Best Family Lawyer in Cleveland

Mary Biacsi

Family Lawyer

The Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Juris Doctor, December 1989 Bowling Green State University, Bachelor of Arts in Communication, May 1986

Certified as a Family Law Specialist by the Ohio State Bar Association, January of 2006 to present

Cleveland Academy of Collaborative Professionals, Founding Member and Past President 2017-2018 International Academy of Collaborative Professionals The Center for Principled Family Advocacy, Past Member The Ohio State Bar Association The Cleveland Metro Bar Association – Past Vice-Chair

Super Lawyers 2012-2020 Top 25: 2019-2020 Women Cleveland Super Lawyers Top 50: 2019-2020 Women Ohio Super Lawyers 2010 Top Ten Woman Business Owners, National Association of Women Business Owners

Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, Board of Directors, Board Secretary Past Member and Board of Directors, The Accelerator Program – Entrepreneurs Organization

Nicholas Weiss

Family Lawyer

Nick Weiss opened his practice after nine years of practicing civil litigation and representing companies in-house. A transplant from Maine, he now represents families, individuals, and businesses throughout northeast Ohio. He is proud to have been AV Preeminent rated by Martindale Hubbell, and has been selected as one of the exclusive Super Lawyers Rising Stars.

Nick lives in South Euclid with his wife, daughter, and dog, Bernie. When he is not at the office, he can be found playing tennis at the Cain Park courts, or supporting his favorite local theater company, the Ohio Shakespeare Festival.

Nick graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and The College of Wooster, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations. As a law student, Nick competed in Case Western Reserve’s Mock Trial competition and won the William E. Davis prize for excellence in trial advocacy. Nick also served as the Senior Editor of Case Western Reserve’s Journal of International Law, which published his note on the prosecution of international war criminals in the United States and Canada in March, 2013.

Rick Zurz

Family Lawyer

Hello, I’m Rick Zurz, and I sincerely appreciate your interest in our firm and the potential ways we can assist you in all facets of personal injury law.

As the managing partner at Slater & Zurz, LLP, I maintain active involvement in each case our firm undertakes. I was named one of the top 100 civil plaintiff lawyers in 2022, showing my commitment to our practice.

When we represent a client, our approach is characterized by thorough and meticulous case preparation to ensure that our client receives fair and just treatment in the eyes of the law. Throughout the legal process, we prioritize keeping you informed and engaged. This is your case, and you will always retain control over it. Our mission is to provide you with seasoned and professional guidance to empower you to make well-informed decisions and take appropriate actions on your behalf.

I’m originally from Akron, Ohio. I grew up in a family with close ties to the law. Both my father and grandfather were judges, so there was a pretty good chance that I was going to have a career in the legal profession. I attended college at Bowling Green State University, graduating in 1975. I went to law school at the University of Akron and received both my Law Degree and my Master’s Degree in Taxation in 1982. I have been practicing law in excess of 40 years and have handled thousands of cases.

Sherry

Family Lawyer

Sherry was raised on a farm in Huron County, Ohio by two wonderful parents, who instilled in Sherry morals, work ethics and due diligence, which has been an asset in her practice of law. Sherry has a younger brother, sister-in-law and two nephews. She has a beautiful teenage daughter who never ceases to amaze Sherry with her accomplishments. Her daughter is an honor student, a cheerleader and dances competitively.

Sherry was born with a club foot, which required multiple surgeries during her youth. At the age of nine, she was involved in a medical malpractice case when her podiatrist incorrectly applied a cast on her leg, which caused an infection. During the pendency of the lawsuit and observing the legal process, Sherry came to the realization that she wished to pursue a career in law in order to help others the way she was cared for by her attorney. The judge and attorneys involved in her case attempted to persuade her to pursue another career path, but she was persistent and diligently worked towards her goal to become an attorney to assist others in need.

Sherry earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, cum laude, from The University of Toledo in 1994.  She earned her Juris Doctorate from The University of Toledo, College of Law in 1998.  After being admitted into the State of Ohio Bar, Sherry served as a Staff Attorney for Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations for 11 ½ years.  During her tenure as a Staff Attorney, Sherry assisted judges and magistrates with various complex legal issues and was a member of various committees, including the Legal Forms Committee and the Local Rules Committee.  Sherry is trained in collaborative law and mediation.  She contributes to the legal treatise of Sowald & Morganstern’s Domestic Relations Law and the Domestic Relations Journal of Ohio by Thomson Reuters, both premier legal resources.

