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About Judge Beth A. Smith
Judge Beth A. Smith was first elected Judge of the Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court in November of 1996. She was re-elected to the bench in November 2002 and again in November 2008 without opposition. In November of 1988, Judge Smith became the first woman elected as a Judge in the history of Mahoning County when she was elected as a Judge of the Mahoning County Area Court, initially assigned to Sebring. Judge Smith graduated from South Range High School in 1974 and she obtained her B.A. Degree from The Ohio State University in 1978. She obtained her Law Degree from Ohio Northern University in 1983. The protection of children from the stresses of divorce and the enforcement of child support remain Judge Smith's top priorities.
Court
News
June 28, 2010 : Uniform DR Forms effective July 1, 2010. The Ohio Supreme Court has approved and adopted five (5) Uniform Domestic Relations Forms which are effective July 1, 2010. You can view them by clicking on the following link to the Supreme Court's Website: Uniform DR Forms
It is important to note that the forms are not mandatory but must be accepted by all courts if they are submitted after that date. I like the new forms and encourage you to utilize them over the next 60 days while I decide whether to make them mandatory in our Court.
You will be pleased to learn that the forms closely parallel those that the Court currently uses and reflects numerous changes specifically recommended by the Court during the period of comment.
You will also be pleased to know that within a few days, the Supreme Court will make these forms available in both Microsoft Word and in a PDF writable format so that they can be easily word processed.
Specifically, the new forms are as follows:
1. Affidavit of Income & Expenses (similar to our Affidavit of Income, Expenses and Financial Disclosure)
2. Affidavit of Property (similar to our Pre-Trial Form)
3. Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (similar to our Parenting Declaration)
4. Health Insurance Affidavit (similar to our Private Health Insurance Questionnaire)
5. Motion and Affidavit or Counter Affidavit for Temporary Orders Without Oral Hearing (similar to our Request for Affidavit Order)
June 8, 2010 : Full Disclosure of Assets & Modifying Division of Property Orders . On June 8, 2010, Governor Strickland signed HB 238 into law making two important changes to Domestic Relations Law which takes effect on September 8, 2010:
A. Full Disclosure of Assets: Parties will now be statutorily required to make a full disclosure of all marital property, separate property and any of their other assets, debts, income and expenses. Moreover, if the parties substantially and willfully fail to do so, the Court will be statutorily authorized to compensate an offended spouse with a distributive award of with a greater award of marital property of up to three times the value of the nondisclosure.
B. Modifying Division of Property Orders: This amendment finally grants the Court continuing jurisdiction to modify orders regarding the division or disbursement of property upon the express written consent of both parties, or in a decree of dissolution of marriage if the parties have included as part of the separation agreement, an authorization for the court to modify the order and then later seek a modification of the order and expressly consent to the modification. These requirements make the property order modficiation process nearly identical to the spousal support modification process.
June 7, 2010 : Case Management Rule Adopted. The proposed Case Management Plan (new Local Rule 47) which was published for comment back on April 21, 2010 has been adopted in its published form and is effective June 1, 2010. I appreciate the thoughtful comments that were received.
March 24, 2010 : Notice of Destruction of Court Exhibits. In accordance with Superintendence Rule 26.01(E), the Court hereby gives notice that all exhibits submitted and/or filed with the Court between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2008 will be destroyed after sixty-one (61) days of this notification. Pursuant to Rule 26.01(F), the party originally tendering said exhibits are advised of the following:
(1) The exhibits may be retrieved within sixty (60) days;
(2) The exhibits will be destroyed if not retrieved within sixty (60) days;
(3) The exhibits may be retrieved by contacting the Court Administrator of this Court located on the 4th Floor of the Mahoning County Courthouse, 120 Market St., Youngstown, OH 44503.
(4) The final date for retrieval shall be July 1, 2010 at 4:00 P.M.
February 22 , 2008: COURT RECEIVES RECYLING AWARD. The Court is proud to announce that the Mahoning County Green Team and the Youngstown Litter Control and Recycling Programs awarded the Court an "Excellence in Recycling Award" in recognition of the the Court achieving the "highest standards of recycling which contributes to the quality of the environment in Mahoning County.
November 4,
2006: JUDGE SMITH RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD
Judge Smith with Margaret Wuwert & Nancy Moore of the Children's
Right's Council
Judge Smith was recently the proud recipient of the
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger Healer Award in Washington, D.C. at the 20th
annual Children's Rights Conference. The Children's Rights Council is an international
nonprofit organization devoted to the healthy development of children. The
award is presented to judges who promote mediation over litigation and promote
healing after the breakup of a relationship.
About Our Court
Full Time Magistrates and Staff Attorney: In 1997, Judge Smith became the first member of the Special Divisions of the Common Pleas Bench to employ Full Time Magistrates to expedite decision-making and to better serve the public. She also employed a Staff Attorney to insure that Court decisions are well supported and reflect the current state of the law. Click here to meet the Court's Magistrates and Staff Attorney.
Family Services Department: In March 1998, Judge Smith established a Family Services Department to make the Court family friendly.
Hope
House Visitation Center: In January 1999, Judge Smith joined with
the late Juvenile Judge James McNally to become an early planner and strong
supporter of the Hope House Visitation Center Project. The Court continues to
provide financial support for this important program. Due to
a 2007 grant, there are no costs associated with the use
of Hope House for Mahoning County residents.
For
Our Children: In April 2001, Judge Smith secured a $2,500.00 Grant
from the Ohio Supreme Court to establish an Educational Program for children
of families going through divorce.
Mediation: In October 2001, Judge Smith made Mediation mandatory for most families with parenting disputes, a program that has experienced great success and which earned Judge Smith recognition from The Vindicator as one of the Mahoning Valley's "People Who Made a Difference."
Pro-Se Divorce Program: Judge Smith has worked cooperatively with Northeast Ohio Legal Services to make no cost divorces available to qualifying persons with limited financial resources.
Domestic Violence: Petitions for Domestic Violence are given special priority by the Court, which works cooperatively with the VALU program of Northeast Ohio Legal Services to assist victims of domestic violence.
Mahoning
County Domestic Relations Court
120 Market St.
Youngstown, OH
44503
Phone: 330-740-2208
Fax: 330-740-2503
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