Filing for Divorce with Children in Fairfield County

Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division

Fairfield County Clerk of Courts, Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, 4th Floor, Lancaster, OH 43130. DR Clerk filing line (740) 652-7357 · DR Division (740) 652-7440 · Fax (740) 652-7399.

Fairfield County Procedure Quirks

• Midday Clerk closure 12:00–1:00 p.m. daily — plan filings for the morning (8:00–12:00) or afternoon (1:00–4:00) session.
• Clerk will NOT accept forms printed on both sides of the paper — all filings must be single-sided.
• Standard Mutual Restraining Order goes into effect automatically the moment a DR case is filed (Fairfield local form).
• Local Rule 17 Standard Parenting Time Order — most recently revised March 1, 2023; the current version applies to cases decided on or after that date.
• Domestic Relations matters are heard by the judge and magistrates — always read your hearing notice to confirm the date, time, and courtroom.
• Fairfield publishes accessible HTML versions of nearly every local form alongside the PDFs — an accessibility feature few Ohio courts offer.
• Children In Between® parent education available online for (divorce-education.com/OH/fairfield) — accounts valid for 30 days, 24/7 access.
• DV/CPO petitions must be filed by 3:00 p.m. for same-day hearing; after 3:00 p.m. you may be asked to return the next business day.

Parenting Class

Children In Between® (online,) — divorce-education.com/OH/fairfield
Required for parents with minor children in divorce, legal separation, or dissolution cases. online; account valid 30 days; available 24/7. File the certificate of completion with the Clerk of Courts in person or by fax to (740) 652-7399.

Fairfield County Juvenile and Probate Court

Judge Vandervoort uniquely serves as both Judge and Clerk of the Juvenile and Probate Courts — uncommon in Ohio. Court Administrator: Michael E. Orlando. Juvenile fax (740) 687-6700. Email juvenilecourt@fairfieldcountyohio.gov. Online fee payments accepted. Three additional juvenile locations: Resource Center at 625 Garfield Ave Lancaster ((740) 652-7374), Diversion Services ((740) 652-7139), and a Pickerington office by appointment only. Restorative Justice Circles program available.

Domestic Relations vs. Juvenile

Fairfield houses both courts in the same Hall of Justice on Main Street in Lancaster — DR Division on the 4th Floor, Juvenile & Probate on the 3rd Floor. Married couples file divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment with DR; never-married parents file custody, parenting time, child support, and paternity with the Juvenile Division. Judge Vandervoort uniquely serves as both Judge and Clerk of the Juvenile/Probate Courts — a dual role uncommon in Ohio.

Free Local Resources in Fairfield County

• Fairfield County DR Division. co.fairfield.oh.us/dr. Local forms in HTML and PDF, local rules, and contact information.
• Fairfield County DR Forms Hub. co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/DR-Court-Forms-FC.html — accessible HTML and printable PDF versions of every local DR form.
• Local Rule 17 Standard Parenting Time Order (rev. 2023). co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/pdf/Local-Rule-17-rev-2023.03.01.pdf — current standard order.
• Children In Between® Online. divorce-education.com/OH/fairfield online parent-education program required for cases with children.
• Fairfield County Visitation Center. 407 East Main Street, Lancaster — supervised visitation and exchange services.
• The Lighthouse, Inc. (CPO advocacy). 136 West Main Street, 2nd Floor, Lancaster · (740) 687-6778 ext. 3027 — free CPO advocacy (not legal advice).
• SEOLS Virtual Legal Clinics. 4th Tuesday of every month, 5:00–7:00 p.m. Call 844-302-1800 Mon–Fri to register.

What it costs — two ways to hire us

Limited scope, flat fee — Flat fees from $1,440

You hire us for a defined piece of the work — drafting and filing your divorce with children paperwork, a single hearing, a specific motion — at a fixed, published price. The court's filing fee is paid to the Clerk of Courts separately. The number you see is the number you pay at checkout. What each flat fee covers.

Full representation — $3,500 retainer to start

An attorney manages the whole case — strategy, filings, hearings, negotiation. The retainer is known before you sign and is a deposit against work, not the total cost; the total depends on how contested your case becomes. You watch every dollar of it in real time. How full representation is billed.

Is there financing? Yes.

On limited-scope services of $2,000 or more, Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan with no interest and no credit check — takes 60% down to start, then the balance in three monthly payments, the first due 28 days after your initial payment. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay. See every financing option.

Real people — with direct lines

• Stephanie Green — Managing Partner
• Elizabeth Warren — Managing Partner
• Niva Elgin — Director of Attorney Relations · Licensed New Mexico Attorney
• Richard Furnish — Of Counsel Attorney

Your consultation

Stephanie Green or Elizabeth Warren, our managing partners — Niva Elgin, our Director of Attorney Relations and a licensed New Mexico attorney — or Richard Furnish, an Of Counsel Ohio family-law attorney. They've heard hundreds of situations like yours and will tell you plainly what you need, and what you don't. Meet the firm.

Your attorney

One of our Of Counsel Ohio family-law attorneys is your attorney for the case — from the first strategy call to the final order in Fairfield County. You have their name and a direct line the day your file opens. Our attorneys.

Your case team

Niva Elgin keeps your case moving as Director of Attorney Relations. Madeline Wampler, Certified Paralegal, handles documents and scheduling. Erin Schultz, Finance Manager, handles billing and payment plans. Real people who answer when you call.

