Shared Parenting in Darke County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026

Darke County, Ohio · Greenville

Shared parenting names both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under a written plan. In Darke County, married parents file a Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) in the Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas; never-married parents file in the Probate/Juvenile Court. The court approves a plan only if it serves the child's best interest and addresses every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor — and shared parenting is not the same as equal time.

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

Submit a written Shared Parenting Plan (Darke County uses Form 20) asking the court to name both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under R.C. 3109.04(G). Married or divorcing parents file it in the Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas; never-married parents file in the Probate/Juvenile Court. The plan must address living arrangements, the parenting-time schedule, decision-making, child support, holidays, transportation, and dispute resolution; the court approves it only if it serves the child's best interest. Parents in a DR case with children must also complete the court-approved parenting seminar. Shared parenting is not automatically a 50/50 schedule — the schedule is whatever the plan says.

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: Darke County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

Darke County Courthouse, Second Floor, 504 South Broadway, Greenville, OH 45331
Phone: (937) 547-7335
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: darkecountycommonpleas.com

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Darke County Probate/Juvenile Court, Juvenile Division
300 Garst Ave, Greenville, OH 45331
Phone: (937) 547-7350
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

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 follow a detailed written plan.
You can address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor in a Shared Parenting Plan.
You can complete the required parenting seminar (DR cases with children).

Filing Fees

Shared parenting inside a DR case is part of the $300 deposit; in the Juvenile Division, a new filing is $175 ($150 to reopen). The court will not approve a plan that skips a required R.C. 3109.04(G) factor. Court fees and deposits change — confirm the current amount with the Darke County Clerk of Courts at (937) 547-7335 (Domestic Relations) or the Probate/Juvenile Court at (937) 547-7350 before filing.

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting inside a Darke County divorce (married parents) — Included in the $300 divorce/dissolution deposit

File a Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) with your DR case, plus the UCCJEA affidavit and the child-support worksheet. The court reviews the plan against the R.C. 3109.04(G) factors and the child's best interest.

Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) (Darke County) — Required when both parents ask to be designated residential parents and legal custodians under R.C. 3109.04(G). Must address living arrangements, decision-making, support, holidays, and dispute resolution.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA) (Darke County) — Required in any DR case with minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming 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 sets or changes support.

Shared parenting in the Probate/Juvenile Court (never-married parents) — $175 new Juvenile filing / $150 to reopen

Never-married parents file a shared parenting plan with the Juvenile Division after parentage is established, using the Pro-Se Filing Packet and the standard parenting-time schedule as a starting point.

Juvenile Pro-Se Filing Packet (Darke County) — The self-represented filing packet for never-married-parent custody, parenting time, companionship, and support cases in the Darke County Juvenile Division.
Standard Schedule for Parenting Time — Under 90 Miles (Juvenile) — The Juvenile Division's default parenting-time schedule when the parents live within 90 miles of each other.
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 Darke County

Confirm the right court. Married or divorcing parents file in the Common Pleas DR case; never-married parents file in the Probate/Juvenile Court after parentage is established.
Draft the Shared Parenting Plan. Use Form 20 and address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor — living arrangements, schedule, support, decision-making, and dispute resolution.
Attach the supporting forms. File the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and the Ohio child-support worksheet with the plan.
Complete the parenting seminar. In a DR case with children, both parents must finish the court-approved parenting seminar before the final hearing.
File and attend the hearing. File with the Clerk (DR) or the Juvenile Court, then attend the hearing where the court reviews the plan against the child's best interest.

Darke County Practice Notes

The plan must address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor. A Shared Parenting Plan 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 a factor are sent back for revision.
Darke County publishes distance-based schedules. When parents do not agree, the Common Pleas DR Standard Schedule applies (separate Under 90 Miles and Over 90 Miles orders); the Probate/Juvenile Court has its own Under 90 / Over 90 and Phase-In schedules for never-married-parent cases.
Shared parenting is not the same as equal time. Naming both parents as residential parents and legal custodians does not require a 50/50 schedule. The parenting time is whatever the approved plan or order says.

Frequently Asked Questions

What must a shared parenting plan include in Darke County?: A Shared Parenting Plan (Darke County uses Form 20) must address physical living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making authority, transportation, school and health-care decisions, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution under R.C. 3109.04(G). Plans that skip a required factor are sent back for revision, and the court approves a plan only if it serves the child's best interest. Shared parenting is not automatically a 50/50 schedule.
What parenting-time schedule does Darke County use?: When parents do not agree, the Domestic Relations Division applies its Standard Schedule (separate Under 90 Miles and Over 90 Miles orders) in divorce cases. The Probate/Juvenile Court has its own Under 90 Miles and Over 90 Miles schedules plus a Phase-In schedule for very young children or where a parent has had little prior contact. Parents can agree on their own plan, which the court usually approves if it fits the children.
Is a parenting class required in Darke County?: Yes, in any Domestic Relations case with minor children. Darke County requires the court-approved "Helping Children Succeed After Divorce" seminar offered by OSU Extension (about $45 per person; register at scponline.osu.edu) before the final hearing (DR Local Rule 7(G)). The Probate/Juvenile Court orders parenting education case-by-case for high-conflict matters rather than in every case. Confirm the current cost with the provider before registering.
Do I file custody in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Darke County?: If you are married to (or divorcing) the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas. If you were never married, parentage and custody are handled by the Probate/Juvenile Court at 300 Garst Ave, Greenville. Grandparent and other non-parent custody is always filed in the Juvenile Division.
Can I change custody so my child can switch schools in Darke County?: No. Darke County does not grant custody changes for school-enrollment purposes only. A school-placement dispute is decided separately and is not the same as a change of legal custody.

Free Local Resources in Darke County

Darke County Clerk of Courts (Domestic Relations). Current filing fees, deposits, and case filing for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and post-decree matters. File at the Darke County Courthouse, Second Floor, 504 South Broadway, Greenville; Clerk Cindy Pike, (937) 547-7335. The yellow Questionnaire is required with every DR complaint. Local court rules are at https://darkecountycommonpleas.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Local-Rules-effective-February-1-2026.pdf and downloadable DR forms are at https://darkecountycommonpleas.com/court-forms/.
Darke County Probate/Juvenile Court. Handles never-married-parent parentage, custody, parenting time, and support, plus non-parent custody, abuse/neglect/dependency, and adoption. 300 Garst Ave, Greenville; Juvenile (937) 547-7350, Probate (937) 547-7345; Judge Jason R. Aslinger presides. Self-help forms and the Pro-Se Filing Packet are at https://www.darkeprobatejuvenile.org/juvForms.php.
Darke County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Opens IV-D cases, sets support under Ohio's guidelines, collects by income withholding, pays through the state, and can review or enforce existing orders. 631 Wagner Ave, Greenville; (937) 548-4132 option 4 or (800) 501-5635.
Darke County Children Services (report child abuse). To report suspected child abuse or neglect, call Darke County JFS Child Protective Services at (937) 548-4132 Option 5; after hours (937) 548-2020; statewide hotline 1-855-642-4453. In an emergency, call 911.
Parenting seminar — "Helping Children Succeed After Divorce" (OSU Extension). The court-approved parenting seminar required in DR cases with minor children (DR Local Rule 7(G)); about $45 per person. Register at https://scponline.osu.edu/.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares child-support worksheet at https://ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov/ before any case that sets or changes support.

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.
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.

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