Practice Areas: Family Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution; view more
Licensed in Ohio since: 1986
Education: Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2024 Call today:
216-241-2200
Zoller|Biacsi Co., LPA
3611 Prospect Avenue EastCleveland, OH 44115 Visit website
Details
John D. Zoller focuses his time on the non-adversarial processes of Mediation and Collaborative Law in all aspects of Family Law. He is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Relations Law by the Ohio State Bar Association as well as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. He offers unbundled services to help clients with specific and well defined goals to better understand their financial issues and options. Many recent matters involved careful coordination of divorce outcomes with estate planning goals and risk allocation. During his 35+ year career, Mr. Zoller also served as a guardian ad litem for more than 400 children. He is the Ohio and Michigan representative for Family Law Software. In that capacity he offers training to many lawyers and members of judiciary on divorce financial analysis topics.
Mr. Zoller has served on non-profit boards, in leadership with the Cleveland Metro Bar Family Law Section, and was a founding member of the Cleveland Academy of Collaborative Professionals. He taught family law as an adjunct professor at  Ursuline College for many years. John's office is in Cleveland, Ohio. He is licensed to practice law in Ohio and Michigan
Practice areas
Family Law, Alternative Dispute ResolutionFocus areas
Child Support, Dissolution, Divorce, Marital Property, Mediation, Prenuptial Agreements, Same Sex Family Law
- 70% Family Law
- 30% Alternative Dispute Resolution
First Admitted: 1986, Ohio
Professional Webpage: https://www.zblaw.net/bios/1
Honors/Awards:
- Ohio State Bar Association Family Law Specialist, January 1, 2000 to present.
- Achieved this designation upon meeting the criteria of the IDFA. This included experiential requirements, references and successfully passing four proctored examinations. Renewed annually by meeting additional continuing education requirements, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (r), Institute for Divorce Financial Analysis, 2019
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Awards of Merit, June 6, 2003, January 3, 2005 and February 22, 2005
Educational Background:
- Ohio Wesleyan University, B.A. in English, 1983
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- Family Relations Law Specialist, Ohio State Bar Association, 2000 to Present, 2004
- Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) Renewed 2020, 2021 and 2022, 2019
- Certified Family Mediator, Academy of Family Mediation, 1992
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Board Member - Musical Advocacy, 2011
- Admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan, 2022
- Continued service in the Ohio Supreme Court Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring program. 10th year. As part of the mentoring process Mr. Zoller co-counseled with his mentee on a matter referred by Cleveland Legal Aid on a pro bono basis. Client/father received custody of two children., 2020
- Member, Board of Directors, United Cerebral Palsy of Cleveland 2006-2012, 2006
Verdicts/Settlements:
- $100,000,000.00 marital and separate property matter quietly and confidentially resolved without public disclosure of personal and closely held business financial data of the parties., 2019
- Successfully mediated a three time filing for divorce of a long term marriage. The family accumulated many acres and parcels of commercial property, rural land and residential plots. The value of their 200 pieces of equipment was resolved and a buy-out agreed to. Each party was represented by counsel during the two day mediation., 2022
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Family Law Software - Michigan Representative, 2020
- Certified Divorce Financial Analayst (CDFA(r)), 2019
- Family Law Software - Ohio Representative, 2015
- Founding Member and Past President - The Cleveland Academy of Collaborative Professionals -, 2011
- International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, 2001
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, 1987
- U.S. District Court, 1987
- Cuyahoga County Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Domestic Relations Guardian ad Litem for more than 400 Children
- Panel Member, AARP, 1999 - 2000
- Domestic Relations Guardian ad Litem Project Advisory Committee - Four Years
- Counsel for "Baby MaryBeth": Nationally televised (Court TV) trial over permanent custody for adoption placement
- Member, Ohio State Bar Association
- Board of Directors, United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland 2006-2012
- Member, American Bar Association, Domestic Relations Section 1986-2013
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2001
- Co-Counsel, Amicus Curiae in 1st Appeal of Judicial Bypass of Abortion Notification Law, 2003 - Present
- Member, International Child Abduction Attorney Network (ICAAN)
White Papers:
- Compiled data from Ohio clerks of courts from public 2019 data to determine the validity of common estimates that 70% of divorce participants in Ohio go through their litigation processes without counsel. This is highly relevant to the manner in which members of the bar deliver legal services to the public., Analysis of prevalence of pro se participation in family court litigation, Attorneys, Magistrates And Judges, 2020
Transactions:
- Quietly resolved numerous matters with marital estate values in the 1 to 25 million range., 2020
Videos:
- This is a YouTube recording of one of my regular webinars on behalf of Family Law Software. They are provided to subscribers and people interested in using Family Law Software to help them in their professional practice., Ohio Affidavits and Child Support - presenter for Family Law Software, Attorneys, Magistrates And Judges, 2022
- This brief video encouraged the recently unemployed or furloughed Support Obligors and Obligees to immediately analyze their circumstances and evaluate the necessity of filing a motion to modify their support orders. At the time, more than 22 million people had lost their jobs due to the Pandemic., Modifying Support Obligations due to loss of employment due to Covid-19 Shutdowns., Attorneys, Magistrates And Judges, 2020
- Collaborative Practice, 2010
- Children's issues, 2010
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHFbfqtBy_w, 2010
