Prominent Ohio Family Rights Advocate Ray Lautenschlager Dies at Home

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Ray R. Lautenschlager, the president and legislative director of Ohio Family Rights, a Cleveland-based organization focused on shared parenting reform, constitutional parental rights, and custody law reform, passed away at his home on February 9. Lautenschlager was remembered by colleagues and community members as a tireless advocate who personally assisted families navigating difficult custody disputes.

Why it matters

Lautenschlager's advocacy work aimed to strengthen protections for parental rights, which he viewed as fundamental civil liberties. His critiques of Ohio's custody laws and domestic relations court procedures sought to address what he saw as excessive judicial discretion and inadequate evidentiary standards that often limited parents' involvement in their children's lives.

The details

Throughout his advocacy, Lautenschlager argued that fit parents are routinely removed from meaningful roles in their children's lives and that Ohio's custody law requires structural reform. He promoted equal shared parenting as the default baseline in custody determinations and supported applying a clear and convincing evidence standard before restricting a parent's time. Lautenschlager also criticized what he described as excessive judicial discretion in domestic relations courts, warning that inconsistent standards increase litigation costs and emotional strain on families.

• Lautenschlager passed away at his home on February 9, 2026.
• A Zoom memorial was scheduled for February 19, 2026 at 8 p.m.
• An additional online memorial was scheduled for February 26, 2026 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

What’s next

Organizers later scheduled an additional online memorial for Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. Eastern to allow more friends, colleagues and family members to share stories about Lautenschlager's life and advocacy work.