team-member

Merisa Bowers

Columbus, OH

Licensed for 12 years

Law Degree

Awards

Primary Practice Area

Litigation

Language

English

About

Whether your case requires us to slay dragons or take a more nuanced approach, we handle each client's matter with a thoughtful strategy.Merisa has been mentored by some of the State's top litigators and understances the need for a holistic approach in family law matters.Merisa lives in Gahanna with her family, where she serves as a member of the City Council.  She enjoys the outdoors and good food and looks forward to being able to travel again.Merisa grew up in Canton, Ohio, always an advocate for justice and fairness and born problem-solver. A 2005 graduate of the University of Cincinnati (BA with Departmental Honors), and a 2009 graduate of the Case Western Reserve University School of Law (cum laude) in Cleveland, the practice of law was exactly the right fit.​Putting her natural advocacy to work, Merisa succeeded in launching her law practice in the midst of the Recession in Cincinnati in 2010, relocating to Central Ohio in 2012. April 2021, Merisa joined the law firm of Artz, Dewhirst & Wheeler, LLP as Attorney of Counsel.INDUSTRY RECOGNITIONOhio State Bar Association 2012 Bar College Member2013-2014 Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The National Trial LawyersNational LGBT Bar Association's Top 40 under 40, 20162019, 2021 Ohio Rising Star, SuperLawyersAVVO 10.0 Rating​MEMBERSHIPSGahanna Area Chamber of Commerce (2013-present)National LGBT Bar Association, Family Law Institute Member (2013-present)Ohio State Bar Association (2009-2019)Columbus Bar Association (2012-present)Central Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (2010-2019)Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (2010-2019)​

Practices Areas

Litigation

Divorce and separation

Family

Language

English

Contact

Artz, Dewhirst, & Wheeler, LLP560 E. Town StreetColumbus, OH, 43215560 E. Town StreetColumbus, OH, 43215

Office: N/A

Website: N/A

Reviews

Brian
September 21, 2021

I was referred to Merisa by a trusted friend (who is also an attorney) in order to represent me and draft a prenup prior to my marriage to my husband. I found her representation to be excellent. Our consultations were held via video conference, which was helpful given the pandemic. Even though my husband and I were on the same page with everything going into this process, Merisa pointed out other things that we had not thought of.

Mattie
May 27, 2020

Merisa Bowers helped me with a very difficult juvenile matter. It was a very high stress situation. However, as soon as I consulted with Merisa, she put my mind at ease as she immediately started putting together an action plan. She also made my daughter feel very comfortable, as she had to discuss personal details, which is very difficult for a child in this situation. Merisa is very professional and compassionate. She and her office staff have excellent communication and they responded very quickly to any questions I had. From start to finish, I knew I was in good hands!

Beth
May 27, 2020

I had a consultation, which resulted in hiring Merisa, for my dissolution. It was a very sad and scary time for me and I'll never forget her sitting there with me while I'm in tears, for an hour, helping me to understand what my rights were and to make sure I was ready. She and her staff are very responsive and affordable and made this sad experience, easier.

anonymous
January 29, 2020

I contacted Merisa regarding paternity/family legal matters concerning my spouse. On a week's notice, she was able to work us into her schedule. She walked us through everything, discussed possibilities and options based on her knowledge of the law as well as her experience with similar cases. She explained things to us in simple language, with empathy and compassion. She took years of worry away from us in an hour and offered ongoing support. Merisa is a member of various legal groups, which allowed her to not only council us on current law, but also potential adaptations of family law based on current events. Merisa has our highest recommendation and will be retained by our family if the need arises.

Tony
October 2, 2019

We found Ms Bowers to be very thorough and showed a very strong interest in our case. She always responded very quickly to any questions we had. She was very knowledgeable and professional.

Carol
November 25, 2018

I had been dealing with a stalker for quite a while before I met with Merisa. From our first conversation, she understood my situation and offered compassion and support. Merisa was very knowledgeable about my options and helped me map out a strategy. I am so appreciate of her assistance.

Dave
October 18, 2018

Merisa was excellent representing me in a traffic case. Her guidance and expertise helped me secure the best possible outcome - case dismissed! I highly recommend her and will not hesitate to hire her if needed again. Thanks Merisa!!

