Filing for Divorce with Children in Ashtabula County

File for divorce with minor children in the Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court — Legal Division. Step-by-step guidance, 9 required forms, ~$385 filing fee, parenting class requirements, and Ohio attorney help.

Ashtabula County's Common Pleas Court in Jefferson stands out for one thing: a robust, free, court-run Mediation & Conflict Management program that resolves parenting, support, and property disputes without trial. Filing fee is $385, DR Magistrate Joseph Macejko handles most contested hearings, and Clerk of Courts April Daniels manages the Legal Division at 25 West Jefferson Street.

Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court — Legal Division

25 West Jefferson Street, Jefferson, OH 44047
Phone: (440) 576-3637
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Clerk of Courts, Legal Division, 25 West Jefferson Street, Jefferson. (440) 576-3637.

Filing Fees

$385 divorce with children

Ashtabula County Procedure Quirks

  • Strong court-run Mediation & Conflict Management program — request via the DRM form to resolve parenting, support, and property disputes without trial. Free and confidential.
  • File the OAPEP (Ohio Approved Parenting Education Program) Notice with your packet — both parents must complete the required parenting education program.
  • Clerk of Courts April Daniels handles legal-division filings; Records at (440) 576-3716.

Parenting Class

Ohio Approved Parenting Education Program (OAPEP) — Court-approved providers
Both parents must complete the required parenting education program before the final hearing.

Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas — Juvenile Division

3816 Donahoe Drive, Ashtabula, OH 44004
Phone: (440) 994-6000
Website: courts.co.ashtabula.oh.us/juvenile_court.htm

Fee schedule: courts.co.ashtabula.oh.us/fees/cocFees.pdf. Juvenile Division is separate from the Common Pleas Legal Division that handles divorces.

Domestic Relations vs. Juvenile

Ashtabula splits across two cities in the county: the Common Pleas Court — Legal Division at 25 West Jefferson Street (in Jefferson) for divorces and dissolutions; the Juvenile Division at 3816 Donahoe Drive (in Ashtabula) for never-married-parent cases and juvenile matters.

Free Local Resources in Ashtabula County

  • Ashtabula Mediation & Conflict Management. Court-run, confidential, and free. Coordinator Tammy Kosier: (440) 576-3628 • Mediator Carl DiFranco: (440) 576-3613.
  • Ashtabula Resource Center. 4717 Main Avenue, Basement, Ashtabula, OH 44004 • (440) 994-6044.
  • Ashtabula Law Library. 91 North Chestnut Street, Jefferson • Supervisor Shara Parkomaki: (440) 576-3690.

Related to your divorce

  • Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.
  • Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
  • Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.

Call +1-844-694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.