Filing for Custody in Fulton County

Fulton County, Ohio · Wauseon

In Ohio, "custody" means the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities. Where you file depends on whether the parents were married: Common Pleas General Division (DR docket) if you are married or divorcing; Juvenile Division if the parents were never married. Both dockets are at 210 S. Fulton Street in Wauseon and both are heard by Hon. Scott Haselman. Because Fulton has not provided paper forms at the courthouse since July 1, 2013, every form must be downloaded from the Ohio Supreme Court site. Court staff cannot help you select or complete the right forms.

How do I file for custody in Fulton County, Ohio?

If you are married or divorcing, custody is decided inside your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the Fulton County Court of Common Pleas (General Division), 210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon. If you were never married to the other parent, file at the Fulton County Juvenile Division at the same address — but paternity must be established first (Acknowledgment of Paternity through CSEA, a court paternity order, or the father being listed on the birth certificate). The court applies the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors, and uses one of Fulton's four local Parenting Schedules (A, A-1, B, or C) as a baseline — or your fully custom plan. Download every form from supremecourt.ohio.gov; Fulton does not stock paper forms. Filing fees are in Appendix B of the Local Rules — call (419) 337-9260 to confirm.

Where to File: Fulton County Court of Common Pleas (General Division)

210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon, OH 43567, Wauseon, OH 43567
Phone: (419) 337-9260
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Website: www.fultoncountyoh.com/231/Records-Search

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Fulton County Juvenile Division
210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon, OH 43567, Wauseon, OH 43567
Phone: (419) 337-9260
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Custody is the right path if…

You need a court order for who the children live with, who makes major decisions, and the parenting-time schedule.
You and the other parent can't agree, or you need an order in writing to enforce.
Ohio is the children's 'home state' under the UCCJEA — generally, they've lived in Ohio for the last 6 months.
If you were never married, paternity has been (or will be) established.

Filing Fees

Filing fees in Appendix B — call (419) 337-9260 · No paper forms at courthouse · Approved parenting seminar required for cases with minor children · Birth certificate required for Grandparent POA / Application for Custodian filings (firm rule)

Forms & Filing Packets

DR docket packet (married or divorcing parents)

If you're filing for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment, custody is allocated inside that case. Add these to your filing packet.

Parenting Proceeding Affidavit / UCCJEA (Ohio SC Affidavit 3) — 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.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Use alongside Fulton's local worksheet.
Fulton County Local Child Support Worksheet — Local version used in addition to the Ohio Child Support Calculator output.
Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 21) — Used when one parent will be designated residential parent and legal custodian. Attach one of Fulton's local Parenting Schedules (A, A-1, B, or C) as the baseline.
Fulton Parenting Schedule A — One of Fulton's four local parenting-time templates. Attach the schedule you want incorporated into the order.

Juvenile Division packet (never-married parents)

File at 210 S. Fulton Street, Juvenile Division. Paternity must be established first via Acknowledgment of Paternity through CSEA, a court paternity order, or by being listed on the birth certificate.

Complaint for Custody / Allocation of Parental Rights (Ohio SC Juvenile Form) — Opens a custody case in the Juvenile Division for never-married parents.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit / UCCJEA (Ohio SC Affidavit 3) — 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.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Use alongside Fulton's local worksheet.
Fulton County Local Child Support Worksheet — Local version used in addition to the Ohio Child Support Calculator output.
Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 21) — Used when one parent will be designated residential parent and legal custodian. Attach one of Fulton's local Parenting Schedules (A, A-1, B, or C) as the baseline.
Fulton Parenting Schedule A — One of Fulton's four local parenting-time templates. Attach the schedule you want incorporated into the order.

Shared parenting plan add-on

Required when asking the court to designate both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under R.C. 3109.04(G).

Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) — Required when both parents are asking to be designated residential parents under R.C. 3109.04(G). Must be notarized.

How to File Custody in Fulton County

Confirm Ohio is the child's home state under the UCCJEA. Generally, the children must have lived in Ohio for the last 6 months. If they recently moved, the prior state may still have jurisdiction.
Pick the right docket: DR or Juvenile. Married or divorcing parents → DR docket at 210 S. Fulton Street. Never-married parents → Juvenile Division at the same address. Grandparent or non-parent custody → Juvenile only (with the child's birth certificate).
Establish paternity first if unmarried. Sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity at any CSEA office, get a court paternity order, or confirm the father is on the birth certificate before filing for custody.
Download every form from the Ohio SC site. Affidavit 3 (UCCJEA), Affidavit 4 (Health Insurance), Ohio child-support worksheet, Fulton's local Child Support Worksheet, parenting plan, and a Fulton Parenting Schedule (A, A-1, B, or C). Fulton does not stock paper forms.
File at 210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon. Pay the filing fee from Appendix B (call (419) 337-9260 to confirm) or file an Affidavit of Indigency.
Complete the parenting seminar and attend court. Both parents in any case with minor children must complete a court-approved parenting seminar before the final hearing. Confirm the approved provider with the Court Administrator at (419) 337-9260.

