Shared Parenting in Clinton County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green, Esq. · Managing Partner, Gavvl Law · Last updated June 9, 2026

Clinton County, Ohio · Wilmington

Shared parenting designates both parents as residential parents and legal custodians. To request it in Clinton County you must file a proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Supreme Court Form 20) that addresses every item in R.C. 3109.04(G). Married or divorcing parents file at the Court of Common Pleas; never-married parents file in the Juvenile Court. The court must still find that the plan serves the child's best interest before approving it. Ohio uses the term "shared parenting" — there is no "joint custody" or "primary custody" in Ohio law.

How do I get shared parenting in Clinton County, Ohio?

File a proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Supreme Court Form 20) addressing every R.C. 3109.04(G) item — living arrangements, holidays and vacations, child support, decision-making, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. Married or divorcing parents file at the Clinton County Court of Common Pleas; never-married parents file in the Clinton County Juvenile Court at (937) 382-2391. Include the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA) and an Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet. The court must find the plan is in the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F). Both parents must complete the parenting-education class before the final hearing.

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: Clinton County Court of Common Pleas (Domestic Relations)

46 South South Street, Suite 333, Wilmington, OH 45177, Wilmington, OH 45177
Phone: (937) 382-3640
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Website: www.clintoncountycourts.org/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Clinton County Juvenile Court
46 South South Street, Wilmington, OH 45177, Wilmington, OH 45177
Phone: (937) 382-2391
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

You and the other parent both want to be residential parents and legal custodians.
You can cooperate enough to share decision-making about school, health care, and activities.
You can put together a written plan that covers every R.C. 3109.04(G) item.
Ohio is the child's home state under the UCCJEA.

Filing Fees

Shared parenting inside a divorce with children: $400 filing fee · Shared parenting in Juvenile Court: deposit not posted online — confirm at (937) 382-2391 · Parenting-education class required before the final hearing. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (937) 382-2316.

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting inside a divorce or dissolution (married parents) — Included in the divorce/dissolution filing fee ($400 with children)

Filed at the Court of Common Pleas as part of the divorce or dissolution. Submit a proposed Shared Parenting Plan on Supreme Court Form 20.

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, and sign. Required any time the court is being asked to set or modify support.

Shared parenting in Juvenile Court (never-married parents) — Juvenile Court deposit not posted online — confirm at (937) 382-2391

Filed in the Juvenile Court once parentage is established. The proposed Shared Parenting Plan must still address every R.C. 3109.04(G) item.

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.
Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights & Parenting Time (Supreme Court Form 23 / Juvenile Form 2) — The Juvenile Court complaint that establishes parentage and asks the court to allocate custody and parenting time for never-married parents. Confirm any local Juvenile packet at (937) 382-2391.
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.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time the court is being asked to set or modify support.

How to File Shared Parenting in Clinton County

Draft a complete Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20). Address every R.C. 3109.04(G) item — living arrangements, holidays, support, decision-making, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. Have it notarized.
Pick the right court. Married or divorcing parents file at the Court of Common Pleas. Never-married parents file in the Juvenile Court at (937) 382-2391 once parentage is established.
Add the supporting paperwork. Include the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA, Affidavit 3) and an Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet so the court can confirm jurisdiction and set support.
Complete the parenting-education class. Both parents must finish the court parenting-education seminar and file the Certificate of Completion before the final hearing.
Attend the hearing for best-interest review. The court reviews the plan against the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors and either approves it, asks for revisions, or sets the matter for hearing if the parents disagree.

Clinton County Practice Notes

The plan must address every R.C. 3109.04(G) item. A Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) must cover physical living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making authority, transportation, school and health-care decisions, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. Plans that skip an item are routinely sent back for revision.
Best interest still controls. Even when both parents agree, the court must independently find that shared parenting is in the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F) before it approves the plan. Clinton County applies its Standard Parenting Schedule as the default when the parents do not propose a workable schedule of their own.
Ohio terminology. Ohio recognizes sole custody or shared parenting. 'Joint custody' and 'primary custody' are not Ohio terms — in shared parenting both parents are residential parents and legal custodians under the approved plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is shared parenting the same as joint custody in Ohio?: No. Ohio uses the term 'shared parenting' — there is no 'joint custody' or 'primary custody' in Ohio terms. In shared parenting both parents are designated residential parents and legal custodians under an approved plan. To request it in Clinton County you must file a proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Supreme Court Form 20) that addresses every R.C. 3109.04(G) item, and the court must still find the plan is in the child's best interest.
What parenting-time schedule does Clinton County use?: Clinton County publishes a Standard Parenting Schedule that the court uses as the default parenting-time order under the R.C. 3109.051 best-interest factors, unless the parents agree to their own schedule or the court orders something different in the child's best interest. The schedule is distributed with the county's domestic relations forms.
Is a parenting class required in Clinton County?: Yes. In cases involving minor children — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and custody/parental-rights cases — Clinton County requires the parent(s) to complete a court parenting-education seminar and file the Certificate of Completion before the final hearing; a case will not proceed to final hearing until it is done. The court may waive it for good cause. Clinton County does not post a single official provider or fee online, so confirm the court-designated program and current cost with the General Division at (937) 382-3640 (or the Juvenile Court at (937) 382-2391 for unmarried parents).
When do I file in Juvenile Court instead of DR?: If the parents were never married, custody, parenting time, and child support are filed in the Clinton County Juvenile Court at 46 South South Street, Wilmington — phone (937) 382-2391. If you were married, those issues travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in DR.
Will a Guardian ad Litem be appointed in my custody case?: In a contested custody or parenting matter the court may appoint a Guardian ad Litem under Sup.R. 48 to investigate and report on the child's best interest. The Clerk's $150.00 Home Investigation fee applies to custody investigations. In Juvenile Court matters, the county's CASA program provides guardians ad litem (Director Elizabeth Biggane, 46 South South Street, Wilmington — (937) 383-1137).

Free Local Resources in Clinton County

Clinton County Clerk of Courts. 46 South South Street, Wilmington, OH 45177. Phone (937) 382-2316. E-filing through efile.henschen.com.
Clinton County DR Local Rules (with form appendices). clintoncountycourts.org — DR forms are appendices to the local rules document.
Ohio Supreme Court Standardized Forms. Used for the complaint, affidavits, decree, parenting plans, and motions. Available at supremecourt.ohio.gov.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov — run the worksheet and print it for filing.
Clinton County Law Library. 46 South South Street, Wilmington — (937) 382-2428.
Alternatives to Violence Center (Clinton County). 94 N. South Street, 3rd Floor, Suite D, Wilmington — Office (937) 383-3285 · 24-hour Crisis Line 1-888-816-1146.
Ohio Legal Help. ohiolegalhelp.org — plain-language guides and form walkthroughs.

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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