Filing for Legal Separation in Crawford County

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

Crawford County, Ohio · Bucyrus

A legal separation follows the same process as a divorce, but the marriage remains legally intact. The Crawford County court resolves all issues of property, support, and parenting while the parties remain married but live apart. The filing fee is $300 — the same as divorce.

How do I file for legal separation in Crawford County, Ohio?

File a Complaint for Legal Separation at the Crawford County Court of Common Pleas, 112 East Mansfield Street, Suite 200, Bucyrus. The filing fee is $300 — the same as divorce — and the process is the same: the court resolves property, support, and parenting, but the marriage stays legally intact. Crawford County uses the Ohio Supreme Court standardized forms; legal separation uses the same complaint as divorce (Form 4 without children, Form 5 with children) with the caption changed to "Legal Separation." Call the Clerk at (419) 562-5771 to confirm the specific forms.

Ohio Divorce by the Numbers

6 months Ohio residency required before you can file Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.03
90 days Residency in the county of filing (venue) Source: Ohio Civ. R. 3
30–90 days Typical time to finalize an uncontested dissolution Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.64
1 year Living separate and apart that qualifies as no-fault grounds Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.01

Compare Your Options for Ending a Marriage in Ohio

Path	Ends the marriage?	Agreement required?	Best when
Dissolution	Yes	Yes — on every term before filing	Both spouses agree on everything and want the fastest, lowest-cost path
Divorce (contested)	Yes	No	Spouses disagree on property, support, or parenting and need a judge to decide
Divorce (uncontested / default)	Yes	No	One spouse will not respond or cannot be located
Legal separation	No — you stay married	Optional	You need court orders but must stay married (religion, insurance, or benefits)
Annulment	Treated as never valid	No	The marriage was never legally valid (fraud, bigamy, underage, or incapacity)

Where to File: Crawford County Court of Common Pleas

112 East Mansfield Street, Suite 200, Bucyrus, OH 44820, Bucyrus, OH 44820
Phone: (419) 562-5771
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Website: crawfordcocpcourt.org/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Crawford County Juvenile and Probate Court
112 East Mansfield Street, Bucyrus, OH 44820, Bucyrus, OH 44820
Phone: (419) 562-5771
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Legal Separation is the right path if…

You need court-ordered property division, support, or parenting, but you do not want to legally end the marriage.
Religious, insurance, tax, or benefit reasons make keeping the marriage intact important.
You want time apart with court orders in place before deciding whether to divorce.
You can state grounds the same way you would for a divorce.

If you want to end the marriage entirely, file a Divorce — the forms and process are the same. See Crawford County divorce.

Filing Fees

$300 filing fee (same as divorce) · Marriage stays legally intact · Same Ohio SC forms as divorce, caption changed · Confirm forms with the Clerk at (419) 562-5771

Forms & Filing Packets

Core legal-separation packet (no minor children) — $300

Complaint for Legal Separation Without Children (Supreme Court Form 4 — relabel caption) — Legal separation follows the same process as divorce, so Crawford County uses the same Ohio SC complaint form — change the caption from "Divorce" to "Legal Separation." Call the Clerk at (419) 562-5771 to confirm the specific forms.
Financial Affidavit (Affidavit 1) — Discloses income, expenses, assets, and debts. Required at filing in every divorce, dissolution, or legal separation. In a dissolution each spouse files their own.

Core legal-separation packet (with minor children) — $300

Complaint for Legal Separation With Children (Supreme Court Form 5 — relabel caption) — Same Form 5 used for divorce-with-children, with the caption changed to "Legal Separation." Adds the custody, parenting-time, and child-support allegations. Call the Clerk at (419) 562-5771 to confirm the specific forms.
Financial Affidavit (Affidavit 1) — Discloses income, expenses, assets, and debts. Required at filing in every divorce, dissolution, or legal separation. In a dissolution each spouse files their own.
Custody Affidavit / UCCJEA (Affidavit 3) — Lists where each child has lived and with whom. Required whenever minor children are involved.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent.
Child Support Worksheet (Ohio 2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time the court is asked to set support.
Parenting Plan (Supreme Court Form 21) — Used when one parent will be the residential parent and legal custodian. Sets parenting time, decision-making, and exchanges.

Affidavit-based temporary orders

Same affidavit-based process as divorce. File a Proposal for Temporary Orders with the local Affidavit for Temporary Orders, your financial affidavit, and a child support worksheet.

