Shared Parenting in Clark County
Reviewed by Stephanie Green, Esq. · Managing Partner, Gavvl Law · Last updated May 27, 2026
Clark County, Ohio · Springfield
Shared parenting (R.C. 3109.04(G)) names BOTH parents as residential parent and legal custodian under a written plan. In Clark County, you file a notarized Shared Parenting Plan (Supreme Court Form 20) — in the Domestic Relations Adult Section if you are married or divorcing, or in the Juvenile Section if you were never married.
How do I get shared parenting in Clark County, Ohio?
File a written Shared Parenting Plan (Supreme Court Form 20) that addresses the R.C. 3109.04(G) factors: physical living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making, transportation, and dispute resolution. The plan must be notarized. File it in the Domestic Relations Adult Section at 101 N. Limestone Street if you are married or divorcing, or in the Clark County Juvenile Section if you were never married. If one parent will instead be the sole residential parent, use the Parenting Plan (Form 21).
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: Clark County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations (Adult Section)
101 North Limestone Street, Springfield, OH 45502, Springfield, OH 45502Phone: (937) 521-1753
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Website: www.clarkcountyohio.gov/
Shared Parenting is the right path if…
- You and the other parent can share major decisions and follow a written schedule.
- You can put a real, workable plan in writing — holidays, vacations, transportation, and decision-making.
- Both households can meet the children's day-to-day needs.
- There is no safety concern that makes joint decision-making unsafe.
Filing Fees
Filing tracks the underlying case — dissolution is a $350 deposit; divorce and Juvenile deposits are set by the Clerk (call (937) 521-1753 for Adult Section amounts; contact the Juvenile Section for Juvenile amounts).
Forms & Filing Packets
Shared parenting — Adult Section (married/divorcing)
Filed inside your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the Domestic Relations Adult Section.
- Shared Parenting Plan (Supreme Court Form 20) — Required when both parents are asking to be designated residential parents and legal custodians under R.C. 3109.04(G). Must be notarized.
- Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3 — UCCJEA, R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom. Confirms Ohio's UCCJEA jurisdiction.
- Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
- Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, sign. Required any time the court is being asked to set support.
Shared parenting — Juvenile Section (never-married)
Filed in the Clark County Juvenile Section, typically alongside the Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Form 23).
- Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Supreme Court Form 23) — Opens a custody, parenting-time, and support case for never-married parents in the Clark County Juvenile Section. Establishes parentage and allocates parental rights in one filing.
- Shared Parenting Plan (Supreme Court Form 20) — Required when both parents are asking to be designated residential parents and legal custodians under R.C. 3109.04(G). Must be notarized.
- Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3 — UCCJEA, R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom. Confirms Ohio's UCCJEA jurisdiction.
- Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
- Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, sign. Required any time the court is being asked to set support.
Alternative: one parent as sole residential parent
If you are not asking for shared parenting, file the Parenting Plan (Form 21) to name one parent the residential parent and legal custodian.
- Sole-Residential Parenting Plan (Supreme Court Form 21) — Used when one parent will be designated residential parent and legal custodian. Sets parenting time, decision-making, and exchanges.
How to File Shared Parenting in Clark County
- Draft a complete Form 20 plan. Cover living arrangements, holidays and vacations, child support, decision-making, transportation, and dispute resolution. A bare "50/50" statement is not enough.
- Decide Adult Section vs. Juvenile Section. Married or divorcing → Domestic Relations Adult Section at 101 N. Limestone Street. Never-married → Clark County Juvenile Section.
- Notarize the plan and run the support worksheet. Form 20 must be notarized. Run the Ohio Child Support Worksheet even with equal parenting time.
- File the plan with your supporting forms. File the Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) with the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3), the Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4), and the Child Support Worksheet.
- Attend the hearing. The court reviews the plan against the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors and incorporates the approved plan into the decree or Juvenile order.
