What Ohio must change so this never happens to another child
My decree said I owed child support going back more than two years, to a date. I never agreed to that. I asked my lawyer, in writing, to fix it, and nothing was ever filed. These are the changes I am asking for, based on what happened with this lawyer.
Changes needed in Ohio law
- A plain-language summary before anyone signs. Before a parent signs a settlement that sets child support, the parent should get a one-page summary of the start date, the monthly amount and any back support, and sign that page too. A retroactive start date should never be buried in a support section.
- A written answer within a set time. When a client asks in writing for a correction to a decree that lawyer drafted, the lawyer should have to answer in writing within 14 days, either with a filing or with a clear "I will not do this," so the parent can hire someone else in time.
- Formal withdrawal, not silence. A lawyer who stops working on a case should have to file a withdrawal and tell the client in writing. A lawyer should not stay on the docket for months while the client's deadlines pass.
- Fee records on request. A client, or a parent whose case someone else paid for, should be able to get the engagement letter and every bill within 30 days of asking.
What Senate Bill 174 should add
Senate Bill 174 of the 136th General Assembly, sponsored by Senators Theresa Gavarone and Paula Hicks-Hudson, rewrites Ohio custody law. It replaces "residential parent," shared parenting and sole custody with court-approved parenting plans. It passed the Senate on November 12, 2025, and it is now in the House Judiciary Committee, which last heard it on June 10, 2026. It is not law yet. Section numbers below are the bill's new numbers, taken from the Legislative Service Commission analysis of the version as passed by the Senate.
- What I am asking lawmakers to add. When a parenting plan or decree sets child support, the start date and any back support should be stated on the signature page, and a parent who says in writing that a filed decree does not match what was agreed should get a prompt hearing on that one question.
Joseph Pfundstein was my lawyer in my divorce and custody case, Summit County Domestic Relations Court, DR-2022-03-0667, from June 26, 2024. He negotiated the settlement that became my divorce decree on July 17, 2024. That decree made my child support start on March 21, 2022, a date I never agreed to. I asked him again and again to fix it. He never filed anything after his notice of appearance.
What happened
Joseph Pfundstein filed his notice of appearance on the night of June 26, 2024, and we settled my case in court on July 10, 2024. The day before, my ex-husband's lawyer, Lisa Dean, wrote to him that my ex-husband was "willing to waive the retroactivity of the child support obligation (March 21, 2022 is the date of the pending motion)." The decree that was filed says: "Effective March 21, 2022." When the child support agency started billing me for back support, I asked him to file an amendment. He wrote back "Ok." No amendment was ever filed.
At a glance: I sent him 88 emails and he sent 18; his last email to me was November 24, 2024. I sent him 654 texts and he sent 161; his last text was August 27, 2025. His longest silences were 86 days (May 17 to August 11, 2025) and 57 days (March 21 to May 17, 2025). The court docket shows no filing by him after his June 26, 2024 notice of appearance. Of the 11 written requests listed in section 3, one was done (a copy of my decree), and none of the other 10 led to anything filed or sent.
Running totals of what this cost me are on the costs and time page.
1. Who he is, and how he came into my case
In my own words: why I signed.
"When I signed, I hadn't had any contact with my sons for over two months, because Lisa Dean had cut off my contact with no court order giving her the right to do so. I was coerced into signing the decree under duress. I did not willingly enter into any agreement. He told me to just agree to everything and he would get my kids back for me afterwards."
What the record shows:
- May 2, 2024. Lisa Dean filed an emergency motion to make my parenting time supervised. The same day she wrote to me: "we have instructed our client that he is NOT to send the children for their parenting time with you, pending further Order from the Court." (docket, 5/2/24; Lisa Dean letter to me, 5/2/24)
- June 6, 2024. She wrote to me again: "We fully expected the Court to schedule a hearing on our motion, but that has not happened." (Lisa Dean letter to me, 6/6/24)
- May 2 to July 10, 2024. The docket shows no order ruling on her motion before the day I signed. I filed motions for contempt over my parenting time on May 16 and May 29, 2024, and a motion for an emergency hearing on May 29, 2024 (docket).
