Scott S. Rosenthal

The majority of Scott’s practice has focused on the area of domestic relations and family law. This includes divorce practice, child custody and support, as well as a juvenile court practice. In the course of representing a diverse clientele, Scott has also been involved in a variety of general litigation cases, including an appearance before the Ohio Boxing Commission.

Scott is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Family Law Section. He has lectured at a continuing education seminar on the valuation of separate property assets in divorce matters. In support of his wide range of clients, Scott has litigated numerous cases in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Summit, Ashtabula, Medina, Richland and Trumbull Counties.

Scott has been involved in some of the largest and most difficult cases in domestic relations litigation in Northeastern Ohio. Scott also devotes a substantial part of his family law practice to alternative dispute resolution approaches, which includes collaborative law and principled negotiation matters. Scott is a member of the Center for Principled Family Advocacy.

Scott graduated from Miami (Ohio) University in 1993, with a major in Political Science and a minor in History. Scott received his Juris Doctor from Cleveland Marshall College of Law in 1997, where he was a member of the Moot Court Team and was awarded the Order of Barristers for excellence.

Born in Shaker Heights, Scott currently lives in University Heights, Ohio. Scott has maintained a presence in his community by volunteering for various charitable causes, including the Achievement Centers for Children, which is devoted to the care of underprivileged children in the greater Cleveland area. Scott previously served as a Member of the Cleveland Warehouse District Board of Governors.

Adam J. Thurman

Before joining the law firm of Schoonover, Rosenthal, Thurman and Daray, Adam Thurman had an accomplished family law practice both as an associate and sole practitioner.

From 1997 until April, 2008, Adam worked as an associate with the Law Offices of Herbert Palkovitz, a law firm that limited its practice to family law, including divorce, dissolution, child support and child custody issues. These areas of practice have resulted Adam in appearing in no less than five Northeastern Ohio domestic relations and juvenile courts, as well as multiple appellate and federal courts. Adam has also has experience handling Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (“UCCJEA”) cases and cases falling under the International Child Abduction Remedies Act (“Hague Convention on the International Aspects of Child Abduction”).

After Mr. Palkovitz’ passing in April, 2008, Adam took over the practice, concentrating on the same areas of law. In March, 2011, Adam joined Scott S. Rosenthal and Stephen E.S. Daray to form the law firm Schoonover, Rosenthal, Thurman and Daray. This firm will also focus its practice in the area of family law.

Over the years, Adam has served as the Secretary, Vice-Chair and, ultimately, Chair, of the Family Law Section of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and was appointed as a liaison to the E-Publications and Technology Groups. Furthermore, he has lectured at numerous continuing legal education seminars on various family law topics and is a contributing author to the West Publications’ “Sowald & Morganstern Domestic Relations Law” handbooks. Adam has also been a member of the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court’s Guardian ad Litem program for over ten years.

Adam graduated cum laude from John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, in 1994, and summa cum laude from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1997. Adam was an Executive Editor at Cleveland-Marshall’s Law Review. Adam was born in Cleveland, Ohio and currently resides in the Cleveland area.

Stephen E.S. Daray

Stephen established his Cleveland area family law office over 13 years to help clients get past the emotional and legal issues related to a divorce. Residents in and around metropolitan Cleveland, and throughout the state of Ohio and beyond have trusted Stephen's ability to resolve or litigate a contentious divorce or assist in arriving at an amicable dissolution. Stephen has joined his practice with of Scott and Adam to from one the area’s strongest divorce law firms.

Stephen is a member of the Cleveland Bar Association Family Law Section (having served as president of the Cleveland Bar Association’s Family Law section), Lorain County Bar Association Family Law Section, and Center for Principled Family Advocacy (www.famad.com).  He has written for the Cleveland Bar Magazine on family law issues. He is regularly appointed as Guardian ad Litem for children in private custody cases in both Cuyahoga County and Lorain County.

Stephen was recognized as one of the top family law attorneys in Ohio under the age of 40 this year.  Super Lawyers magazine names attorneys in each state who received the highest point totals, as chosen by their peers and through the independent research. Rising Stars names the state's top up-and-coming attorneys.  Stephen was one of only two area lawyers under the age of 40 to be recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star on Ohio in family law in 2011.