Mike
August 7, 2018

Merisa represented me in my divorce and I cannot tell you how throughly impressed I was with everything she did. There was a lot at stake for me - military pension, federal pension, 401k and multiple real estate assets. She handled the opposing counsel, who was particularly unprofessional to her, with great skill and she pressed my case. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome. She always returned my calls and answered any questions. She provided me with excellent representation and gave me the legal advice and direction I needed. I give her my highest recommendations and anyone who needs a great attorney who is always in your corner, will be your advocate, and is the consummate professional - you will definitely be impressed and I promise there is absolutely no better attorney than Merisa. She is simply outstanding!

Douglas
March 7, 2016

I had the distinct pleasure of having Merisa represent me in an OVI case (obviously a rather unfortunate occurrence in my life). My case was rather abnormal as I hadn't been drinking, but the prosecutors and police didn't seem to think this was a problem in pursuing extremely aggressive penalties against me, including jail time and fines in the thousands of dollars. When I first met Merisa, she was honest, up front and understanding. I've only had to hire an attorney one other time and that time I interviewed several potential attorneys before deciding on one. In this case, I was convinced within the first 10 minutes of our very first meeting that Merisa was THE attorney for me. Boy was I right! I was facing 2 counts of OVI charges, I lost my license and things looked incredibly gloomy. Merisa knows her stuff, she noticed a clerical mistake the government made in suspending my license and within 3 days of having it taken away, she got it returned to me, thus relieving me of a huge burden of having to find an alternative means of finding my way to work. Beyond that, she aggressively attacked the governments case against me in an extremely detailed oriented method. She found small mistakes that made big differences. While she is a ferocious attorney, she has the most friendly and easy going attorney. In the court room, both judges and prosecutors smile at her and this is certainly one reason she is such a successful attorney. That is, despite the veracity with which she defenders her clients, she never fails to be professional, friendly and understanding both to myself as the defendant, but also to the others involved in the case such as the judge and prosecutor. I noticed this went a long way. I also noticed that Merisa was well known in the court house and treated with respect. I think this is just another testament to her character, knowledge and expertise. I'll finish my review by saying this, if you are ever in a position of needing an OVI attorney, or deciding between Merisa and another attorney, don't be silly, go with Merisa (you'll thank me later). Thanks again Merisa. I am so happy I decided to retain your services. You're amazing!

Karen
March 9, 2015

Merisa was so helpful with me from the very beginning, giving me guidence & advise in a bad situation & before she even asked for any $. She was a lifesaver for my family! Thanks Merisa, I couldnt have made it through our ordeal without you!

Brian
September 21, 2021

I was referred to Merisa by a trusted friend (who is also an attorney) in order to represent me and draft a prenup prior to my marriage to my husband. I found her representation to be excellent. Our consultations were held via video conference, which was helpful given the pandemic. Even though my husband and I were on the same page with everything going into this process, Merisa pointed out other things that we had not thought of.

Mattie
May 27, 2020

Merisa Bowers helped me with a very difficult juvenile matter. It was a very high stress situation. However, as soon as I consulted with Merisa, she put my mind at ease as she immediately started putting together an action plan. She also made my daughter feel very comfortable, as she had to discuss personal details, which is very difficult for a child in this situation. Merisa is very professional and compassionate. She and her office staff have excellent communication and they responded very quickly to any questions I had. From start to finish, I knew I was in good hands!

Beth
May 27, 2020

I had a consultation, which resulted in hiring Merisa, for my dissolution. It was a very sad and scary time for me and I'll never forget her sitting there with me while I'm in tears, for an hour, helping me to understand what my rights were and to make sure I was ready. She and her staff are very responsive and affordable and made this sad experience, easier.

anonymous
January 29, 2020

I contacted Merisa regarding paternity/family legal matters concerning my spouse. On a week's notice, she was able to work us into her schedule. She walked us through everything, discussed possibilities and options based on her knowledge of the law as well as her experience with similar cases. She explained things to us in simple language, with empathy and compassion. She took years of worry away from us in an hour and offered ongoing support. Merisa is a member of various legal groups, which allowed her to not only council us on current law, but also potential adaptations of family law based on current events. Merisa has our highest recommendation and will be retained by our family if the need arises.