- July 10, 2024, 2:25 PM. After we settled, I texted him that my ex-husband could no longer blame anyone else "for not allowing me to see my children." At 2:26 PM he answered: "I completely agree get it out of the Corte hands and put it in his and yours hands." (texts, 7/10/24)
- July 31, 2024. After my supervised visit that day, he texted: "We will get that back. Just keep doing what you're doing." (5:23 PM) and "You needed to be free first now we can work on the kids." (5:57 PM) (his texts, 7/31/24)
- October 22, 2024, 12:41 PM. I wrote to him: "you said after two months, you were going to stop the supervise visits and get me my kids back weekends. It's been well over two months." His next text did not respond to that; it was about gifts for my sons. (texts, 10/22/24)
Joseph Pfundstein is an Ohio lawyer. I had no money for a lawyer, so Milo hired him for me.
- June 26, 2024. At 8:14 PM I texted him: "Let me know what you'd like me to send you." At 8:57 PM he emailed me: "It was a pleasure to meet you tonight. I have efiled a Notice of Appearance tonight." (my text and his email, 6/26/24; docket, 6/26/24)
- June 27 to July 9, 2024. I sent him my documents and evidence by email and text (my emails and texts, June 27 to July 9, 2024).
- July 9, 2024. Lisa Dean's letter to him offered to waive back child support (section 2).
- July 10, 2024. We settled in court. That afternoon he texted me: "I completely agree get it out of the Corte hands and put it in his and yours hands." (his text, 7/10/24, 2:26 PM)
- July 17, 2024. The court filed the decree and mailed a certified copy to him (docket, 7/17/24).
- July 28, 2024. Eleven days later, after I had asked twice for the final documents (July 13 and July 22), he emailed me "the executed Journal Entry for your records." (his email, 7/28/24, 4:19 PM)
- January 14, 2025. Joseph Stafford filed his notice of appearance for me. Joseph Pfundstein never filed a withdrawal. His name stops on the docket after that; the court's last notice to him is dated January 10, 2025 (docket, 1/10/25 and 1/14/25).
2. The back child support I never agreed to
July 9, 2024, the day before we settled. Lisa Dean, my ex-husband's lawyer, to Joseph Pfundstein:
"So long as we are able to reach agreement on all issues, [my ex-husband] is willing to waive the retroactivity of the child support obligation (March 21, 2022 is the date of the pending motion)."
(Lisa Dean letter to Attorney Joseph A. Pfundstein, 7/9/24)
July 17, 2024, the decree that was filed:
"A. CHILD SUPPORT & CASH MEDICAL SUPPORT. Effective March 21, 2022, Mother (as child support obligor) shall pay child support to Father…"
(Decree of divorce, Exhibit A, 7/17/24)
We reached agreement on all issues on July 10, 2024. The waiver of back support that was offered the day before is not in the decree. Instead, my support starts on March 21, 2022, the day my ex-husband filed for divorce.
I first raised it with him on August 22, 2024: "What is this? We didn't agree to any back child support." (my text, 8/22/24, 8:07 AM) On September 17, 2024 I emailed him the agency's letter: "Nowhere do I see on the decree where it says I'm supposed to start paying child support the day he filed for divorce nor did I sign to that." At 4:30 PM I wrote: "Please file an amendment as this is not what I agreed to." At 4:59 PM he answered, in full: "Ok" (emails, 9/17/24). Nothing was filed.
On September 26, 2024 he wrote: "I am reviewing all the child support documents and JE to figure out the best course. Please be patient. I am going to try and have a plan by tomorrow" (his text, 9/26/24, 1:49 PM). I asked for an update on September 27, September 29 and October 4. On October 7 he wrote: "I can help but it is going to take time" (his text, 10/7/24, 4:10 PM). Four months later: "I have had zero chance to review your child supoort paperwork and the divorce decree i will do my best to go over it all this weekend" (his text, 2/7/25, 1:30 PM).
