an invaluable skill. In her private practice, Michele has ten years of experience handling highly sensitive and emotionally charged matters including online defamation, revenge porn, highly contested divorces, custody matters as well as LGBTQIA issues.. Michele handles each client matter with careful skill and experience without judgment. She understands that her clients come to her during what may be a highly sensitive moment in their lives. Her background in psychology and counseling help her to effectively communicate with clients as well as with those whose harmful conduct has caused her clients emotional distress, financial burden, and issues with job and family relationships. In addition to practicing law, Michele teaches courses on First Amendment and Privacy Law at Kent State University.. Michele’s outside interests include cycling, kayaking, hiking and urban exploring.. Civic Involvement. League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown, President. The Legal Creative, Board of Directors. Henry H. Stambaugh Auditorium, Board of Directors. Youngstown Film Festival, Founder & President. Kent State Poynter Media Symposium, Coordinator. Presentations. NPR: All Things Considered: “Man sues 27 women in an “are we dating the same guy” Facebook group”. facebook-group. • Unauthorized Use of Name or Likeness: Can I Sue if Someone Uses My Name?, Minc Law (Dec. 29,. 2022),. likeness [://. name-likeness].. • Landmark Supreme Court Decisions on Privacy and Free Speech, Grey House Publishing,. Contributing author. • Landmark Supreme Court Decisions on Privacy and LGBTQ Issues, Grey House Publishing,. Contributing author. • A Scammer is Threatening to Post Pictures of Me: What Should I Do (Mar 2024). • How to Stop Blackmail Online (Mar 2024). • When Can You Sue For Defamation of Character? (Dec 2023). • What to Do If You Are the Target of Twitch Defamation (Sept 2023). • How to Get Your Personal Information Off the Internet (May 2023). • How to Spot Fake Sugar Baby Scams (March 2023). • Unauthorized Use of Name or Likeness: Can I Sue if Someone Uses My Name? (Dec 2022). Publications. Landmark Supreme Court Decisions on Privacy and Free Speech, Grey House Publishing, Contributing author. Landmark Supreme Court Decisions on Privacy and LGBTQ Issues, Grey House Publishing, Contributing author. Bar Admissions. Ohio. Education. Notre Dame College (B.A. in Psychology). Cleveland Marshall College of Law (J.D.). Editor, Cleveland State Law ReviewAwarded Outstanding Student in the Law of Evidence

Over her 33 years in practice, Sarah has earned a reputation as a domestic relations attorney who serves clients compassionately and effectively.. Her expertise in family law includes a broad range of issues in divorce and dissolution of marriage proceedings including valuing businesses and business interests, dividing retirement assets, determining support and designing and parenting plans. She is also experienced in post-divorce matters such as the modification and enforcement of support and parenting agreements and relocation. Her legal work for same-sex couples includes structuring parental rights agreements and dissolving unions and marriages.. Sarah’s approach is to explore whether certain dispute resolution strategies can achieve her clients’ goals through alternatives to litigation, but she also has extensive experience with complex litigation for businesses and families. She has advanced training in interest-based negotiation processes of Cooperative and Collaborative Law and is a qualified divorce mediator.. Sarah is regarded by her clients as an attorney who is compassionate but also a tough competitor, a characteristic she demonstrates outside her legal work as an ice hockey player. She is married with one grown son.

Mr. Hoffer has been a practicing attorney since 1991.  Divorce and Family Law are the bulk of Mr. Hoffer’s caseload.  After working with several other attorneys after law school, Mr. Hoffer opened his own office on North Ocoee Street in the Spring of 1996.. In over twenty plus years of practice, Mr. Hoffer has handled thousands of divorces, custody, child support and juvenile cases. He has also tried several civil and criminal jury trials over the years representing clients facing a variety of charges including rape, murder, attempted murder, possession of controlled substances, and driving under the influence. Mr. Hoffer has also practiced in the Court of Appeals and has maintained a membership with the Bradley County Bar Association since 1991 including a stint as President in 2015-2016. He is also a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and past member of the Bradley County Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Mr. Hoffer serves on the Board of Southeast Tennessee Community Corrections.. In 2001, the Tennessee Supreme Court certified Mr. Hoffer as a Rule 31 Family Mediator. Since then, hundreds of attorneys and individuals from Bradley, Hamilton, Meigs, Knox, and McMinn, and Rhea Counties have hired Mr. Hoffer to act as a mediator in order to facilitate agreements in divorce, custody or other family law cases.. Mr. Hoffer is married to Lisa and together they have raised four girls, two of whom are now married.  Lisa and Jerry have two grandchildren and one on the way.. Credentials:

