Shared Parenting in Greene County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026

Greene County, Ohio · Xenia

When unmarried parents both want to remain residential parent and legal custodian, the Greene County Juvenile Division can approve shared parenting under an agreed plan (R.C. 3109.04(G)). The Court provides a Proposed Shared Parenting Plan and a Proposed Agreed Custody and Parenting Plan, and — absent agreement or a best-interest deviation — applies its Standard Order of Parenting Time, effective November 26, 2024. Cases are filed at 2100 Greene Way Boulevard in Xenia, hearings are docketed within 3 business days, and child support is addressed at the same time as the parenting order.

How do I get a shared parenting plan in Greene County, Ohio?

If you and the other parent were never married, file in the Greene County Juvenile Division at 2100 Greene Way Boulevard, Xenia. Use the Complaint for Custody together with the Court's Proposed Shared Parenting Plan (or Proposed Agreed Custody and Parenting Plan if you agree on sole custody), the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit, and the Juvenile Court Face Sheet. Shared parenting names both parents residential parent and legal custodian under the plan; the Court reviews it for the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04. If the parents don't agree on a schedule, the Court applies its Standard Order of Parenting Time (effective Nov. 26, 2024), and child support is set contemporaneously. The complaint fee is $130 first child + $100 each additional, with a fee waiver available.

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: Greene County Domestic Relations Court

595 Ledbetter Road, Xenia, OH 45385, Xenia, OH 45385
Phone: (937) 562-6249
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Website: www.greenecountyohio.gov/415/Domestic-Relations-Court

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Greene County Court of Common Pleas — Juvenile Division
2100 Greene Way Blvd., Xenia, OH 45385, Xenia, OH 45385
Phone: (937) 562-4000
Hours: Court: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM · Clerk's Office: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Both parents want to be named residential parent and legal custodian.
You and the other parent were never married to each other.
You have (or can reach) agreement on a parenting-time schedule and decision-making.
You want a written, court-approved plan rather than an informal arrangement.
Child support needs to be set as part of the parenting order.

If paternity hasn't been established yet, start there — parentage comes before a parenting plan. See Greene County paternity.

Filing Fees

$130 first child + $100 each additional · Interim orders $75 · GAL deposit $1,000 + $20 motion if appointed · Fee waiver available · Confirm current amounts with the Clerk

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting (both parents as legal custodian) — $130 first child + $100 each additional

Use when both parents will be residential parent and legal custodian under a plan (R.C. 3109.04(G)).

Complaint for Custody (Greene County Juvenile) — Asks the Juvenile Division to name a residential parent and legal custodian (or approve shared parenting) when the parents were never married.
Proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Greene County Juvenile) — Greene's local plan naming both parents residential parent and legal custodian, with the schedule, decision-making, and support terms the Court approves under R.C. 3109.04(G).
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit / UCCJEA (Greene County Juvenile) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years, confirming the Court's jurisdiction. Filed with every custody/parenting complaint.
Juvenile Court Face Sheet (Greene County Juvenile) — The cover/intake sheet required on every Juvenile Division filing.
Standard Order of Parenting Time (effective Nov. 26, 2024) — Greene's default parenting-time template. Absent agreement or a best-interest deviation, the Court applies this schedule.

Agreed sole-custody plan (alternative)

Use when you agree on one residential parent plus a parenting-time schedule rather than shared parenting.

Proposed Agreed Custody and Parenting Plan (Greene County Juvenile) — Used when the parents agree on a sole-custody arrangement and a parenting-time schedule for the Court to journalize.

Child support add-on

Support is addressed contemporaneously with the parenting order (D-IV(b)).

Affidavit of Income and Expenses (Greene County Juvenile) — Greene's local income/expense affidavit used whenever the Court sets or changes child support. Bring income evidence to every support hearing or risk minimum-wage imputation.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask the court to set or change support.
IV-D Application (Greene County CSEA services) — Enrolls the case for CSEA collection and enforcement services.