3. What I asked him to do, and what happened
Every request below is in writing. Red rows are requests that led to nothing filed, sent or done. Times are Eastern.
| Date I asked | What I asked for | His answer | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/13/24 and 7/22/24 | A copy of the final documents: "I didn't get a copy of final documents." | 7/28/24, 4:19 PM: "Here is the executed Journal Entry for your records." | Done, 15 days after I first asked |
| 7/18/24, 4:36 PM | "Can you please subpoena all of lori longs documents on my sons the entire two years she saw them?" | None found. | Not done. I filed the subpoenas myself on 10/7/24 (docket). |
| 8/20/24 and 8/22/24 | Subpoenas for therapists' records, then on 8/22/24: "Can you do those three above please?" | None found that addresses them. | Not done. I filed them myself on 10/7/24 (docket). |
| 9/17/24, 4:30 PM (email) | "Please file an amendment as this is not what I agreed to." | 4:59 PM: "Ok" | Nothing filed |
| 9/26/24, 8:45 AM | An update and a plan on the back child support. | 1:49 PM: "I am going to try and have a plan by tomorrow." | No written plan. 10/7/24: "I can help but it is going to take time." |
| 10/7/24, 10:54 AM | "Are you not going to fix the error in the decree?" | 4:10 PM: "I can help but it is going to take time." | Nothing filed |
| 10/18/24, 2:13 PM | "I just sent you my 2023 tax returns - please adjust child support info accordingly." | 10/22/24, 2:30 PM, after I asked again: "Got it." | Nothing filed |
| 11/8/24, 2:56 to 3:48 PM (emails) | Two motions and an affidavit to file, including my response to Lisa Dean's motion to quash my subpoenas: "please file asap." | 7:37 PM: "At a football game." 11/13/24, 2:08 PM: "Just saw in on email. Let me get my letters out." | Not filed. The court granted her motion to quash on 11/13/24. |
| 11/4/24, 11/5/24 and 11/25/24 | A motion to change custody: "Can we file a motion for change of custody based on parental alienation?" | None found that addresses it. | Not filed |
| 12/12/24 and 12/27/24 | "Please write me an affidavit to submit along with this - I never agreed to paying back child support." | None found that addresses it. | No affidavit |
| 1/2/26, 1/7/26, 1/9/26 and 1/16/26 | My billing records: "Please provide me an invoice of all monies paid to you by me at your earliest availability." | None found. | Never sent |
On November 13, 2024 I wrote to him: "They just granted lisa's motion because you didn't respond." (my text, 11/13/24, 8:47 AM) The order granting the motion to quash is on the docket that day (Order, 11/13/24).
4. In his own words
| When | What he wrote |
|---|---|
| 7/10/24, 2:26 PM (text) | "I completely agree get it out of the Corte hands and put it in his and yours hands." |
| 9/17/24, 4:59 PM (email) | "Ok" (his whole answer to my request to file an amendment) |
| 9/26/24, 1:49 PM (text) | "I am reviewing all the child support documents and JE to figure out the best course. Please be patient. I am going to try and have a plan by tomorrow" |
| 10/7/24, 4:10 PM (text) | "I can help but it is going to take time" |
| 10/29/24, 2:32 PM and 3:00 PM (texts) | "I have not been paid…" and "Never said i sent an invoice" |
| 2/7/25, 1:30 PM (text) | "I have had zero chance to review your child supoort paperwork and the divorce decree i will do my best to go over it all this weekend" |
| 2/14/25, 9:06 AM (text) | "I am trying to review all your filings and prepare a strategy" |
| 2/19/25, 2:50 PM (text) | "I am trying to understand everything that has been filed and done since entry was filed. Plus go through your file. There is alot herw" |
| 5/17/25, 2:50 PM (text) | "Feel free to have your new attorney contact me to see what he needs from me" |
| 8/11/25, 9:13 AM (text) | "I have told you repeated have your attorney contact me and i will attempt to help" |
| 8/15/25, 9:29 AM (text) | "Let me look at the whole case this weekend" |
| 8/27/25, 4:42 PM (text, his last) | "I'm not at my desk right now. Let me look at it later tonight." |
5. Our phone call, about March 2025
I recorded a phone call with him. The recording is about 17 minutes long. It is not dated, but what we say in it places it around March 2025: it was "eight months after the decree," and a hearing was coming up "on the 27th of March."
I have a machine transcript of the call. It does not label who is speaking, so I have only used lines whose speaker is clear from the conversation. In the call I told him again that I never agreed to back child support and that the start date was the day my ex-husband filed for divorce. He said:
- "I know we had discussions about a date…"
- "…there would be some back [child support] but not nothing like they wanted…"
- "I just have to dig dig through everything again…"
- That he would compare the last draft he had with "what was actually filed."