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- When a panel member became unable to attend a live panel discussion, the moderator and organizer asked me to step in., impromtu speaker at OSBA Family Law Institute, Pinch Hitter, Attorneys, Magistrates And Judges, 2022
- Using the intersection of Family Law and Estate planning, this presentation addressed the identification of complex issues in some mediation matters. Many families going through divorce have comprehensive estate plans in place when they decide to divorce. There are unique considerations and cautions the general mediator must address. Incorporation of an estate planning attorney in the mediation helps couples understand their issues and choices more fully., Presenter, How and when to bring Subject matter specialists in as Co-Mediators, ADR Section Of The Cleveland Bar Association -, 2022
- This second "COVID Relief" bill added or changed numerous additional tax provisions which directly affect families' after tax spendable cash. These changes include value of the child tax credit, Child Care Credits with direct advance payments, higher phase outs for benefits, direct payments, changes in the refundability of tax credits and increases in limits regarding Earned Income Credits. Nearly all changes from this act are limited to 2021 only and apply for children 17 and under, Presenter, American Rescue Plan - Tax Provisions' Impacts for Divorce Professionals, Attorneys, Magistrates And Judges, 2021
- The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES)Act, HR 748 affected family net spendable cash in many ways including cash rebates, child credit, phasing out of eligibility and treatment for 2020 tax credits. In addition, the CARES act changed the rules concerning "Coronavirus-related distributions" from retirement plans, treatment as non-taxable roll-overs under specific circumstances and allowed for Above-the-line deductions for Charitable Contributions., Presenter, Understanding the CARES act provisions relevant to family law, Attorneys, Magistrates And Judges, 2020
- During the Covid-19 Pandemic shut down John Zoller presented weekly webinars on how to use and make the most of the Cloud Edition of Family Law Software. These webinars focused on Child Support calculations and deviations, parenting time adjustments, Spousal support analysis including crossing obligations and determinations of after tax cash available to the parties. The webinars also taught participants how to establish, modify and analyze property division scenarios and creating side-by-side comparisons., Presenter, Making the most of Cloud edition of Family Law Software, Attorneys, Magistrates And Judges, 2020
- More than 20 CLE presentations delivered statewide to Judges, Magistrates, Court personnel and atttorneys on Ohio's new Child Support law. Family Law Software was used to demonstrate changes in the law. John is the Ohio Representative for Family Law Software., Presenter, Implementing Changes in Child Support and Spousal Support laws, State Wide Presentations, 2019
- Ursuline College UCAP - Legal Studies program - Family Law and Juvenile Law Guest Lecturer - Cuyahoga Community College, Instructor, Adjunct Faculty
- Uniformed Interstate Family Support Act and Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, National Business Institute, April 1999
- Presenter, Guardian ad Litem Training, Cuyahoga County Bar Association, June 1989
- Presenter, Duties of Guardian ad Litem, Cuyahoga County Bar Association, July 1991
- Presenter, Practicing as a Guardian ad Litem, Cuyahoga County Bar Association, November 1991
- Presenter, Guardian ad Litem Training, Cuyahoga County Bar Association, May 1994
- Presenter, Interviewing Children, Cuyahoga County Bar Association, March 1997
- Presenter, Guardian ad Litem Training, Cuyahoga County Bar Association, December 1999
- Presenter, Custody & Visitation, Cleveland Bar Association, April 1993
- Presenter, People's Law School, Cleveland Bar Association, October 1997
- Presenter, Temporary Support Procedures - Civil Rule 75, Cleveland Bar Association, April 1999
- Presenter, The Joint Committee on Estate Planning and Domestic Relations Antenuptial Agreements, Cleveland Bar Association, June 1999
- Presenter, Temporary Support Procedures - Civil Rule 75, Cleveland Bar Association, April 2000
- Presenter, Chair, Family Law Portion of the Practice and Procedure Clinic, Cleveland Bar Association, April 2003
- Presenter, Juvenile Law - New Lawyers Training, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, January 2002
- Presenter, Mock Trial - Residency Program, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, June 1993
- Presenter, Seminar on Serving Children's Needs During Disaster Management, CASE Western Reserve University: School of Medicine, 2004 & 2005
- Presenter, Parental Kidnapping Act, Hague, National Business Institute, 1999
- Presenter, Divorces from Start to Finish- Equitable division, support and custody portions, National Business Institute, 2010
- Presenter, Determining "Best Interests" of a child as a Guardian ad Litem, Ohio State Bar Association, 2010
- Adjunct Faculty, Instructor in Domestic Relations and Juvenile Law, Ursuline College (Pepper Pike, Ohio) 2003 - Present Â
- Presenter, Attorney for Children and Guardian ad Litem, National Business Institute, April 1994
- Presenter, Uniformed Child Custody Jurisdiction Act, National Business Institute, April 1999
- Parental Kidnaping Act, National Business Institute, April 1999
- Hague Convention on International Child Custody Jurisdiction, National Business Institute, April 1999
Other Outstanding Achievements:
- Created and delivered Continuing Legal Education webinar on the intersection between Mediation, Family Law and Estate Planning for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. Many couples find their biggest concerns divorcing later in life is how they will continue their family business for the benefit of their children when they are no longer married., 2022
- Resumed delivery of in person Continuing Legal Education (CLE) by attending Akron Bar association Family Law Section's panel discussion on the fine points of calculating child support using Family Law Software. This advanced CLE gave members the chance to grill me on advanced topics and questions concerning Ohio's child support guidelines., 2022
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children - Award of Merit - three times.
Industry Groups:
- Ohio And Cleveland Metro Bar Associations - Cleveland Academy Of Collaborative Professionals
Selections
21 Years Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2024
Certificates and credentials
Ohio State Bar Association Certified Specialist
Family Relations Law
Family Relations Law
