Filing for Dissolution in Gallia County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green, Esq. · Managing Partner, Gavvl Law · Last updated June 9, 2026

Gallia County, Ohio · Gallipolis

Dissolution is the simplest, fastest, and cheapest way to end a marriage in Ohio — but both spouses must agree on everything before filing. There is no contested phase, no temporary orders, and no service of process. You file together as joint Petitioners in the Court of Common Pleas, General & Domestic Relations Division at 18 Locust Street, Room 1290, in Gallipolis, and appear together at a final hearing 30–90 days later.

How do I file for dissolution in Gallia County, Ohio?

Both spouses sign a Petition for Dissolution (Form 17) and a Separation Agreement (Form 19) in front of a notary, attach the Affidavit of Basic Information, Income & Expenses (Affidavit 1), the Affidavit of Property and Debt (Affidavit 2), a Health Insurance Disclosure Affidavit, the Personal Identifier Form, and the proposed Decree of Dissolution (Form 18). With minor children you also file the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3), a Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) or Allocation of Parental Rights (Form 21), and the Child Support Worksheet. File jointly in Room 1290 or through eAccess; the deposit is $500 with children and $450 without. At least one spouse must have lived in Ohio six months. The court holds the final hearing 30–90 days after filing.

Ohio Divorce by the Numbers

6 months Ohio residency required before you can file Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.03
90 days Residency in the county of filing (venue) Source: Ohio Civ. R. 3
30–90 days Typical time to finalize an uncontested dissolution Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.64
1 year Living separate and apart that qualifies as no-fault grounds Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.01

Compare Your Options for Ending a Marriage in Ohio

Path	Ends the marriage?	Agreement required?	Best when
Dissolution	Yes	Yes — on every term before filing	Both spouses agree on everything and want the fastest, lowest-cost path
Divorce (contested)	Yes	No	Spouses disagree on property, support, or parenting and need a judge to decide
Divorce (uncontested / default)	Yes	No	One spouse will not respond or cannot be located
Legal separation	No — you stay married	Optional	You need court orders but must stay married (religion, insurance, or benefits)
Annulment	Treated as never valid	No	The marriage was never legally valid (fraud, bigamy, underage, or incapacity)

Where to File: Gallia County Court of Common Pleas, General & Domestic Relations Division

18 Locust Street, Room 1290, Gallipolis, OH 45631, Gallipolis, OH 45631
Phone: (740) 209-1115
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Website: www.galliacountycommonpleascourt.gov/
e-Filing: https://eaccess.gallianet.net/eservices/login.page

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Gallia County Probate / Juvenile Court
18 Locust Street, Room 1293, Gallipolis, OH 45631, Gallipolis, OH 45631
Phone: (740) 446-4612
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Dissolution is the right path if…

You and your spouse agree on every issue — property, debts, support, and any custody and parenting time.
At least one spouse has lived in Ohio for six months before filing.
You're both willing to appear together at a final hearing 30–90 days after filing.
You want to avoid the cost, service of process, and delay of a contested divorce.

Filing Fees

$500 with minor children · $450 without · Poverty Affidavit can waive the deposit if you qualify. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (740) 446-4612.

Forms & Filing Packets

Dissolution without minor children — $450.00 deposit (no minor children)

Filed jointly in the Domestic Relations Division (Room 1290). The Separation Agreement must be signed by both spouses in front of a notary.

Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (Form 17) — The joint petition that opens the dissolution. The Waiver of Service of Summons is included with this form.
Separation Agreement (Form 19) — The full written agreement dividing property, debts, and support. Both spouses sign it before a notary.
Affidavit of Basic Information, Income & Expenses (Affidavit 1) — Required under Local Rule 4.31 for financial disclosure.
Affidavit of Property and Debt (Affidavit 2) — Lists the assets and debts the Separation Agreement divides.
Decree of Dissolution (Form 18) — The proposed final decree the court signs at the hearing — you're divorced when it is journalized.
Personal Identifier Form (Gallia County local) — Required since July 1, 2009 on nearly every Gallia County filing — it lists Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and account numbers on a separate, non-public form, and the Clerk will not accept your filing without it.

Dissolution with minor children — $500.00 deposit (with minor children)

Everything above, plus the parenting and support forms. The Shared Parenting Plan must also be signed by both spouses in front of a notary.

Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3 · UCCJEA) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and confirms Ohio's jurisdiction.
Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) — Use when both parents will share parental rights. Must address living arrangements, decision-making, schedule, and support under R.C. 3109.04(G).
Allocation of Parental Rights (Form 21) — Use instead of Form 20 when one parent will be the residential parent and legal custodian.
Child Support Worksheet (JFS) — Required under Local Rule 4.35; calculates guideline child support for the decree.
Personal Identifier Form (Gallia County local) — Required since July 1, 2009 on nearly every Gallia County filing — it lists Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and account numbers on a separate, non-public form, and the Clerk will not accept your filing without it.