After leaving the county domestic relations court, Sherry joined the law firm of Slive & Slive Co., L.P.A. in 2012, where she remained for four years.  In early 2016, Sherry began her own practice, The Naegele Law Firm, LLC. Her firm encompasses all areas of family law, including divorce, dissolutions, domestic violence, property distribution, child support, spousal support, parental rights (custody and visitation), and juvenile court matters.    

Sherry has resided in Cuyahoga County for approximately twenty years.  She enjoys participating in local town functions, attending country music concerts and watching horror and suspense movies. Sherry enjoys spending time with her family in the outdoors, including hiking, exploring state and national parks in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and gardening.   

Eric R. Laubacher

Family Lawyer

Eric R. Laubacher founded this practice in 1999 after earning his Juris Doctorate from the Cleveland Marshall College of Law. Eric is a graduate of the American Bar Association Domestic Relations Litigation Institute, and is routinely appointed by Ohio family law courts to advocate for children during divorce cases through the Guardian ad Litem project. Eric is a past nominee for Guardian ad Litem of the Year.

Eric is a skilled practitioner and focuses his practice around family law matters, including divorce, child custody and visitation, child support, and marital property division. Eric is rated as one of the top family law attorneys in the greater Cleveland area. Through Eric’s high levels of peer recognition and professional achievement, he has been included several times in the yearly list of Ohio Super Lawyers.

Prior to pursuing a career in law, Eric worked in a variety of positions, ranging from recruiting scientists and engineers at the NASA John Glenn Research Center in Cleveland to founding a property appraisal company and working as a Senior Real Estate Appraiser. Eric brings a valuable business background and extensive professional knowledge of real estate valuation to his clients in complex divorce proceedings, in cases of marital property division that include large estates or family owned businesses.

Outside of his professional career, Eric has been a past member of the Board of Directions for the United Cerebral Palsy of Cleveland, and served as the Treasurer and Secretary for the Emerald Developmental Economic Network, Inc., from 1997 through 2008. Eric currently serves on the Board of the Child and Family Advocates of Cuyahoga County. He is engaged in local politics, and enjoys camping, biking and kayaking in his spare time.

Joseph G. Stafford

Family Lawyer

Joseph G. Stafford is the managing partner of Stafford Law Co., L.P.A.  Joseph has practiced law for thirty nine (39) years in the field of Family Law. Joseph and members of his firm, specialize in, and enjoy one of the largest domestic relations practices in Northeast Ohio.

Joseph Stafford graduated from the University of Dayton, Summa Cum Laude, in 1982, and then graduated from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1984. Joseph was licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio in 1985, and in the same year was licensed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Joseph has built and maintained his practice as an experienced, competent, and zealous advocate on behalf of his clients throughout the State of Ohio. Joseph handles complex domestic relations litigation as well as assisting individuals with straight forward issues and problems. Joseph’s practice includes cases involving complex business evaluation issues and issues involving martial assets and non-marital assets. Joseph has represented high profile clients throughout Ohio and recognizes that often times litigation cannot be avoided. Joseph is one of the elite trial and appellate lawyers practicing in the field of domestic relations in the State of Ohio.
Joseph has lectured at various Continuing Legal Education programs on topics of Family Law and Trial Practice. Read Joseph Stafford’s blog.

Brian M. Urban

Family Lawyer

Brian M. Urban strives to offer his clients the opportunity to effectively participate, with his guidance, in processes designed to reach resolution of their family law matters without court intervention. His clients choose from the array of collaborative divorce, mediation, kitchen table and lawyer negotiation processes. Brian is able to provide his guidance by drawing upon multiple decades 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 Directory has awarded its top AV rating to Brian for over twenty consecutive years.*

Brian has eagerly embraced the emergence of Collaborative Divorce 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, past president and 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

Elizabeth

Family Lawyer

Elizabeth is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and has served on the Young/New Attorneys Section Steering Committee. In addition, Elizabeth is a member of the Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Law sections of the Ohio State Bar Association, and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. She is a frequently speaker for NBI (National Business Institute) and local groups and is consistently rated highly by her clients. Elizabeth has been in given 5 out of 5 stars on avvo.com and lawyers.com and has been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as a Client Champion. She earned her B.A. degree, magna cum laude and with honors distinction, from the Ohio State University, and her J.D. degree from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where she was on Law Review.