Jim brings nearly 20 years of experience to his work in domestic relations and family law, serving hundreds of families on matters such as divorce, child custody, dissolution, alimony and child support issues, juvenile court proceedings for unwed parents, prenuptial agreements and adoptions.. Jim’s work often involves complex cases marked by high conflict and emotion, so he is valued by his clients for his empathy, listening skills and his ability to help them clearly understand the process. Whenever possible, he pursues amicable resolution out of court, but Jim also is known as a fierce and dogged advocate for his clients when litigation is necessary to protect their parental and property rights.. Jim is one of only a few attorneys in Ohio to receive the designation of Certified Family Relations Law Specialist by the Ohio State Bar Association. He is married with two young boys, and his own experience with fatherhood has further enhanced his understanding of the struggles his clients face, especially in cases involving child custody.. “I have been drawn to family law because of how personal the issues are. I know that the issues involved will have a profound effect on a family’s day-to-day life. This knowledge motivates me to fight relentlessly for each client and the positive outcome they’re seeking.” – James L. Lane. Civic Involvement. Professional Affiliations

I am honored to be recognized by my peers with the highest possible rating for professional excellence and ethics- "AV Preeminent" by Martindale-Hubbell for over 25 years. I have also been recognzied by my peers as an "Ohio Super Lawyer' for 13 consecutive  years and by Best Lawyers in America for 5 consecutive years. I am an  experienced trial attorney and former adjunct professor of law that represents injured citizens in Ohio harmed by medical errors and other acts of negligence. I have over 37 years of experience representing seriously injured persons and their families. My law firm has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the area of medical negligence and personal injury. We handle medical negligence claims as well as catastrophic personal injury, vaccine claims and trucking collision claims with over $200 million in compensation recovered for our clients. My experienced team of lawyers and nurses will get your questions answered and let you know if you have a case. Put my team to work for you and let us help you or a loved one. See  for more details.

Brian M. Urban strives to offer his clients the opportunity to effectively participate, with his guidance, in the process they select for their own particular family law matters. Brian is able to provide his guidance by drawing upon over thirty-five years of experience as a litigator, advisor and negotiator since his 1979 admission to the practice of law in Ohio. He has been a Certified Specialist in family relations law in Ohio since the inception of that specialization certification in 2001. Martindale Hubbell's Law Directoryhas awarded its top AV rating to both Brian and his firm.Brian has eagerly embraced the emergence of Collaborative Family Law as a meaningful alternative to those clients who wish to minimize the impact of a divorce or other family crisis upon their children, preserve their ability to communicate with their former spouses, and obtain a divorce or other resolution with their dignity intact. Brian is a founding member and serves as a director of the Cleveland Academy of Collaborative Professionals, the first professional organization in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio that is solely devoted to furthering collaborative practice for the benefit of divorcing couples and other families in transition. He is also a member of the Northeast Ohio Collaborative Professionals group and of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.Brian earned his B.A. degree,magna cum laude, from John Carroll University and J.D. degree, cum laude, from Cleveland State University. He appears in the Martindale Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, has been selected by Inside Business periodical as one of the Leading Lawyers in Northeastern Ohio annually since 2000, and has been selected by Law & Politics periodical as one of Ohio's Super Lawyers annually since 2004. Brian is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan, the Ohio State, and the American Bar Associations, and has been admitted to the bars of both the State of Ohio and the United States Supreme Court.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in Cleveland and surrounding areas.