Stephen has one of the most prolific and a respected practice in Lorain County having done hundreds of cases in Lorain County and for that reason Schoonover, Rosenthal Thurman & Daray has established a specific Lorain County office.

More than anything else, Stephen has common sense and a practical knowledge of this area of law. When it comes to kids, he knows that it is most beneficial when the parties work together to raise their children. When examining the almost countless arrangement that can be made for the children, there is no one arrangement that works for all children. Every case is different, and nothing can be better for a child than to have two good, involved parents. That's the best interest approach. Unfortunately it takes two parents to believe in that for it to happen. Sometimes, a parent looks at their child more like property than as a human being. They are more concerned about hurting the other parent than about being the best parent they can be. It becomes a matter of control and it can be devastating to a child. What to do then? This is where it is vital to get a lawyer to counsel you on what can and cannot be done. Stephen has over a decade of experience and will always give you his candid advice. He will not tell you just what you want to hear. He will work with out to get you where you want to be and protect your child.

When it comes to financial issues, Stephen can guide you through issues of division of property, including the division of retirement assets, real estate, intangible property, business evaluation, separate property tracing issues, and the like.

Stephen graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School & Academy in Detroit, Michigan, received his Bachelor Degree in Arts from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan and received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.  He has devoted the vast majority of his practice to family law since became a lawyer.   He presently devotes 95% of his practice to family and has done s for more than 10 years.  Stephen has done cases in over 10 different counties including Cuyahoga, Lorain, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Summit, Medina, Erie, Huron, Stark, Harrison and Richland Counties.

Stephen E.S. Daray

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Katherine Friedell - Of Counsel

Katherine focuses her practice on family law. She handles divorces, dissolutions, custody disputes, civil domestic violence actions and spousal and child support matters as well as juvenile court matters including support, custody and paternity. She has been involved in contested matters and trials as well as negotiated settlements. Katherine has represented clients in step-parent adoptions and has been involved in contested adoption matters. In her role as a family law attorney, she is familiar with the domestic relations courts in Cuyahoga County and surrounding counties. Katherine counsels clients prior to marriage on the pros and cons of pre-marital agreements and has been involved in the negotiation and drafting of pre-marital agreements.

As a member of the Center for Principled Family Advocacy, Katherine is committed to improving the process of marriage termination by involving the clients directly in the process through mediation-like alternatives to the adversarial court system. She is currently an officer of the Family Law Section of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Katherine taught high school English at Hawken School and was actively involved in the community and its schools, serving as the president of the Parent Teachers Organization at her children’s elementary school. Katherine is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of Applewood Centers, Inc., an agency committed to helping children and families in distress; and a member of the Women’s Program Committee of The Union Club. Katherine is married and has three grown children.

Katherine received her B.A. in English from The University of Michigan, Masters in English from Case Western Reserve University and graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Law with honors in 1992.

Scott Swartz - Of Counsel

Scott is an attorney in private practice with offices in Cleveland and Rocky River. He focuses his legal work in the areas of estate planning, federal and local tax law, and estate and trust administration. He works with high net worth families, investors, real estate developers and operators, and business owners to implement customized wealth protection and distribution plans, develop tax planning, and achieve business succession.

Scott graduated from Bowling Green State University 1983, majoring in both accounting and finance, and from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1991. In 1992, he obtained a Masters of Law (LL.M. in Taxation) from New York University’s School of Law. Since 1995, Scott has been in the private practice of law in the Cleveland area. Prior to completing his legal studies, he was a certified public accountant at national and regional accounting firms.

Scott is serving in his second term on the Board of Education for the Rocky River Schools and is Board President. He is currently an adjunct tax professor in the graduate accounting program of the Levin College of Business at Cleveland State University, and previously taught tax courses at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Scott has been President of the Tax Club of Cleveland and served as a member of the Planning Commission for the City of Rocky River. He has been a lecturer at various seminars of the Cleveland Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, American Bar Association, and Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants.