Cara L. Santosuosso
Top rated Family Law attorney in Westlake, Ohio
Practice Areas:
Family law,
Alternative dispute resolution,
Civil litigation,
Adoption,
Divorce,
Child support,
Custody & visitation,
Domestic violence,
Mediation & collaborative law,
Same sex family law
Education Qualification:
Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
Practice Areas:
Family law,
Alternative dispute resolution,
Civil litigation,
Adoption,
Divorce,
Child support,
Custody & visitation,
Domestic violence,
Mediation & collaborative law,
Same sex family law
1991 Crocker Rd, Suite 600Westlake, Ohio, 44145
First Admitted: 1998, Ohio
Professional Webpage: https://www.clslawohio.com/
Bar/Professional Activity:
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2006
- Center for Principled Family Advocacy, President www.famad.com, 2024
- West Short Bar Association
- Ohio Women's Bar Association
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 1999
- Ohio State Bar Association
- Past Member, Magnificat High School Alumnae Board
- State of Ohio, November 1998
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Justinian Forum (Society of Italian-American Legal Professionals)
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
- In Re P.L., 2019-Ohio-4681 (Eighth District Court of Appeals, 2022) Summary judgment; Civ.R. 56; paternity; Uniform Parentage Act; R.C. Chapter 3111; acknowledgement of paternity; genetic testing; R.C. 3111.25; R.C. 3111.26; R.C. 3111.27; rescission; R.C. 3111.28; fraud; procedural due process; legislative intent; R.C. 3111.04; standing. The trial court properly granted summary judgment in favor of defendants. Defendants complied with the applicable provisions under R.C. Chapter 3111 in filing their acknowledgment of paternity at the time of the child’s birth. The acknowledgement of paternity had not been rescinded by defendants or modified in any way. As a result, defendants’ acknowledgement of paternity became final and enforceable. Appellant’s action to assert his parental rights and establish paternity, filed more than eight years after the child was born and the acknowledgment of paternity was filed by defendants, was untimely. The relief sought by appellant is not authorized under the current version of R.C. Chapter 3111. Accordingly, defendants were entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. See related case, In Re K.L., 2022-Ohio-992 (Ninth District Court of Appeals, 2022). , 2019
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- OSBA Certified Specialist in Family Relations Law, 2025
Educational Background:
- Cleveland Marshall College of Law, J.D., 1998
- John Carroll University, University Hts., OH, Bachelor of Arts in English, Magna Cum Laude, 1995
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Presenter for Continuing Legal Education Seminar on Custody & Visitation, Parental Alienation, and Recent Developments in Same-Sex Marriage Issues in Ohio, Presenter, Advanced Custody and Support Issues in Ohio, NBI, Inc., 2022
- Women in the Law, Featured Speaker, 2014
- Smartphone, Social Media and Email Evidence in Divorce Litigation, Presenter, Legal Ethics: Smartphone, Social Media and Email Evidence, NBI, Inc., 2018
- Advanced Family Law, Non-Traditional Family Structures And Paternity Disputes, 2012
- Your Family Law Practice in the 21st Century, Domestic Violence and Civil Protection Orders, 2011
- NBI, Presenter, Recent Developments in the Rights of Same Sex and Unmarried Couples: Practical Implications, Advanced Custody and Support Issues, 2017
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