H.B. 248: Service to Persons outside of Ohio in Divorce, Annulment, and Alimony Actions

House Bill 248 amended Ohio Revised Code section 3105.06 to permit service by publication in a divorce, annulment, or alimony action where the defendant “is not a resident of this state or is a resident of this state but absent from the state.” Under previous law there was no authorization, either in the Ohio Revised Code or the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure, to allow such service. Furthermore, there was no expressed authorization for any kind of service on such defendants in divorce and annulment actions. The Family Law Committee of the Ohio State Bar Association recommended that section 3105.06 be amended to remedy this statutory infirmity. This recommendation formed the basis of H.B. 248, which became law on June 7, 1979.