Clark County Practice Notes
- Form 20 must be notarized. Clark County requires the Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) to be notarized. It must address physical living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making, transportation, school and health-care decisions, and dispute resolution.
- Best-interest review still applies. Even when both parents agree, the court must find the plan is in the children's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F) before approving it.
- Child support still applies. Shared parenting does not eliminate child support. Run the Ohio Child Support Worksheet; the court can consider the shared schedule when it sets the amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a shared parenting plan in Clark County?
- Shared parenting (R.C. 3109.04(G)) names both parents as residential parent and legal custodian under a written plan. In Clark County you file the Shared Parenting Plan (Supreme Court Form 20), which must be notarized, covering living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making, transportation, and dispute resolution. If one parent will be the sole residential parent instead, use the Parenting Plan (Form 21).
- How does a Clark County court decide custody and parenting time?
- Ohio courts allocate parental rights using the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors — each parent's wishes, the child's wishes when of sufficient age, the child's relationships and adjustment to home and school, the physical and mental health of everyone involved, which parent is more likely to honor parenting time, and any history of abuse. In Clark County these issues are decided in the Adult Section for married parents and the Juvenile Section for never-married parents.
- When do I file in the Juvenile Section instead of DR?
- If you were never married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are filed in the Clark County Juvenile Section (clarkohiojuvcourt.us), not in DR. If you were married, those issues travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in DR at 101 N. Limestone Street.
- Is mediation available in Clark County?
- Yes. Clark County offers court-connected mediation for custody, parenting time, and other family-law disputes — including post-decree motions. Either party can request a referral using the Clark County Mediation Referral Form, or the Magistrate can refer sua sponte. Mediation is generally not used in CPO cases involving domestic violence.
Free Local Resources in Clark County
- Clark County DR Clerk. 101 N. Limestone Street, Springfield, OH 45502. Phone (937) 521-1753 for filing-fee deposits, copy requirements, and procedural questions.
- Ohio Supreme Court Standardized Forms. Clark County uses these forms for every DR case type — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and post-decree modifications. Available at supremecourt.ohio.gov.
- Clark County Public Library (Main Branch, S. Fountain Ave.). LawPak Ohio Dissolution forms at the Reference Desk and access to the Cengage Legal Forms Database (library card required).
- Clark County Mediation Referral. Court-connected mediation for custody, parenting time, and post-decree disputes. Referral form linked from clarkcountyohio.gov DR forms page.
- Legal Aid of Western Ohio. Free civil legal assistance for income-qualifying Clark County residents. Call (877) 894-4599.
- Clark County Bar Association. Lawyer referral service. clarkcobar.com.
- United Way 2-1-1 (Clark, Champaign & Madison Counties). Free 24/7 referral line for local shelter, advocacy, and social services.
Other Family-Law Topics in Clark County
- Clark County Dissolution — Cooperative path — $350 deposit, 30-90 days to final hearing.
- Clark County Divorce — Full filing guide with Ohio SC standardized forms and the 42-day waiting period.
- Clark County Legal Separation — Same forms as divorce — marriage stays legally intact at the end.
- Clark County Annulment — Limited grounds under R.C. 3105.31 — treats the marriage as if it never happened.
- Clark County Post-Decree Modifications — Change child support, custody, or parenting time after the decree.
- Clark County Post-Decree Contempt — Enforce an order the other party is violating.
- Clark County Custody — Allocation of parental rights — Adult Section or Juvenile Section, with the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest test.
- Clark County Child Support — Set, modify, or enforce support under the Ohio 2024 Income Shares Model.
- Clark County Paternity — Establish a father, custody, and support for never-married parents with Form 23.
- Clark County Shared Parenting — Both parents as residential parent under a notarized Form 20 plan.
- Clark County Civil Protection Orders — Same-day ex parte protection — no filing fee, filed at the Title Office.
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.
Keep exploring
- Ohio Shared Parenting guide — Statewide overview of shared parenting in Ohio.
- Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
- Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
- Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.
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