Michael Sheets | Dayton Divorce & Family Lawyer

I had a criminal case where the Defendant was accused of Felony Theft of Drugs. I was able to make sure she kept her Nurses' license while avoiding a conviction. Also, a Custody case where the Father, who had never had any visitation rights previously, was able to get Shared Parenting, with him as primary residential parent.

I went out on my own right out of law school. I found a very affordable office, I kept my expenses very low as I worked to build up a client base. I was also fortunate enough to have guidance from several more experienced attorneys, like my brother Kenneth Sheets, as well as current and former Judges, Steve Wolaver, Jim Piergies, Steve Hurley, and AJ Wagner.

First and foremost: Honesty. Your attorney should, relatively often, tell you things you DON'T want to hear. If the attorney just keeps agreeing with you on everything you want, he probably isn't being as blunt and honest with you as he should be. Next is someone who has experience. An attorney should be able to give you references of clients he has served well in the past. Like any other service oriented business, satisfied customers are an important indication of performance. Finally, an attorney who YOU are comfortable with. If that attorney is too informal for you, or too formal for you, or you just don't feel like you like their approach, you may be better off looking elsewhere.

Very. While all of our Judges are very fair and don't play favorites, an attorney who practices in front of local judges on a regular basis gets to know what a judge is specifically looking for in cases, and what the judge DOESN'T want to see in his court. It allows us to steer the case properly to get the best result for our client.

We can often get a very complete picture of what the client is dealing with. We can certainly get enough to resolve any immediate issues or questions, to protect the client. And we can normally put the client's mind at ease that they are going to have our support, if they choose to retain us. If the client is more comfortable coming in for an appointment, though, we are happy to do that.

It really depends on the case. In Family law matters we need to know the case number (if there is one), so we can look up what has occurred on the Court's website. If the case hasn't begun, we need to know specifics about the situation, such as the length of the marriage, the income of the parties, if there are children of the marriage, etc. In criminal cases we need to know what you were charged with and what Court your case is in. We will delve into the case more deeply after that.

I like to think that I am closer to my clients than most attorneys. I want to my clients achieve their goals, not just because it is a job, but because I want THEIR case to succeed. I also feel that I am much more accessible than many attorneys. We are a small firm and you know you are going to speak to me or my assistant at all times.

The sense of satisfaction when I get the best possible result for a client.

I have been a high school baseball and football coach for over 30 years. I am currently the Varsity Coach at Carroll High School in Dayton, a Catholic school of about 800 students.

Yes, primarily through youth organizations relating to athletics and recreation.

• Greene County Bar Association
  Montgomery County Bar Association
  Ohio State Bar Association
  Greene County Ethics and Grievance Committee
  Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
  

• Felony Theft of Drugs
  Nurse charged with taking drugs from various hospitals. Pursued and obtained Intervention in Lieu of Conviction. Client served no jail time and is now back to work as a nurse with her former employer.

• Contempt of Court Against Mother
  Father filed contempt saying mother had interfered with his visitation and info on the child's school and athletics. After contested case, Mother was completely exonerated. Greene County Domestic Relations Court.

• Juvenile Court Custody Case - Greene County
  Father and Mother had never had a custody agreement for 9 years of the child's life. Child had severe mental disabilities and Mother cut father off from child. We sought and won full custody of the child.

• Grandparent's Visitation - Montgomery County Juvenile Court
  A grandmother was denied contact with her grandchildren because the parents disagreed with her sexual orientation. Litigated and received regular visitation with her grandchildren. Currently pursuing even more expanded visitation.

 Weekend hours may be available on a case by case basis.

• About | Michael Sheets