Affidavit for Temporary Orders (Crawford County local form) — Crawford County decides temporary orders from written affidavits, not an initial oral hearing. File this with your Proposal for Temporary Orders, financial affidavit, and child support worksheet.
Counter-Affidavit for Temporary Orders (Crawford County local form) — The other party's response to a Proposal for Temporary Orders. Must be filed within 14 days; if none is filed, the court enters temporary orders on the affidavits alone.
Financial Affidavit (Affidavit 1) — Discloses income, expenses, assets, and debts. Required at filing in every divorce, dissolution, or legal separation. In a dissolution each spouse files their own.
Child Support Worksheet (Ohio 2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time the court is asked to set support.

How to File Legal Separation in Crawford County

Decide legal separation is the right fit. Legal separation keeps the marriage legally intact while the court resolves property, support, and parenting. If you want to end the marriage, file a divorce instead.
Prepare the complaint and financial affidavit. Use the Ohio SC divorce complaint (Form 4 without children, Form 5 with children) with the caption changed to "Legal Separation," plus the Financial Affidavit (Affidavit 1). Call the Clerk at (419) 562-5771 to confirm the forms.
Add the children's forms if applicable. With minor children, add the UCCJEA affidavit, Health Insurance Affidavit, child support worksheet, and a parenting plan.
File at 112 E. Mansfield Street and pay $300. File with the Clerk of Courts at 112 East Mansfield Street, Suite 200, Bucyrus, and arrange service on your spouse.
Use the affidavit-based temporary orders process. If you need temporary support or parenting orders, file a Proposal for Temporary Orders with your financial affidavit and child support worksheet.

Crawford County Practice Notes

Same process, different outcome. Legal separation runs the same way as a divorce — complaint, service, the 28-day answer, the 42-day waiting period, and resolution of property, support, and parenting. The only difference is that the parties remain legally married at the end.
Same forms, relabeled caption. Crawford County uses the Ohio Supreme Court standardized forms for all filings. Legal separation uses the same divorce complaint (Form 4 or Form 5) with the caption changed to "Legal Separation." Call the Clerk at (419) 562-5771 to confirm the specific forms.
Temporary orders are affidavit-based. As in a divorce, temporary support and parenting are decided from written affidavits. File a Proposal for Temporary Orders with your financial affidavit and child support worksheet; the other party has 14 days to respond.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to file a family law case in Crawford County?: Crawford County's filing fees are: dissolution $200, divorce $300, post-decree motion $200, Answer and Cross-Complaint with service $100, service by publication $500, QDRO $50, agreed judgment entry $50, and CPO petitions are free. Confirm the current amounts with the Clerk at (419) 562-5771 before filing.
Does Crawford County have its own divorce and dissolution forms?: No. Crawford County uses the Ohio Supreme Court standardized domestic relations forms for all filings, and no local form packets are provided beyond the state forms. The only Crawford County local forms are the Affidavit and Counter-Affidavit for Temporary Orders and the Medical Support (Form 26.1) and Child Support (Form 26.2) provisions.
How do temporary orders work in Crawford County?: Crawford County uses an unusual affidavit-based system. Instead of scheduling an immediate hearing, temporary orders are determined entirely from written affidavits. Each party files a "Proposal for Temporary Orders" with financial affidavits and a child support worksheet. If no response is filed within 14 days, the court enters a temporary order on the filed affidavits alone. Either party may then request an oral hearing to modify it within 14 days — the request must specify exactly which portions are objected to, the reasons, and the suggested changes. The oral hearing is typically scheduled for 30 minutes.
Where do I file a family law case in Crawford County?: All family law matters — domestic relations, juvenile, and probate — are handled in the same courthouse: the Crawford County Court of Common Pleas at 112 East Mansfield Street, Suite 200, Bucyrus, OH 44820. The phone number is (419) 562-5771 and the court is open Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
What are the key timelines in a Crawford County divorce?: After service, the responding spouse has 28 days to answer. There is a 42-day waiting period before the court can hold a final hearing. An early case management status conference is scheduled after the answer is filed. Any continuance must be in writing, approved by the magistrate, and include a new date.

Free Local Resources in Crawford County

Ohio Legal Help. ohiolegalhelp.org — free legal information and interactive court forms for Ohio family law cases.
Legal Aid of Western Ohio. Serves Crawford County. Call 1-888-534-1432 for income-qualified legal help.
Crawford County Law Library. Located in the Courthouse at 112 East Mansfield Street, Bucyrus.
Crawford County DR Case Manager. Brook Scheffler, ext. 1145. Post-decree motions must be brought to the case manager before filing to be assigned a hearing date. Call (419) 562-5771.
Crawford County Common Pleas Court. crawfordcocpcourt.org — local court rules, Guardian ad Litem information, and the aspirational parenting guidelines.

Related to your legal separation case

Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after 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.

Keep exploring

Ohio Legal Separation guide — Statewide overview of legal separation in Ohio.
Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus 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.

Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.