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No issue in family law carries more emotional weight than the question of who raises your children and how much time you get to spend with them.
No issue in family law carries more emotional weight than the question of who raises your children and how much time you get to spend with them. A custody decision made today shapes your child’s daily life, their sense of security, and your relationship with them for years to come. At Panico Law Group, our custody and parenting time attorneys in Columbus and Delaware, Ohio have spent over 35 years fighting to protect parental rights and secure outcomes that genuinely serve the best interests of children across Franklin County and Delaware County.
Ohio courts do not use the word custody in the traditional sense. Instead, they address the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities under Ohio Revised Code ยง3109.04. This framework covers two distinct issues. Legal custody determines which parent makes major decisions about a child’s education, healthcare, religious upbringing, and general welfare. Physical custody, or parenting time, determines where the child lives and how much time each parent spends with them.
Ohio courts strongly favor shared parenting arrangements that keep both parents actively involved in a child’s life. However, shared parenting does not automatically mean a fifty-fifty time split. The court examines the best interests of the child using a comprehensive set of factors including each parent’s relationship with the child, the stability of each home environment, each parent’s willingness to support the other’s relationship with the child, and any history of domestic violence or substance abuse. Understanding how Ohio judges weigh these factors is not something you learn from reading statutes. It is something you learn from 35 years of standing in those courtrooms.
At Panico Law Group, we build parenting plans that reflect the real needs of your family, not generic templates pulled from a form library. We negotiate shared parenting agreements that protect your time and your decision-making authority. We litigate aggressively when the other parent acts in bad faith, attempts to alienate your children, or violates existing court orders. We work with guardian ad litem professionals, child psychologists, and parenting evaluators when expert testimony strengthens your case. We also represent parents facing custody modifications when a substantial change of circumstances demands a new arrangement.
We have represented business executives, professional athletes, and working parents in some of the most complex and high-conflict custody disputes in central Ohio. We understand that parenting time schedules must account for demanding professional obligations, travel requirements, and the evolving needs of growing children. Whatever your situation demands, we approach it with the same depth of preparation and the same commitment to protecting your family.
We proudly represent parents throughout Columbus, Delaware, Westerville, Powell, Dublin, and all communities within Franklin County and Delaware County. Our attorneys know the local rules of each court, the preferences of the judges who hear these cases, and the practical realities that shape custody outcomes in central Ohio. That local knowledge matters enormously in a case where every detail about your child’s life is relevant.
Your children deserve a parent who fights for them. Call Panico Law Group today to schedule a confidential consultation with an experienced custody and parenting time attorney in Columbus or Delaware, Ohio.
