Do unmarried parents file custody in the Domestic Relations or Juvenile Division in Henry County?

If you are or were married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division (3rd floor). If you were never married, parentage and custody are handled by the Juvenile Division (4th floor) of the same Family Court. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are always filed in the Juvenile Division.

What is the standard parenting-time schedule in Henry County?

There isn't one fixed schedule — parents are encouraged to build their own plan. If they don't agree, the court uses the Age-Appropriate Parenting Access Plans (Appendix A) plus Schedule A (travel under 150 miles one way) or Schedule B (over 150 miles) as the minimum (Local Rule 10.02). Adopting Schedule A or B satisfies the 90-overnight threshold for the parenting-time child-support deviation.

When does Henry County appoint a Guardian ad Litem?

In a contested case the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) — an attorney, a trained mental-health professional, or a qualified CASA volunteer — by Court Order #2 to protect the child's best interest. The GAL deposit is $1,000 (CASA $150). The GAL must comply with Sup. R. 48, interviews each party separately, and files a report at least 7 days before the final hearing. The GAL report is confidential — further disclosure (including on social media) without court approval risks contempt.

Is a parenting class required in a Henry County case with children?

Yes. In any case involving the allocation of parental rights, all parties must complete the 'Assisting Our Kids' (A-OK) program within 75 days of filing (Local Rule 11.01); the class cost is paid from the court-cost deposit, and online attendance at assistingourkids.com may be allowed for hardship (with a $10 fee for an unexcused absence). If a child is age 5–17, the 'What About Me' program is also mandatory (the $30-per-child add-on on the fee schedule). Failing to complete A-OK can make a parent ineligible for an allocation of parental rights, and if no party completes it the case can be dismissed.

Henry County Shared Parenting Attorneys

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

Henry County, Ohio · Napoleon

Shared parenting names both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under a written plan. In Henry County, married parents file inside their divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division, and never-married parents file in the Juvenile Division. The court reviews the plan against the R.C. 3109.04 best-interest factors.

Hire Gavvl for your Henry County shared parenting case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Henry County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start (flat fees from $1,250).

Start with a $25 consultation and talk through your options with an Ohio family-law attorney before you commit to anything. Get started online or see payment plans & financing.

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

Submit a proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) that addresses every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor — living arrangements, holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. Married parents file it inside the Domestic Relations divorce or dissolution; never-married parents file it with the parentage/custody case in the Juvenile Division. The court applies the R.C. 3109.04 best-interest factors and uses the county's Schedule A/B and Appendix A parenting-time guidelines where the parents don't agree on a schedule.

Hire Gavvl Law to build your Henry County shared-parenting plan

Shared parenting names both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under one written plan, and Henry County reviews that plan against the R.C. 3109.04(G) best-interest factors before approving it. A proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) that skips a required factor — decision-making, holidays, transportation, tax exemptions, dispute resolution — is routinely sent back for revision. Gavvl Law drafts a plan that covers every factor, files it in the correct division, and sets one flat fee.

A plan that answers every 3109.04(G) factor. The court expects a Form 20 plan addressing living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, decision-making, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. We draft each section so the judge approves the plan instead of bouncing it for a missing term.
Schedules A and B, and the overnight math. Where parents don't set their own schedule, Local Rule 10.02 applies Schedule A for travel under 150 miles or Schedule B for longer distances, with the Appendix A age-appropriate plans as the floor. We use those schedules deliberately, since reaching the 90-overnight threshold can shift the child-support deviation.
Contested plans, argued and tried. When parents can't agree on the plan, the court may bring in a Guardian ad Litem — a $1,000 deposit, or $150 for a CASA volunteer — to investigate and recommend. We work the GAL process, negotiate the disputed terms, and try the plan to the judge if it doesn't settle, all under a flat fee set up front.

Married parents file the plan inside their divorce or dissolution in Domestic Relations, while never-married parents file it with a parentage case in the Juvenile Division on a $200 deposit. Either way the A-OK parenting class is due within 75 days; we route the plan to the right division and keep that class on schedule so the plan can be approved without delay.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the complaint to establish custody and parenting time, or prepare your shared parenting plan for filing. You appear at any hearing.

