Shared Parenting in Fulton County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 17, 2026

Fulton County, Ohio · Wauseon

Ohio gives parents two ways to share their children: shared parenting, where both parents are residential parent and legal custodian under an approved plan, and sole custody. Ohio does not use the words "joint" or "primary" custody. In Fulton County, where you file depends on whether you were married: married or divorcing parents file a Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) inside the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the General Division; never-married parents file in the Juvenile Division under Juvenile Rule 17. Both dockets sit in the same courthouse at 210 S. Fulton Street; the General Division is heard by Hon. Scott Haselman, while the Juvenile Division is a separate court with its own local rules.

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

If you are married or divorcing, file a Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) under R.C. 3109.04(G) as part of your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the Fulton County General Division. The plan must allocate residential, decision-making, child-support, and parenting-time responsibilities, and the court must find it is in the child's best interest before adopting it. If you were never married, file a sworn complaint for allocation of parental rights in the Fulton County Juvenile Division with a child-custody affidavit under R.C. 3109.27 and a $200 cost deposit (a $50 mediation fee is deducted from it); after service, the court sets an Initial Hearing on at least 3 days' notice and may order temporary orders, a Juv.R. 32(D) investigation, mediation, or a GAL. Both filing paths use one of Fulton's four local Parenting Schedules (A, A-1, B, or C) as a baseline, and both require the mandatory parenting program within 75 days. Download all forms from supremecourt.ohio.gov — Fulton does not stock paper forms.

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: Fulton County Court of Common Pleas (General Division)

210 S. Fulton Street, 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
Phone: (419) 337-9242
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (closed daily 12:00-1:00 PM)

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Both parents want to stay actively involved in the children's day-to-day lives and major decisions.
You can communicate and cooperate well enough to follow a written parenting plan.
You have (or can build) a workable parenting-time schedule based on one of Fulton's templates or a custom plan.
You know which docket applies — General Division (married/divorcing) or Juvenile Division (never married).

Filing Fees

Married/divorcing: filing fees in Appendix B (confirm with Clerk) · Never married: $200 Juvenile cost deposit ($50 mediation fee deducted) · Juv.R. 32(D) investigation $300/household if ordered · No paper forms at courthouse

Forms & Filing Packets

Married or divorcing parents — Form 20 Shared Parenting Plan

File a notarized Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) under R.C. 3109.04(G) inside your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the General Division. Attach Affidavit 3 (UCCJEA), Affidavit 4 (Health Insurance), both child-support worksheets, and a Fulton Parenting Schedule.

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.
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.
Fulton Parenting Schedule A — One of Fulton's four local parenting-time templates. Attach the schedule you want incorporated into the order.
Fulton Parenting Schedule A-1 — Alternative local parenting-time template.
Fulton Parenting Schedule B — Alternative local parenting-time template.
Fulton Parenting Schedule C — Alternative local parenting-time template.

Never-married parents — Juvenile Rule 17 allocation

File a sworn complaint for allocation of parental rights in the Juvenile Division with a child-custody affidavit (R.C. 3109.27) and the $200 cost deposit. Paternity must be established first if it has not been. The court can order a Juv.R. 32(D) investigation ($300/household) before deciding.

Complaint for Custody / Allocation of Parental Rights (Ohio SC Juvenile Form) — Opens a custody case in the Fulton County Juvenile Division. A non-parent must plead facts showing the parents are unsuitable or have relinquished custody.
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.
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.
Fulton Parenting Schedule A — One of Fulton's four local parenting-time templates. Attach the schedule you want incorporated into the order.
Fulton Parenting Schedule B — Alternative local parenting-time template.

One residential parent — Parenting Plan (Form 21)

If only one parent will be the residential parent and legal custodian, file a Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 21) instead of a shared parenting plan, with one of Fulton's local Parenting Schedules attached as the baseline.

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.
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.
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.
Fulton Parenting Schedule A — One of Fulton's four local parenting-time templates. Attach the schedule you want incorporated into the order.
Fulton Parenting Schedule C — Alternative local parenting-time template.

How to File Shared Parenting in Fulton County

Confirm your docket. Married or divorcing → file the Form 20 plan in your General Division case. Never married → file a Rule 17 allocation in the Juvenile Division (establish paternity first if needed).
Build the parenting plan. Draft a specific shared parenting plan (Form 20) covering residential schedule, holidays, decision-making, transportation, and child support. Attach one of Fulton's Parenting Schedules (A, A-1, B, or C) as the baseline, and run both child-support worksheets.
Download every form from the Ohio SC site. Form 20 (or Form 21 for one residential parent), Affidavit 3 (UCCJEA), Affidavit 4, the Ohio child-support worksheet, and the Juvenile complaint if unmarried. Fulton does not stock paper forms.
File in Wauseon and pay the deposit. 210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon. Married: pay the Appendix B filing fee (call (419) 337-9260 to confirm). Never married: pay the $200 Juvenile cost deposit (call (419) 337-9242) or file an Affidavit of Indigency.
Complete the parenting program and attend the hearing. Finish Fulton's mandatory parenting program within 75 days (Local Rule 11.01; online option at assistingourkids.com by request to the Assignment Commissioner for cause). A General Division (married-parent) case is heard by Hon. Scott Haselman; a never-married-parent case is heard in the Juvenile Division.

Fulton County Practice Notes

Married vs. never married decides the docket. A Form 20 Shared Parenting Plan rides inside a divorce/dissolution/legal-separation/annulment in the General Division. Never-married parents must open a separate allocation case in the Juvenile Division under Juvenile Rule 17 — same courthouse, but a separate court with its own rules, a different filing, and a $200 cost deposit.
The plan must be approved as best-interest. Filing a Form 20 does not guarantee shared parenting. Under R.C. 3109.04, the court reviews the plan against the best-interest factors and can reject or modify it. Make the plan specific: residential schedule, holidays, decision-making, transportation, and how disputes are resolved.
Use a Fulton Parenting Schedule as a baseline. Fulton publishes four local Parenting Schedules — A, A-1, B, and C. The judge uses them as a starting point. Review all four before deciding which fits, or attach a fully custom schedule to your plan.
Juvenile cases can trigger an investigation. In a Rule 17 allocation, the court may order a Juv.R. 32(D) investigation by the court's investigator ($300/household, or $450 first household plus $300 each additional if a party requests it), plus mediation, a GAL, or a custody evaluation. The court decides who pays.

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, separate court with its own rules). 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.
Do I have to take a parenting class in Fulton County?: Yes. Under R.C. 3109.053 and DR Local Rule 11.01, any party in a case allocating parental rights for minor children (divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and juvenile custody matters as ordered) must complete the mandatory parenting program within 75 days of filing the complaint or motion. If you take the class in the county where your case is filed, the cost is paid from your court-cost deposit; if you are permitted to attend online or out of county, you pay the provider directly. The online option is allowed by request to the Assignment Commissioner for cause (language barrier, out-of-state party, disability, or financial hardship) and is accessed at assistingourkids.com. A missed scheduled session costs a $10 rescheduling fee. Cases with children ages 5 through 17 also complete the "What About Me" program (Rule 11.03). Failing to complete on time can make you ineligible to receive an allocation of parental rights.
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 combined Juvenile/Probate Court, a separate court in the same courthouse with its own local rules.
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; separate court with its own rules. Phone (419) 337-9242 · Fax (419) 337-9273 (closed daily 12:00-1:00 PM). 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 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.

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Ohio Shared Parenting guide — Statewide overview of shared parenting in Ohio.
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