How to File Shared Parenting in Greene County

Confirm parentage first. Shared parenting between unmarried parents requires that legal parentage be established. If it isn't, establish it before or with the custody filing.
Choose and complete the plan. Use the Proposed Shared Parenting Plan if both parents will be legal custodian, or the Proposed Agreed Custody and Parenting Plan for agreed sole custody. Address schedule, holidays, decision-making, and support.
Assemble the filing packet. File the Complaint for Custody with the chosen plan, the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA), and the Juvenile Court Face Sheet at 2100 Greene Way Boulevard, Xenia.
Attend the prompt hearing. The Clerk schedules the matter within 3 business days of filing. The Court may order mediation or appoint a GAL ($1,000 deposit + $20 motion) in contested cases.
Finalize the plan and support order. The Court approves the plan if it serves the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04 and journalizes the parenting-time and child-support terms with the required language.

Greene County Practice Notes

Two local plan forms. Greene County publishes both a Proposed Shared Parenting Plan (both parents as legal custodian) and a Proposed Agreed Custody and Parenting Plan (agreed sole custody). Choose the one that matches what you and the other parent are asking the Court to approve.
The Standard Order is the default schedule. Absent agreement or a best-interest deviation, the Court applies its Standard Order of Parenting Time, effective November 26, 2024. Orders may also incorporate the Court's required Our Family Wizard language or Visitation Center language for supervised exchanges.
Best-interest standard governs. R.C. 3109.04(F)(1) lists 10+ factors: each parent's wishes, the child's wishes (when of sufficient age), the child's interaction with parents/siblings, adjustment to home/school/community, mental and physical health of all involved, the parent more likely to facilitate court-approved parenting time, child support compliance, criminal history, residence outside Ohio, and any history of abuse.
Guardian ad Litem in contested cases. In a contested custody case, the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem — a court-appointed attorney — to investigate and recommend a parenting plan in the child's best interest. The GAL does not represent the child's wishes; the GAL represents what is best for the child. GAL fees are typically allocated between the parents.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between shared parenting and sole custody in Greene County?: With sole custody, the Court names one parent the residential parent and legal custodian, with parenting time to the other. With shared parenting, both parents are residential parent and legal custodian under an approved plan. Greene County provides a Proposed Shared Parenting Plan and a Proposed Agreed Custody and Parenting Plan for these arrangements (R.C. 3109.04(G)).
What parenting-time schedule will Greene County use if we don't agree?: Absent agreement or a best-interest deviation, the Court applies its Standard Order of Parenting Time, effective November 26, 2024. Deviations follow the R.C. 3109.051 best-interest factors, and the order can incorporate the Court's required Our Family Wizard or Visitation Center language where appropriate.
Where do I file a paternity or custody case in Greene County if we were never married?: In the Greene County Juvenile Division on the 2nd floor of 2100 Greene Way Boulevard, Xenia, OH 45385, (937) 562-4000 — not the Domestic Relations Court on Ledbetter Road. The Juvenile Judge is also the Clerk of Court, so there is no separate county clerk intake for these cases.
Does child support get decided with custody in a Greene County Juvenile case?: Yes. Greene County's Juvenile Local Rule D-IV(b) requires child support to be addressed at the same time as any order establishing or modifying custody, unless the Court grants leave otherwise. File the Affidavit of Income and Expenses and bring income evidence to every support hearing — a CSEA representative must be present and a party who fails to appear with evidence risks minimum-wage income imputation.

Free Local Resources in Greene County

Self-Represented Parties Hub & Pro Se Guide. greenecountyohio.gov/420/Self-Represented-Parties — Greene's official online resource page for SRPs, including a comprehensive Pro Se Guide for the divorce-with-children process.
Clerk of Courts (filing after compliance review). Greene County Clerk of Courts — Legal Division, Greene County Courthouse, 45 N. Detroit Street, Xenia. Pleadings are filed here only after the DR Court's Local Rule 1.7 compliance review.
Greene County Juvenile Court. 2100 Greene Way Blvd., Xenia. (937) 562-4000.
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.

Keep exploring

Ohio Shared Parenting guide — Statewide overview of shared parenting in Ohio.
Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
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