Near the end, one of us says "she gave you the wrong copy" and the answer is "that's possible." Because the transcript does not show who said which part, I am not treating it as an admission. I am not publishing the recording.
6. What the court record shows
- June 26, 2024: his notice of appearance. It is the only filing under his name on the docket (docket).
- July 17, 2024: the decree, with a certified copy mailed to him (docket).
- October 7, 2024: the subpoenas for my sons' and my ex-husband's records were filed by me, not by him (docket, 10/7/24).
- October 25, 2024: Lisa Dean moved to quash my subpoenas. No response was filed (docket).
- November 13, 2024: the court granted the motion to quash (Order, 11/13/24).
- November 7, 2024 and January 10, 2025: the court was still sending notices to him as my lawyer (docket).
- January 14, 2025: Stafford Law appeared for me. No withdrawal by him was ever filed (docket).
7. Fees and billing
I have no engagement letter, fee agreement or bill from him. On October 29, 2024 he texted me: "I have not been paid…" and then: "Never said i sent an invoice." (his texts, 10/29/24)
I asked for my billing records in writing on January 2, 2026 (text), January 7, 2026 (email) and January 16, 2026 (email). Someone helping me with my case emailed him twice on January 9, 2026 asking for the same records. I have found no reply to any of these.
8. What he did do
For fairness: he negotiated the settlement in July 2024 and emailed me the executed decree. On November 18, 2024 he emailed Lisa Dean, with me copied, to set my visit and call times, and asked her for "a list of all medical providers for the children so my client can obtain the records pursuant to the divorce decree" (his email, 11/18/24, 10:40 PM). He forwarded her answer to me on November 24, 2024. He also texted me encouragement after my first visits, on July 31, 2024: "I know it's not ideal, but it is a start."
9. Every email and text, counted
These are every email in my inbox to or from his address, and every text in the export of our messages from my phone.
| Month | Emails from me | Emails from him | Texts from me | Texts from him |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2024 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 5 |
| July 2024 | 24 | 8 | 97 | 37 |
| August 2024 | 8 | 0 | 66 | 14 |
| September 2024 | 12 | 2 | 24 | 5 |
| October 2024 | 7 | 0 | 100 | 28 |
| November 2024 | 13 | 3 | 125 | 33 |
| December 2024 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 4 |
| January 2025 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 |
| February 2025 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 10 |
| March 2025 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 14 |
| April – July 2025 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| August 2025 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 8 |
| September 2025 – July 2026 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Total | 88 | 18 | 654 | 161 |
- Last email from him: November 24, 2024. I sent 7 more after that.
- Last text from him: August 27, 2025. I sent 23 more after that.
- Longest silences: 86 days, May 17 to August 11, 2025 (I sent 5 messages); 57 days, March 21 to May 17, 2025 (I sent 15 messages); 25 days, December 2 to December 27, 2024; and 25 days, December 27, 2024 to January 21, 2025.
What I believe was violated
| Rule | What I believe the record shows | When | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof.Cond.R. 1.3 (diligence) | He answered "Ok" to my written request for an amendment and filed nothing. No response to the motion to quash was filed, and it was granted. No filing by him after his appearance. | 9/17/24 – 1/14/25 | Emails; docket |
| Prof.Cond.R. 1.4 (communication) | A promised plan "by tomorrow" that never came; requests for updates with no answer; silences of up to 86 days. | 9/26/24 – 8/11/25 | Texts |
| Prof.Cond.R. 1.5(b) (communicating the fee) | No engagement letter or written fee terms given to me, and no answer to four written requests for billing records. | 6/26/24; 1/2026 | Emails; texts |
| Prof.Cond.R. 1.16(d) (ending the representation) | No withdrawal filed and no written notice to me that he had stopped working on my case. | 2024 – 2025 | Docket |
The rules and laws, in their own words
- Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct (Supreme Court of Ohio): Rules 1.3, 1.4, 1.5(b), 1.16(d)
- Ohio Office of Disciplinary Counsel
Children's names, birthdates, schools and addresses are redacted from every exhibit. Exhibits are excerpts. Full copies are kept for counsel and the appropriate authorities.