Shared Parenting in Ashland County
Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026
Ashland County, Ohio · Ashland
Shared parenting designates both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under R.C. 3109.04(G), governed by a written Shared Parenting Plan the court must find serves the children's best interest. Where you file depends on the parents' status — inside a divorce in the General and Domestic Relations Divisions, or in the Juvenile Division for never-married parents. Ashland's Domestic Relations side supplies a default "Rule 20" parenting-time schedule (Form 20.00); the Juvenile Division publishes its own separate schedule.
How do I get shared parenting in Ashland County, Ohio?
File a written Shared Parenting Plan designating both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under R.C. 3109.04(G). In a divorce, file it with your initial pleadings (the court won't issue a temporary shared parenting order at the non-oral review unless a proposed plan is on file). For never-married parents, file in the Juvenile Division, where the plan must meet Juvenile LR 27(H): identification of parents and children, fitness/best-interest statements, all required statutory provisions (living arrangements, support, health care, tax exemptions, school placement), and the pre-signature acknowledgment. The court attaches a parenting-time schedule — the DR side's Rule 20 (Form 20.00) order or the Juvenile Division's own schedule. The court must find the plan is in the children's best interest before approving it.
Ohio Custody by the Numbers
- Best interest The single standard that governs every Ohio custody decision Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04
- No set age There is no age a child can choose a parent — the judge weighs a mature child's wishes Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(B)
- Change in circumstances Required, plus a best-interest finding, before the residential parent can be changed Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(E)(1)
- Shared parenting Either parent may ask the court for a joint parenting plan Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(G)
Compare Types of Custody in Ohio
| Custody type | Who makes major decisions | Where the child lives | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared parenting | Both parents jointly, under a written plan | Time is split per the plan (not always 50/50) | Parents can communicate and cooperate on decisions |
| Sole legal & residential | One parent | Primarily with that parent | One parent is unable or unwilling to co-parent |
| Split custody | Each parent for the child in their care | Siblings are divided between the two homes | Rare — only when it serves each child's best interest |
| Legal custody to a non-parent | The relative or caregiver granted custody | With the non-parent caregiver | Neither parent can safely care for the child |
Where to File: Ashland County Common Pleas Court - Domestic Relations Division
142 W 2nd St, Ashland, OH 44805, Ashland, OH 44805Phone: (419) 282-4242
Hours: Monday–Friday (call the Clerk to confirm current hours)
Website: ashlandcommonpleas.com
Shared Parenting is the right path if…
- Both parents want to be designated residential parents and legal custodians, not one sole residential parent.
- You can agree (or ask the court to order) a written plan covering living arrangements, support, health care, tax exemptions, and school placement.
- You want a specific parenting-time schedule built on Ashland's Rule 20 (Form 20.00) order or the Juvenile Division schedule.
- Your case is in the right forum — a divorce in Domestic Relations, or the Juvenile Division for never-married parents.
Filing Fees
No separate shared-parenting fee — folded into the divorce deposit ($425 with children) or the Juvenile two-party deposit ($175) · plan must meet R.C. 3109.04(G) and (in Juvenile cases) LR 27(H) · confirm at (419) 282-4242 or (419) 282-4205
Forms & Filing Packets
Shared parenting inside a divorce
File your proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) with your initial pleadings so the court can consider temporary shared parenting; the Rule 20 (Form 20.00) schedule supplies default parenting time.
- Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) — Required when both parents are asking to be designated residential parents under R.C. 3109.04(G). Must be notarized.
- Rule 20 Standard Parenting Time Schedule (Local Form 20.00) — Ashland's default Domestic Relations parenting-time schedule — practitioners call it the "Rule 20" order. Every DR parenting order must contain a specific schedule or stated good cause.
- Parenting Proceeding / UCCJEA Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 3) — Required in any case with minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years, confirming Ohio's UCCJEA jurisdiction.
Shared parenting for never-married parents
File the plan in the Juvenile Division meeting Juvenile LR 27(H), with the parenting affidavit, health-insurance affidavit, and worksheet. The Juvenile Division uses its own published parenting schedule.
- Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) — Required when both parents are asking to be designated residential parents under R.C. 3109.04(G). Must be notarized.