• 95+ five-star Google reviews
• 60+ years of combined Ohio family-law experience
• Super Lawyers Rising Stars honorees on the team: Elizabeth Warren (2021–2023) and Samantha Berkhofer (2019–2021)
• Every flat fee published before you call

From first call to retained — and every step after

1. Consultation — A 30-minute phone call, $25. You talk with Stephanie Green, Elizabeth Warren, Niva Elgin, or Richard Furnish about what's happening and what Ohio law actually does with it. Before you hang up you'll know whether you need a lawyer at all — and if you do, you leave with a written quote: the service we recommend, the price, your financing options, and your next steps.
2. Choose — Pick the level of help. Pay, or set up financing. Limited-scope flat fee or full representation — you choose, with real numbers in front of you. Pay online, or secure a Gavvl Direct payment plan or third-party financing in a few minutes. Nothing is billed until you decide.
3. Sign — Your agreement arrives by email. Review the client agreement and sign it electronically — from your phone if you like. While you do, your attorney reviews your intake.
4. Get started — Your first attorney call goes on the calendar. Limited scope: your attorney's first call is scheduled from your intake. Full representation: a paralegal reaches out the same or next business day to open your file and gather what's needed, then schedules your first attorney call — and if something is urgent, you speak with the attorney first.

It's easier than ever to retain an excellent attorney.

How you'll stay updated — you never have to wonder

Every client gets GavvLink™, our client portal, on day one. Your whole case — messages, calendar, billing, status — lives in one place, and your team is a message away.

• Reach your attorney directly. Message, text, email, or call. Request a callback or book time on their calendar yourself — no waiting to hear back.
• Case calendar with reminders. Every hearing, deadline, and milestone, with a reminder before each one.
• Case status updates. See where your case stands and what happens next, updated as it moves.
• Payments and billing in real time. Every entry on your account as it posts, plus links to make a payment or add funds.
• Your case team, one message away. Full-representation clients message their paralegal and case manager the same way — and they answer.
• 24/7 receptionists and direct lines. Something urgent after hours? A live receptionist answers around the clock and reaches your team. You also have your attorney's direct line — and a way to reach the managing partners. We return calls and messages promptly.

Can I do this without an attorney?

sometimes, yes. Ohio lets you represent yourself, and for a genuinely agreed dissolution or a simple motion, some people do. Every Ohio county's forms and local rules are linked from our county pages, and our free tools will draft a parenting plan or estimate child support before you spend anything.

Here's what the online-divorce platforms leave out: most Ohio counties require their own forms and language on top of the statewide ones, and a rejected filing is the most common reason people call us after trying it alone. A $25, 30-minute call tells you whether you can do this yourself — and if you can, we'll say so.

• Free parenting plan builder
• Free child support estimate
• Attorney-written guides

Schedule Your $25 Consultation

Required divorce-with-children packet (13 forms)

• Complaint for Divorce With Children — Opens your Fairfield County divorce. Pleads custody, parenting time, and child support.
• Dissolution & Divorce Document Checklist (Fairfield local) — Fairfield's official checklist — work through it before filing to confirm every form is complete.
• 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.
• Standard Mutual Restraining Order (Fairfield local) — Goes into effect automatically the moment your DR case is filed — restrains both parties from harassment and from disposing of assets.
• Financial Affidavit — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own.
• Affidavit of Property — Lists every asset and debt.
• Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA) — Required in any DR case with minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years.
• Health Insurance Affidavit — Discloses whether children's health insurance is available through either parent's employer.
• Child Support Worksheet — Run on the Ohio Child Support Calculator and print.
• SETS Child Support Information Form (Fairfield local) — Required SETS intake form for any case involving a child-support order.
• Parenting Plan (Form 20 or 21) — Form 20 for shared parenting (notarized); Form 21 for sole-residential.
• Decree of Divorce With Children — Proposed final order.

Temporary orders while your case is pending

Under Ohio Civil Rule 75(N), Fairfield County may decide temporary-orders motions on the affidavits or set a hearing. File at the Clerk on the 4th Floor of the Hall of Justice (8:00–12:00 or 1:00–4:00). Single-sided only. The 42-day waiting period after service applies before any final divorce hearing. Children In Between® must be completed before final hearing.

• Motion for Temporary Orders (Civ. R. 75(N)) — Requests temporary custody, parenting time, child support, spousal support, or exclusive use of the home while the case is pending.
• Financial Affidavit (current) — Required attachment to any temporary-orders motion.
• Affidavit of Property (current) — Required attachment to any temporary-orders motion.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on divorce, custody, and related Ohio family law topics.

• How to File for Divorce in Ohio: A Step-by-Step Guide — Filing for divorce in Ohio follows a defined path: confirm residency, choose your grounds, file the complaint, serve your spouse, and work toward temporary orders and a final decree. Here is how each step works.
• Divorce vs. Dissolution in Ohio: Which Path Is Right for You? — Divorce and dissolution both end an Ohio marriage, but they work very differently. Dissolution is a no-fault, agreed process; divorce is a lawsuit for couples who can't agree. Here's how to choose.
• What Happens If I Move Out Before the Divorce? (Ohio Myths vs. Reality) — Moving out of the marital home does not forfeit your share of the house, your retirement, or your right to parent your children. It can affect the date the court uses to divide property, and it can affect custody indirectly if you become less involved. This guide separates the myths from what Ohio law actually does, and explains why temporary orders solve most of it.
• How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Ohio? — The cost of an Ohio divorce ranges widely depending on conflict and complexity. Here's what drives the price — court fees, attorney fees, experts — and how to keep it manageable.
• Dividing Property in an Ohio Divorce — Ohio divides marital property equitably — meaning fairly, not always equally. The first step is classifying every asset and debt. Here's how the process works.
• Who Gets the House in an Ohio Divorce? — The marital home is often a couple's biggest asset and most emotional decision. Ohio divides its equity equitably — through a buyout, a sale, or a deferred sale. Here's how.

Hire a divorce lawyer in the Columbus metro

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Related to your 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.
• Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.