Establish custody & parenting time: $1,250
Shared parenting plan (drafting): $1,650

Prefer full representation? An Ohio attorney can carry the entire case on a $3,500 retainer.

Split any flat fee with Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan at 19% APR, $500 minimum — on a 60%-down schedule of 18 weekly, 8 bi-weekly, or 4 monthly payments, or full financing where work begins once 60% is paid. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay.

Start your shared parenting case or see payment plans & financing.

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: Henry County Family Court (Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division)

660 N. Perry St., Suite 401, Napoleon, OH 43545
Phone: (419) 599-5951
Hours: Monday–Friday (confirm current hours with the Clerk)
Website: Court website

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Henry County Family Court (Juvenile Division)
660 N. Perry St., Suite 401, Napoleon, OH 43545
Phone: (419) 599-5951
Hours: Monday–Friday (confirm current hours with the Clerk)

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Both parents want to be named residential parent and legal custodian.
You can cooperate enough to share major decisions for the children.
You can submit a written plan covering every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor.
Ohio is the children's home state under the UCCJEA.

Filing Fees

Shared parenting is decided inside a divorce/dissolution (Domestic Relations deposit) or a Juvenile parentage/custody case ($200 deposit) · GAL $1,000 / CASA $150 in contested cases · confirm current amounts at (419) 599-5951

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting inside a divorce or dissolution

File the proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) with the DR-3 (Parenting Proceeding) affidavit and the support worksheet as part of the Domestic Relations case. The Schedule A/B guidelines apply where the parents don't set their own 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 / UCCJEA Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 3) — Required in any case with minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years, confirming Ohio's UCCJEA jurisdiction.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time the court sets or changes support.

Shared parenting in the Juvenile Division (never-married) — $200 juvenile deposit

File the proposed Shared Parenting Plan with the parentage/custody case in the Juvenile Division using the DR-3 affidavit and the support worksheet.

Ohio Uniform Domestic Relations / Juvenile Forms (DR-1 – DR-4) — Henry County's Family Court uses the Ohio Supreme Court Uniform standardized forms (its four-county local rules label them DR-1 through DR-4 = Affidavits 1–4); it does not publish a separate county DR forms set. Download the complaint/petition, affidavits, separation agreement, parenting plan, and decree here.
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 · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA. Required in any case involving minor children.
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.

How to File Shared Parenting in Henry County

Draft the plan. Prepare a proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) that addresses every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor; plans that skip a factor are routinely sent back for revision.
Pick the right division. Married/divorcing parents file in the Domestic Relations Division; never-married parents file in the Juvenile Division.
File with the case packet. Submit the plan with the DR-3 (Parenting Proceeding) affidavit and an Ohio child-support worksheet, and complete the A-OK parenting class within 75 days.
Attend the hearing. The court applies the R.C. 3109.04 best-interest factors, may appoint a GAL in contested cases, and approves or modifies the plan.