How to File Dissolution in Gallia County

Agree on every issue. Reach a complete agreement on property, debts, support, and (if applicable) custody and parenting time — dissolution requires full agreement up front.
Prepare and notarize the documents. Complete Form 17 (Petition), Form 19 (Separation Agreement), the financial affidavits, the Personal Identifier Form, and Form 18 (proposed Decree). With children, add Affidavit 3, Form 20 or 21, and the Child Support Worksheet. Sign the agreement(s) before a notary.
File jointly and pay the deposit. File together with the Clerk in Room 1290 or through eAccess and pay $450 (no children) or $500 (with children); file a Poverty Affidavit if you can't afford it.
Complete the parenting seminar if you have children. Both parties register for and complete the Local Rule 4.47 Seminar for Separating Parents before the final hearing.
Attend the final hearing together. The court schedules the hearing 30–90 days out. Both spouses attend and testify; the court signs the Decree, and you're divorced when it is journalized.

Gallia County Practice Notes

Everything must be agreed and notarized first. Dissolution has no contested phase. Both spouses sign the Separation Agreement — and, if there are children, the Shared Parenting Plan — in front of a notary before filing. If you can't agree on every issue, you need a divorce instead.
The 30–90 day hearing window is set by statute. Under R.C. 3105.64 the final hearing cannot be earlier than 30 days or later than 90 days after filing. Both spouses must attend and testify that they read and agreed to the Separation Agreement, still want the dissolution, and believe it is fair.
Seminar for Separating Parents if you have children. Under Local Rule 4.47, both parties in a case with minor children must complete the approved Seminar for Separating Parents before the final hearing. Contact the Assignment Commissioner at (740) 209-1115 for the current provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the residency requirements to file in Gallia County?: For a divorce, legal separation, or annulment, the filing spouse must have lived in Ohio for at least six months and in Gallia County for at least 90 days before filing. For a dissolution, only the six-month Ohio residency applies — there is no county-residency requirement. For a never-married custody, parenting time, or support case in the Probate/Juvenile Court, Ohio must be the child's home state under the UCCJEA (R.C. 3127) — generally the child has lived in Ohio for the last six consecutive months.
How much does it cost to file a family law case in Gallia County?: In the Domestic Relations Division (set by Local Rule 2.03), a divorce, dissolution, or annulment is $500.00 with minor children and $450.00 without. A motion to vacate, revive, change, or modify a judgment — used for post-decree modification and contempt — is $250.00. In the Probate/Juvenile Court, civil cases (custody, support, paternity) and guardianships are $200.00. Domestic violence and stalking protection-order petitions have no filing fee. If you can't afford the deposit, file a Poverty Affidavit with a sworn Affidavit of Income, Expenses, and Financial Disclosure and the Clerk will decide whether you qualify.
Is a parenting class required in Gallia County?: Yes. Under Local Rule 4.47, both parties in any case involving minor children — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or post-decree modification — must complete an approved Seminar for Separating Parents before the final hearing. Contact the Domestic Relations Manager, Debra Cardwell, at (740) 209-1115 for the current provider, schedule, and cost.
What documents does almost every Gallia County family case need?: Two documents are required for nearly every filing. The Personal Identifier Form (required since July 1, 2009) lists Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and account numbers on a separate, non-public form — the Clerk will not accept your filing without it. The Ohio Affidavit of Basic Information, Income & Expenses (Affidavit 1) is mandatory under Local Rule 4.31 in any case involving support, property division, or financial disclosure. When assets and debts must be divided, the Affidavit of Property and Debt (Affidavit 2) is also required.
Which Gallia County court handles my family law case?: Gallia County splits family law between two separate divisions inside the same building at 18 Locust Street in Gallipolis. The Court of Common Pleas, General & Domestic Relations Division (Room 1290, Judge Margaret Evans) handles cases where the parties are or were married — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, post-decree motions, and civil protection orders. The Probate/Juvenile Court (Room 1293, Judge Thomas S. Moulton, Jr.) handles never-married parents — custody, parenting time, child support, paternity, and guardianship. Unusually, the same magistrate, Thomas E. Saunders, hears contested matters in both divisions.

Free Local Resources in Gallia County

Gallia County Clerk of Courts (Domestic Relations). Confirms current DR filing fees, accepts filings in Room 1290, and answers e-filing questions for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and post-decree motions. Call (740) 446-4612 (ext. 1221–1224) or (740) 209-1115 for the court.
Gallia County Probate/Juvenile Court — Forms Library. Free Pro Se Motion forms, the IV-D application, relocation, caretaker, and guardianship forms for never-married custody and support cases are posted at jaccess.gallianet.net/forms.php; file in Room 1293 or through Henschen eFile.
Gallia County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Gallia County's IV-D agency opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. File the Application for Child Support Services (IV-D) when establishing, modifying, or enforcing support.
Southeastern Ohio Legal Services (SEOLS). Free civil legal services for income-eligible Gallia County residents. Call 1-800-686-3668.
Domestic violence help (Serenity House & hotlines). Gallia County is served by the Serenity House domestic violence shelter. Call the Gallia County Sheriff's Office at (740) 446-1221 for the current crisis line and shelter referrals, or the Ohio Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-934-9840 (24/7).

Related to your dissolution case

Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.
Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.
Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.

Keep exploring

Ohio Dissolution guide — Statewide overview of dissolution in Ohio.
Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.

Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.