About Susan M. Weaver

To Susan Weaver, being an attorney is a profession, not a business. She is a vigorous advocate for her clients, providing quality personalized legal services to individuals, families, and small businesses. Years of experience and a prior career in social work have given Susan the insight and sensitivity to understand her client's needs.

Susan is focused on both the legal and emotional needs of her clients. Particularly in divorce cases, she makes sure her client maintains a sense of control throughout the entire process through laying out options, pointing out choices, and making recommendations along the way.

As a member of The Center for Principled Family Advocacy, she is committed to restoring dignity and reducing the pain for those directly involved in family disputes. She believes an adversarial divorce does not really serve anyone.

Admitted: Ohio 1980

Education:
Cleveland State University, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Cleveland, OH
J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 1976
M.S.S.A., Masters in Social Service Administration

Westlake Divorce Lawyer
Susan M. Weaver Attorney at Law

Family law practice encompasses both Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts. In some counties they are separate courts, in others they have been combined. In Cuyahoga County they are separate. If the parents were not legally married all issues pertaining to the children are handled by the Juvenile Court. If the parents were married the issues are resolved in Domestic Relations Court.

In Lorain County the courts are separate but the judges are the same and they are in the same courthouse.

In both Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court the standard applied for parenting and visitation is primarily the best interest of the child standard. There is no preference in the law for one parent over the other.

Each court has its own rules and resources to assist people in working through the various family law issues. Some courts have very structured departments and programs, some courts have a much looser arrangement. All courts have some sort of Guardian ad Litem program.

A Guardian ad Litem (GAL) is a person appointed by the Court to represent the children’s best interest. Depending on the court, the GAL may be an attorney, a social worker, or may have no special training at all. It is the GAL’s job to try to keep the children out of the middle of the conflict between the parents. The GAL will have access to the children, each of the parents and any other person he or she feels it is important to talk with, including therapists, grandparents, neighbors, anyone at all.

Each Domestic Relations Court handles Civil Domestic Violence cases. It is not unusual to have both a Civil Domestic Violence Case in the Domestic Relations Court and a Criminal Domestic Violence Case in the Municipal Court involving the same parties at the same time. The difference is in the burden of proof and the consequences of being found guilty.

In a Civil Domestic Violence Case a finding of guilt means that a person will not be allowed to return to their home, may not have a visitation or limited visitation with their children and will not be allowed to be near or communicate with their spouse or significant other. In the criminal case a finding of guilt means that a person will go to jail.

Family Law Areas of Practice

• Divorce
• Custody/Parenting
• Child Support
• Visitation
• Separation
• Domestic Violence
• Juvenile Proceedings