Henry County Practice Notes

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.
Parenting-time guidelines (Schedules A/B + Appendix A). Parents are encouraged to build their own plan. If they don't agree, the court uses the Age-Appropriate Parenting Access Plans (Appendix A) plus Schedule A (travel under 150 miles one way) or Schedule B (over 150 miles) as the minimum parenting time (Local Rule 10.02). Adopting Schedule A or B satisfies the 90-overnight threshold for the parenting-time child-support deviation.
Mandatory parenting education (A-OK + What About Me). In any case involving the allocation of parental rights, all parties must complete the 'Assisting Our Kids' (A-OK) program within 75 days of filing (Local Rule 11.01) — the class cost is paid from the court-cost deposit, and online attendance at assistingourkids.com may be allowed for hardship (with a $10 fee for an unexcused absence). If a child is age 5–17, the 'What About Me' program is also mandatory (the $30-per-child add-on). Missing A-OK can make a parent ineligible for an allocation of parental rights, and if no party completes it the case can be dismissed.
Guardian ad Litem and CASA. In a contested case the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) — an attorney, a trained mental-health professional, or a qualified CASA volunteer — by Court Order #2. The GAL deposit is $1,000 (CASA $150). The GAL must comply with Sup. R. 48, interviews each party separately, and files a report at least 7 days before the final hearing. The GAL report is confidential — further disclosure without court approval risks contempt.
Henry County's combined Family Court. Henry County has a combined Family Court (Judge Melissa Peper Firestone; Magistrate Steve Callejas) at 660 N. Perry St., Suite 401, Napoleon, (419) 599-5951. The Domestic Relations Division (3rd floor) hears divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment; the Juvenile Division (4th floor) hears parentage, custody, and support for never-married parents. Adoptions, name changes, and marriage licenses are handled by the separate Probate Division (Judge Amy C. Rosebrook, Suite 203, (419) 592-7771).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do unmarried parents file custody in the Domestic Relations or Juvenile Division in Henry County?: If you are or were married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division (3rd floor). If you were never married, parentage and custody are handled by the Juvenile Division (4th floor) of the same Family Court. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are always filed in the Juvenile Division.
What is the standard parenting-time schedule in Henry County?: There isn't one fixed schedule — parents are encouraged to build their own plan. If they don't agree, the court uses the Age-Appropriate Parenting Access Plans (Appendix A) plus Schedule A (travel under 150 miles one way) or Schedule B (over 150 miles) as the minimum (Local Rule 10.02). Adopting Schedule A or B satisfies the 90-overnight threshold for the parenting-time child-support deviation.
When does Henry County appoint a Guardian ad Litem?: In a contested case the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) — an attorney, a trained mental-health professional, or a qualified CASA volunteer — by Court Order #2 to protect the child's best interest. The GAL deposit is $1,000 (CASA $150). The GAL must comply with Sup. R. 48, interviews each party separately, and files a report at least 7 days before the final hearing. The GAL report is confidential — further disclosure (including on social media) without court approval risks contempt.
Is a parenting class required in a Henry County case with children?: Yes. In any case involving the allocation of parental rights, all parties must complete the 'Assisting Our Kids' (A-OK) program within 75 days of filing (Local Rule 11.01); the class cost is paid from the court-cost deposit, and online attendance at assistingourkids.com may be allowed for hardship (with a $10 fee for an unexcused absence). If a child is age 5–17, the 'What About Me' program is also mandatory (the $30-per-child add-on on the fee schedule). Failing to complete A-OK can make a parent ineligible for an allocation of parental rights, and if no party completes it the case can be dismissed.

Free Local Resources in Henry County

Henry County Clerk of Courts (record custodian). 660 N. Perry St., Suite 302, Napoleon, OH 43545; (419) 592-5886. The Clerk is the record custodian for Family Court filings, posts the filing-fee schedule, and confirms current deposits and copy counts. There is no general e-filing portal — file in person or by mail. Court costs can be paid online at https://payments.lexisnexis.com/oh/co/henry/familycourt or by phone at (888) 562-9935.
Henry County Family Court (Domestic Relations & Juvenile Divisions). 660 N. Perry St., Suite 401, Napoleon, OH 43545; (419) 599-5951 (https://henrycountyfamilycourt.com/). One combined Family Court — Judge Melissa Peper Firestone and Magistrate Steve Callejas hear both Domestic Relations (3rd floor) and Juvenile (4th floor) cases, including divorce, dissolution, custody, parenting time, support, paternity, and non-parent custody.
Henry County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). 104 E. Washington St., Hahn Center Suite 202, Napoleon, OH 43545; (419) 592-4633 (toll-free 888-844-9783). The county IV-D agency establishes, calculates, collects, and enforces child support. Open a IV-D case to set up automatic wage withholding and enforcement.
Henry County Family, Adult & Children's Services (FACS). (419) 592-4210. The county children-services agency investigates child abuse, neglect, and dependency. For an emergency call 911; the statewide child-abuse hotline is 855-642-4453 (855-OH-CHILD).
Henry County Probate Division (adoption, name change, marriage). 660 N. Perry St., 2nd Floor (Suite 203), Napoleon, OH 43545; (419) 592-7771 (https://www.henrycountyohio.gov/261/Probate-Division). Judge Amy C. Rosebrook's separate Probate Division handles stepparent and kinship adoptions, name changes, and marriage licenses — not divorce or custody.

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 Henry County family law

Ohio Shared Parenting guide — Statewide overview of shared parenting in Ohio.
Toledo family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Toledo metro.
Henry County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Henry County guide.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
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