The Perla Law Firm, LLC, established in 2017, provides competent and compassionate guidance in the areas of estate planning, probate, elder law and family law. Prior to The Perla Law Firm, LLC, Elizabeth was an attorney for The Law Offices of Randall M. Perla for ten years. Attorney Randall M. Perla, a distinguished attorney listed in Martindale-Hubbell’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell for 20 straight years and recognized by SuperLawyers, continues to offer his expertise to the practice.

When she is not working, you can find Elizabeth spending time with her husband and four children.

What is the function of the family law?

The function of family law is to regulate and manage the legal aspects of relationships and responsibilities within families. It encompasses a broad range of issues that arise from familial relationships, including marriage, divorce, child custody, adoption, and domestic violence. The primary functions of family law include:

1. Protecting the Rights of Family Members

  • Individual Rights: Family law ensures that the legal rights of all family members, including spouses, children, and parents, are recognized and protected. This includes the right to marry, the right to seek a divorce, and the right to make decisions regarding one’s own children.
  • Fair Treatment: Family law seeks to ensure that all parties are treated fairly in legal proceedings. This includes equitable distribution of property in a divorce, fair child custody arrangements, and appropriate levels of child or spousal support.

2. Regulating Family Relationships

  • Marriage and Divorce: Family law establishes the legal requirements for entering into and dissolving a marriage. It regulates the legal process of marriage, including age and consent requirements, and governs the process of divorce, including grounds for divorce and the division of marital property.
  • Parental Rights and Responsibilities: Family law defines the rights and responsibilities of parents, including the obligation to support and care for their children. It regulates child custody and visitation arrangements, ensuring that the best interests of the child are prioritized.

3. Ensuring the Welfare of Children

  • Child Protection: One of the central functions of family law is to protect the welfare of children. This includes setting legal standards for child custody, support, and welfare, as well as providing mechanisms for intervention in cases of abuse or neglect.
  • Best Interests of the Child: Family law emphasizes the best interests of the child in all legal decisions involving children, whether it’s in custody disputes, adoption proceedings, or child protection cases.

4. Resolving Family Disputes

  • Conflict Resolution: Family law provides a legal framework for resolving disputes within families. This includes mediation and negotiation processes to help families reach agreements without going to court, as well as formal court procedures when necessary.
  • Enforcement of Agreements: Family law ensures that agreements reached in family matters, such as divorce settlements or custody arrangements, are legally binding and enforceable. It provides remedies when one party fails to comply with these agreements.

5. Facilitating Adoption and Guardianship

  • Adoption: Family law governs the legal process of adoption, ensuring that it is conducted in a manner that protects the rights of all parties involved, particularly the child. It sets out the legal requirements for adopting a child and establishes the legal relationship between the adoptive parents and the child.
  • Guardianship: Family law also provides for the appointment of guardians for minors or incapacitated adults who cannot care for themselves. It regulates the responsibilities of guardians and ensures that the guardianship arrangement serves the best interests of the individual.

6. Addressing Domestic Violence

  • Protection Orders: Family law plays a crucial role in addressing domestic violence by providing legal protections for victims. This includes issuing restraining orders or protection orders to prevent further abuse and ensuring that victims have access to legal and social services.
  • Legal Recourse: Family law provides legal recourse for victims of domestic violence, allowing them to seek protection, custody of children, and financial support while holding the abuser accountable.

7. Managing Financial Issues within Families

  • Property Division: In the event of a divorce, family law governs the division of marital property and debts. It seeks to ensure a fair distribution based on the contributions and needs of each spouse.
  • Spousal and Child Support: Family law regulates the financial responsibilities of spouses and parents, including the payment of spousal support (alimony) and child support. These financial obligations are intended to ensure that the needs of dependent spouses and children are met after a separation or divorce.

8. Providing Legal Structure for Non-Traditional Families

  • Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships: Family law also addresses the needs of non-traditional families, including those in civil unions or domestic partnerships. It provides a legal framework for the recognition and dissolution of these relationships.
  • LGBTQ+ Families: As societal norms evolve, family law adapts to address the legal needs of LGBTQ+ families, including issues related to marriage, adoption, and parental rights.

Conclusion

The function of family law is to provide a structured legal framework for managing family relationships and resolving disputes. It aims to protect the rights of all family members, ensure the welfare of children, and offer legal mechanisms for conflict resolution and the enforcement of agreements. By doing so, family law plays a vital role in maintaining order, fairness, and justice within the family unit.

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