Shared Parenting in Franklin County

Franklin County, Ohio · Columbus

Shared parenting (R.C. 3109.04(G)) designates BOTH parents as residential parent and legal custodian. It requires a written plan that covers a long list of statutory factors. Franklin DR and the Juvenile Branch both regularly approve shared parenting plans — but the plan has to actually meet the statute, not just say "shared parenting."

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

Either parent (or both jointly) files a written Shared Parenting Plan that addresses every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor: physical living arrangements, holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making authority, transportation, school and health-care decisions, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. File in Franklin County DR at 373 South High Street if you are married/divorcing, or at the Juvenile Branch at 399 South Front Street if you were never married. The Magistrate reviews the plan against the R.C. 3109.04(F)(2) best-interest factors before approving it.

Where to File: Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations

373 South High Street, 4th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525-3922
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Website: drj.fccourts.org
e-Filing: https://efiling.franklincountyohio.gov/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas — Juvenile Branch
399 South Front Street, Columbus, OH 43215, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525-3902
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

You and the other parent communicate well enough to share major decisions.
You can put a real, workable schedule in writing — holidays, vacations, school transitions, transportation, decision-making.
Both households can meet the child's day-to-day needs.
There is no domestic violence or other safety concern that makes joint decision-making unsafe.

Filing Fees

Filing fee tracks the underlying case (divorce ~$300-$350; Juvenile ~$100-$150)

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting packet — Domestic Relations

Filed inside your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in DR.

Shared Parenting Plan — Written plan that meets R.C. 3109.04(F)(2) factors: physical living arrangements, holiday and vacation schedule, decision-making, transportation, health and education, and dispute resolution.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom. Confirms Ohio's jurisdiction over custody.
Health Insurance Affidavit — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.
IV-D Application for Child Support Services — Opens your case with Franklin County CSEA so support can be collected, tracked, and enforced through wage withholding.

Shared parenting packet — Juvenile (never-married)

Filed at 399 South Front Street, typically alongside a parentage or custody complaint.

Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities — Asks the Franklin Juvenile Branch to designate a residential parent and legal custodian and set a parenting time schedule when parents were never married.
Shared Parenting Plan — Written plan that meets R.C. 3109.04(F)(2) factors: physical living arrangements, holiday and vacation schedule, decision-making, transportation, health and education, and dispute resolution.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom. Confirms Ohio's jurisdiction over custody.
Health Insurance Affidavit — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.
IV-D Application for Child Support Services — Opens your case with Franklin County CSEA so support can be collected, tracked, and enforced through wage withholding.

How to File Shared Parenting in Franklin County

Draft a plan that hits every statutory factor. A bare-bones "50/50 week-on / week-off" is not enough. Cover holidays, vacations, school placement, medical decisions, transportation, and a dispute-resolution mechanism in writing.
Decide DR vs Juvenile based on marital history. Married/divorcing → DR at 373 South High Street. Never-married → Juvenile Branch at 399 South Front Street.
Run the Ohio Child Support Worksheet. Even with equal parenting time, run the worksheet. The court can deviate based on the shared schedule, but needs the worksheet number first.
File the plan plus the parenting and support paperwork. Shared Parenting Plan + Parenting Proceeding Affidavit + Health Insurance Affidavit + Child Support Worksheet + IV-D Application.
Attend the hearing. Magistrate reviews the plan against the R.C. 3109.04(F)(2) factors. May suggest edits before approving. Final plan is incorporated into the Decree or Juvenile order.

Franklin County Practice Notes

Statutory plan factors (R.C. 3109.04(G)). Your plan must cover: physical living arrangements, child support, holiday and vacation schedule, school placement and decisions, medical and dental decisions, religious upbringing (if relevant), tax exemption allocation, transportation, communication between households, and a dispute-resolution mechanism.
Best-interest review. Even if both parents agree, the Magistrate must independently find the plan is in the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F)(2): both parents' ability to cooperate, willingness to encourage the relationship with the other parent, history of abuse, geographic proximity, and the child's wishes when of sufficient age.
Child support still applies. Shared parenting doesn't eliminate child support. The worksheet runs the same way; the court can deviate based on extended parenting time or shared expenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the residency requirements to file in Franklin County?: For divorce, legal separation, or annulment, you or your spouse must have been an Ohio resident for at least 6 months immediately before filing, and a Franklin County resident for at least 90 days. For dissolution, only the 6-month Ohio residency applies — there is no separate Franklin County residency requirement. For juvenile-branch cases (paternity, never-married custody, child support), Ohio must be the children's 'home state' under the UCCJEA, which generally means the children have lived in Ohio for the last 6 months.
How much does it cost to file in Franklin County DR?: Approximate deposits: divorce or legal separation $300 without children / $350 with children; dissolution $250 without children / $300 with children; annulment $300/$350. Juvenile Branch filings (paternity, never-married custody, child support, modifications) are typically $100-$150. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk at 373 South High Street (DR) or 399 South Front Street (Juvenile) before filing.
How long does the case usually take?: Dissolution: 30-90 days from filing to the final hearing. Uncontested divorce or legal separation: 4-6 months. Contested divorce: 6-18 months depending on temporary-orders activity and the Magistrate's calendar. Paternity: 60-120 days if uncontested, longer if genetic testing or contested allocation is involved. Civil Protection Orders: ex parte order the same day; full hearing within 7-10 days; final order can last up to 5 years.
Is the parenting class really required?: Yes — under R.C. 3109.053 and Franklin DR local rule, both parents in any divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment involving minor children must complete "Helping Children Succeed After Divorce" and file the Certificate of Completion before the final hearing. The online class runs about $40 per parent and takes about 4 hours. The Juvenile Branch has a comparable requirement for never-married custody cases.
How do I know whether to file in DR or the Juvenile Branch?: If you are married to the other parent (or the parties were married when the children were born), custody, parenting time, and child support travel with the divorce / dissolution / legal separation / annulment in DR at 373 South High Street. If you were never married, paternity and custody go to the Juvenile Branch at 399 South Front Street. Grandparent / non-parent custody is always Juvenile. Civil Protection Orders against a current/former intimate partner or family member go to DR.
Will my case be heard by a Judge or a Magistrate?: Most pretrial conferences, temporary-orders motions, and even contested final hearings in Franklin DR are heard by a Magistrate. The Magistrate issues a Magistrate's Decision; either party then has 14 days to file Objections, which are decided by the assigned Judge. Civil Protection Order full hearings are heard directly by the assigned Judge.
When can I modify a parenting or support order?: For custody / residential-parent designation under R.C. 3109.04(E), you must show a change of circumstances of the child or residential parent since the prior decree, and that modification is in the child's best interest, and that the harm of changing is outweighed by the benefits. For child support, you can request a CSEA administrative review every 36 months, or earlier on a 10%+ deviation. For parenting time, the bar is lower — best-interest only.

Free Local Resources in Franklin County

Franklin County DR Self-Help Resource Center. 373 South High Street. Forms, computer terminals, limited procedural help. Cannot give legal advice. Mon–Fri during court hours.
Legal Aid Society of Columbus. (614) 241-2001. Income-qualified family law representation and advice clinics across central Ohio.
Columbus Bar Lawyer Referral Service. (614) 221-0754. Paid 30-minute consultation referrals to vetted Franklin County family-law attorneys.
Franklin County CSEA (Child Support Enforcement Agency). (614) 525-3275. Opens IV-D cases and collects/distributes child support through wage withholding.
Franklin County Juvenile Branch Help Center. 399 South Front Street. Procedural help for self-represented filers on never-married custody, paternity, and support cases.

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.
Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
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