Tony
October 2, 2019

We found Ms Bowers to be very thorough and showed a very strong interest in our case. She always responded very quickly to any questions we had. She was very knowledgeable and professional.

Carol
November 25, 2018

I had been dealing with a stalker for quite a while before I met with Merisa. From our first conversation, she understood my situation and offered compassion and support. Merisa was very knowledgeable about my options and helped me map out a strategy. I am so appreciate of her assistance.

Dave
October 18, 2018

Merisa was excellent representing me in a traffic case. Her guidance and expertise helped me secure the best possible outcome - case dismissed! I highly recommend her and will not hesitate to hire her if needed again. Thanks Merisa!!

Mike
August 7, 2018

Merisa represented me in my divorce and I cannot tell you how throughly impressed I was with everything she did. There was a lot at stake for me - military pension, federal pension, 401k and multiple real estate assets. She handled the opposing counsel, who was particularly unprofessional to her, with great skill and she pressed my case. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome. She always returned my calls and answered any questions. She provided me with excellent representation and gave me the legal advice and direction I needed. I give her my highest recommendations and anyone who needs a great attorney who is always in your corner, will be your advocate, and is the consummate professional - you will definitely be impressed and I promise there is absolutely no better attorney than Merisa. She is simply outstanding!

Douglas
March 7, 2016

I had the distinct pleasure of having Merisa represent me in an OVI case (obviously a rather unfortunate occurrence in my life). My case was rather abnormal as I hadn't been drinking, but the prosecutors and police didn't seem to think this was a problem in pursuing extremely aggressive penalties against me, including jail time and fines in the thousands of dollars. When I first met Merisa, she was honest, up front and understanding. I've only had to hire an attorney one other time and that time I interviewed several potential attorneys before deciding on one. In this case, I was convinced within the first 10 minutes of our very first meeting that Merisa was THE attorney for me. Boy was I right! I was facing 2 counts of OVI charges, I lost my license and things looked incredibly gloomy. Merisa knows her stuff, she noticed a clerical mistake the government made in suspending my license and within 3 days of having it taken away, she got it returned to me, thus relieving me of a huge burden of having to find an alternative means of finding my way to work. Beyond that, she aggressively attacked the governments case against me in an extremely detailed oriented method. She found small mistakes that made big differences. While she is a ferocious attorney, she has the most friendly and easy going attorney. In the court room, both judges and prosecutors smile at her and this is certainly one reason she is such a successful attorney. That is, despite the veracity with which she defenders her clients, she never fails to be professional, friendly and understanding both to myself as the defendant, but also to the others involved in the case such as the judge and prosecutor. I noticed this went a long way. I also noticed that Merisa was well known in the court house and treated with respect. I think this is just another testament to her character, knowledge and expertise. I'll finish my review by saying this, if you are ever in a position of needing an OVI attorney, or deciding between Merisa and another attorney, don't be silly, go with Merisa (you'll thank me later). Thanks again Merisa. I am so happy I decided to retain your services. You're amazing!

Karen
March 9, 2015

Merisa was so helpful with me from the very beginning, giving me guidence & advise in a bad situation & before she even asked for any $. She was a lifesaver for my family! Thanks Merisa, I couldnt have made it through our ordeal without you!

Brian
September 21, 2021

I was referred to Merisa by a trusted friend (who is also an attorney) in order to represent me and draft a prenup prior to my marriage to my husband. I found her representation to be excellent. Our consultations were held via video conference, which was helpful given the pandemic. Even though my husband and I were on the same page with everything going into this process, Merisa pointed out other things that we had not thought of.

Mattie
May 27, 2020

Merisa Bowers helped me with a very difficult juvenile matter. It was a very high stress situation. However, as soon as I consulted with Merisa, she put my mind at ease as she immediately started putting together an action plan. She also made my daughter feel very comfortable, as she had to discuss personal details, which is very difficult for a child in this situation. Merisa is very professional and compassionate. She and her office staff have excellent communication and they responded very quickly to any questions I had. From start to finish, I knew I was in good hands!

