Filing for Dissolution in Fairfield County, Ohio

Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division

Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, 4th Floor, Lancaster, OH 43130 • (740) 652-7440 • Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (closed midday)

Filing fee: Approximately $300 — contact Clerk for current amount. Fee waiver available.

Important things to know about Fairfield County

• Single-sided documents only — Clerk rejects anything printed on both sides.
• Midday Clerk closure 12:00–1:00 p.m. daily — plan filings for the morning or afternoon session.
• Standard Mutual Restraining Order goes into effect automatically the moment your DR case is filed (Fairfield local).
• Fairfield publishes a Dissolution & Divorce Document Checklist — use it to confirm every form is complete before filing.
• Children In Between® parent-education required for parents with minor children — $25 online at divorce-education.com/OH/fairfield. File the certificate of completion with the Clerk before the final hearing.
• Accessible HTML versions of nearly every local form alongside the PDFs.

Required forms (all cases)

• Petition for Dissolution (Ohio SC Form 17) — Joint petition; both spouses sign.
• Separation Agreement (Ohio SC Form 19) — Full settlement on property, debt, and spousal support. Both spouses sign in front of a notary.
• Financial Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each spouse files their own.
• Dissolution & Divorce Document Checklist (Fairfield local) — Use Fairfield's checklist to confirm every form is complete before filing.
• Personal Identifier Form (Fairfield local) — Lists SSNs, DOBs, and other personal identifiers separately from the public docket — required at filing.
• Notice of Filing for Family File (Fairfield local) — Required intake notice creating the case's family file.
• Decree of Dissolution (Ohio SC Form 18) — Proposed final order ending the marriage; incorporates the Separation Agreement.
• Notice of Dismissal (Fairfield local) — Use if you decide to withdraw the joint petition before the final hearing.

Additional forms with minor children

• Custody Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 3 — UCCJEA) — Required in any DR case with minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years.
• Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
• Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) — Use if both parents will share legal custody. Must be notarized.
• Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 21) — sole custody — Outlines parenting time when one parent is residential parent and legal custodian.
• Ohio Child Support Worksheet — Run on the Ohio Child Support Calculator and print.
• SETS Child Support Information Form (Fairfield local) — Required SETS intake for any case involving a child-support order.

Related to your dissolution

• 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.