- Juvenile Division Parenting Time Order (standard schedule) — The Juvenile Division's own published parenting-time schedule, distinct from the DR side's Rule 20 (Form 20.00) order.
- Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA. Required in any case involving minor children.
- Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.
- Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask the court to set or change support.
How to File Shared Parenting in Ashland County
- Draft the Shared Parenting Plan. Use Ohio SC Form 20 and cover living arrangements, decision-making, support, health care, tax exemptions, and school placement, designating both parents as residential parents and legal custodians.
- Pick the parenting-time schedule. Attach Ashland's Rule 20 (Form 20.00) order in a DR case, or the Juvenile Division's published schedule for never-married parents.
- File in the right forum. File with the divorce in Domestic Relations (with your initial pleadings if you want temporary shared parenting), or in the Juvenile Division for never-married parents.
- Show best interest. Be ready to demonstrate the plan serves the children's best interest under R.C. 3109.04 — the court must make that finding before approving shared parenting.
Ashland County Practice Notes
- Shared parenting ≠ a parenting-time schedule. A Shared Parenting Plan allocates legal status (both parents as residential parents and legal custodians); the parenting-time schedule (Rule 20 / Form 20.00 on the DR side, or the Juvenile Division's own schedule) sets the actual time-sharing. A complete order needs both.
- File the proposed plan early in a divorce. The court will not issue a temporary shared parenting order at the non-oral review unless a proposed Shared Parenting Plan is already on file. File yours with the initial pleadings if you want shared parenting from the start (LR 20.02).
- Juvenile plans have strict content rules. Juvenile LR 27(H) requires identification of parents/children, fitness/best-interest statements, all required statutory provisions (living arrangements, support, health care, tax exemptions, school placement), designation of both parents as residential parents and legal custodians, and the pre-signature acknowledgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is shared parenting in Ashland County?
- Shared parenting designates both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under R.C. 3109.04(G), governed by a written Shared Parenting Plan the court must find is in the children's best interest. It is different from sole custody (one residential parent) — Ohio has no "joint" or "primary" custody.
- What has to be in an Ashland shared parenting plan?
- On the Juvenile side, Juvenile LR 27(H) requires identification of the parents and children, fitness/best-interest statements, all required statutory provisions (living arrangements, support, health care, tax exemptions, school placement), designation of both parents as residential parents and legal custodians, and the pre-signature acknowledgment. In DR cases the Form 20.00 "Rule 20" parenting-time schedule supplies the default time-sharing terms.
- Can I get temporary shared parenting in an Ashland divorce?
- Only if a proposed Shared Parenting Plan is already on file — the court will not issue a temporary shared parenting order at the non-oral review without one (LR 20.02). File your proposed plan with your initial pleadings if you want shared parenting from the start.
Free Local Resources in Ashland County
- Ashland County Clerk of Courts. Provides current filing fees, local forms, and filing instructions for custody, divorce, and dissolution cases. Call (419) 282-4242 or visit https://ashlandcommonpleas.com before filing to confirm deposits and packet requirements.
- Ashland County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Ashland County's IV-D agency opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. File a IV-D Application when establishing or modifying support.
Other Family-Law Topics in Ashland County
- Statewide Custody Overview — How Ohio custody and parenting time work at a high level.
- Talk to a Family Law Attorney — Connect with a Ashland County custody attorney for help with your case.
Related to your shared parenting case
- Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
- Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.
- Post-Decree Modification — Update custody, support, or parenting orders after your case ends.
Related guides
In-depth, attorney-written guides on shared parenting and related Ohio family law topics.
- Shared Parenting in Ohio: How Joint Custody Really Works — Shared parenting is Ohio's version of joint custody — both parents stay legal custodians and share major decisions. Here's what a plan must cover and how courts decide.
- Ohio Child Custody Laws: What Every Parent Should Know — Ohio custody law turns on one principle: the best interest of the child. This guide explains sole custody, shared parenting, the statutory factors, and how courts decide.
- Fathers' Rights in Ohio: Custody, Paternity, and Parenting Time — Ohio law does not favor mothers over fathers — but unmarried fathers must establish paternity before they have any rights. Here's how fathers protect their relationship with their children.
Keep exploring
- Ohio Shared Parenting guide — Statewide overview of shared parenting in Ohio.
- Medina family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Medina metro.
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