Beth
May 27, 2020

I had a consultation, which resulted in hiring Merisa, for my dissolution. It was a very sad and scary time for me and I'll never forget her sitting there with me while I'm in tears, for an hour, helping me to understand what my rights were and to make sure I was ready. She and her staff are very responsive and affordable and made this sad experience, easier.

anonymous
January 29, 2020

I contacted Merisa regarding paternity/family legal matters concerning my spouse. On a week's notice, she was able to work us into her schedule. She walked us through everything, discussed possibilities and options based on her knowledge of the law as well as her experience with similar cases. She explained things to us in simple language, with empathy and compassion. She took years of worry away from us in an hour and offered ongoing support. Merisa is a member of various legal groups, which allowed her to not only council us on current law, but also potential adaptations of family law based on current events. Merisa has our highest recommendation and will be retained by our family if the need arises.

Tony
October 2, 2019

We found Ms Bowers to be very thorough and showed a very strong interest in our case. She always responded very quickly to any questions we had. She was very knowledgeable and professional.

Carol
November 25, 2018

I had been dealing with a stalker for quite a while before I met with Merisa. From our first conversation, she understood my situation and offered compassion and support. Merisa was very knowledgeable about my options and helped me map out a strategy. I am so appreciate of her assistance.

Dave
October 18, 2018

Merisa was excellent representing me in a traffic case. Her guidance and expertise helped me secure the best possible outcome - case dismissed! I highly recommend her and will not hesitate to hire her if needed again. Thanks Merisa!!

Mike
August 7, 2018

Merisa represented me in my divorce and I cannot tell you how throughly impressed I was with everything she did. There was a lot at stake for me - military pension, federal pension, 401k and multiple real estate assets. She handled the opposing counsel, who was particularly unprofessional to her, with great skill and she pressed my case. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome. She always returned my calls and answered any questions. She provided me with excellent representation and gave me the legal advice and direction I needed. I give her my highest recommendations and anyone who needs a great attorney who is always in your corner, will be your advocate, and is the consummate professional - you will definitely be impressed and I promise there is absolutely no better attorney than Merisa. She is simply outstanding!

Douglas
March 7, 2016

I had the distinct pleasure of having Merisa represent me in an OVI case (obviously a rather unfortunate occurrence in my life). My case was rather abnormal as I hadn't been drinking, but the prosecutors and police didn't seem to think this was a problem in pursuing extremely aggressive penalties against me, including jail time and fines in the thousands of dollars. When I first met Merisa, she was honest, up front and understanding. I've only had to hire an attorney one other time and that time I interviewed several potential attorneys before deciding on one. In this case, I was convinced within the first 10 minutes of our very first meeting that Merisa was THE attorney for me. Boy was I right! I was facing 2 counts of OVI charges, I lost my license and things looked incredibly gloomy. Merisa knows her stuff, she noticed a clerical mistake the government made in suspending my license and within 3 days of having it taken away, she got it returned to me, thus relieving me of a huge burden of having to find an alternative means of finding my way to work. Beyond that, she aggressively attacked the governments case against me in an extremely detailed oriented method. She found small mistakes that made big differences. While she is a ferocious attorney, she has the most friendly and easy going attorney. In the court room, both judges and prosecutors smile at her and this is certainly one reason she is such a successful attorney. That is, despite the veracity with which she defenders her clients, she never fails to be professional, friendly and understanding both to myself as the defendant, but also to the others involved in the case such as the judge and prosecutor. I noticed this went a long way. I also noticed that Merisa was well known in the court house and treated with respect. I think this is just another testament to her character, knowledge and expertise. I'll finish my review by saying this, if you are ever in a position of needing an OVI attorney, or deciding between Merisa and another attorney, don't be silly, go with Merisa (you'll thank me later). Thanks again Merisa. I am so happy I decided to retain your services. You're amazing!

Karen
March 9, 2015

Merisa was so helpful with me from the very beginning, giving me guidence & advise in a bad situation & before she even asked for any $. She was a lifesaver for my family! Thanks Merisa, I couldnt have made it through our ordeal without you!