Fulton County Practice Notes

Pick the right docket. Married or divorcing parents → DR docket in the General Division. Never-married parents → Juvenile Division. Same courthouse, same judge — but different case numbers and different procedural rules.
Paternity comes first for unmarried fathers. For an unmarried father to file for custody or parenting time, paternity must already be established — via a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity through CSEA, a court paternity order, or the father being listed on the birth certificate.
Pick a Fulton Parenting Schedule (or attach your own). Fulton publishes four local Parenting Schedules — A, A-1, B, and C — that the judge uses as a baseline. Review all four before deciding which best fits your situation, or attach a fully custom schedule to your parenting plan.
Birth certificate firm rule (Juvenile only). If you're filing a Grandparent Power of Attorney / Caretaker Affidavit or an Application for Custodian, the child's birth certificate must be filed at the same time — Fulton Juvenile will not accept the filing without it.
No paper forms at the courthouse. Since July 1, 2013, Fulton does not stock paper DR or Juvenile forms. You must download everything from supremecourt.ohio.gov. Court staff cannot help you select or complete forms.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I file in Fulton Juvenile Division instead of Common Pleas?: If the parents were never married, custody, parenting time, child support, and paternity are filed in the Fulton County Juvenile Division (same courthouse, same judge). If you were married, those issues travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the General Division. Heads-up: Juvenile requires a child's birth certificate at filing for Grandparent POA/Caretaker Affidavit and Application for Custodian filings — not optional.
What parenting-time schedule will the court use in my case?: Fulton publishes four local Parenting Schedules — A, A-1, B, and C — that the judge uses as a baseline. You can attach one of those to your parenting plan, or submit a fully custom schedule. Review all four templates on the Fulton local forms page before deciding which best fits your situation.
Why do I need a birth certificate for a Grandparent Power of Attorney filing?: Fulton Juvenile requires the child's birth certificate to be filed at the same time as any Grandparent Power of Attorney / Caretaker Affidavit or Application for Custodian. This is a firm requirement — without it, the Juvenile Division will not accept the filing.
Why doesn't the courthouse have paper forms?: Since July 1, 2013, the Fulton County Court of Common Pleas does not provide paper domestic-relations forms at the courthouse. All standardized forms are free on the Ohio Supreme Court website at supremecourt.ohio.gov. The court's staff also cannot help you choose or fill out the right forms — if you need help, consult an attorney.
Does Fulton County have a separate Domestic Relations Court?: No. Fulton County does not have a separate DR Court. All family-law cases — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, post-decree motions — are heard in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas by Hon. Scott Haselman, who also handles civil and criminal cases. Cases involving never-married parents go to the Juvenile Division (same judge).
Do I have to take a parenting class in Fulton County?: Yes — if you have minor children, both parents must complete an approved parenting-education seminar before the court will finalize a divorce or dissolution. Confirm the current approved provider with the Court Administrator at (419) 337-9260 before paying for a class. File the certificate of completion with the Clerk before the final hearing.
Do I have to use Fulton's local Child Support Worksheet?: Use both. Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov, print and sign that output, and also use Fulton's local Child Support Worksheet at fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/250. The judge expects both to be in the file.

Free Local Resources in Fulton County

Fulton County Court of Common Pleas. 210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon, OH 43567. Phone (419) 337-9260 · Fax (419) 337-9293. Hon. Scott Haselman presides — handles DR, civil, and criminal cases.
Fulton County Local Rules (rev. 1/26/2024). fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/13192 — includes Appendix B fee schedule.
Fulton County Court Fee Schedule (Appendix B). fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/13191/appendix-b — confirm current amount with Clerk before filing.
Fulton County Local Forms Page. fultoncountyoh.com/235/Forms — Court Orders 1-8, Pretrial Order, Settlement Conference Notice, and Parenting Schedules A/A-1/B/C.
Local Child Support Worksheet. fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/250 — used alongside the Ohio Child Support Calculator output.
Fulton County Juvenile Division. Same courthouse, same judge. Forms at fultoncountyoh.com/650/Juvenile-Court-Forms. Birth certificate required at filing for Grandparent POA / Caretaker Affidavit and Application for Custodian filings.
Juvenile Local Rules (2021). fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/13596 — covers juvenile filing requirements.
Online Dockets / Records Search. fultoncountyoh.com/231/Records-Search
The Center for Child & Family Advocacy (CPO help). (419) 335-4255 · theccfa.org — free Civil Protection Order assistance.
Legal Aid Hotline. (888) 534-1432 · legalaidline.lawolaw.org — free phone-based legal advice for income-qualified residents.
Ohio Supreme Court Standardized DR & Juvenile Forms. supremecourt.ohio.gov — Fulton does not provide paper forms; download everything here.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov — run the worksheet and print it for filing.
Ohio Legal Help. ohiolegalhelp.org — plain-language guides and interactive court forms.

Related to your custody 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 Custody guide — Statewide overview of custody in Ohio.
Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
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