Shared Parenting in Jefferson County

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

Jefferson County, Ohio · Steubenville

Shared parenting lets both parents be named residential parent and legal custodian under a written plan. In Jefferson County, married or divorcing parents file the proposed plan inside the divorce or legal separation in the Domestic Division; never-married parents file it with a parentage/custody case in the Juvenile Court. The court approves the plan only if it serves the child's best interest.

How do I get a shared parenting order in Jefferson County, Ohio?

Submit a written Shared Parenting Plan that addresses every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor — living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. Married or divorcing parents file it inside the divorce or legal separation in the Domestic Division; never-married parents file it with a parentage/custody complaint in the Jefferson County Juvenile Court ($125) after parentage is established. The court approves the plan only if it is in the child's best interest, and the Juvenile Court's Local Parenting Time Guidelines provide a default schedule.

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: Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas, General Division — Domestic Division

301 Market Street, Steubenville, OH 43952
Phone: (740) 283-8583
Hours: Monday–Friday (call the Clerk to confirm current hours)
Website: jeffersoncountyoh.com/court/common-pleas

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Jefferson County Juvenile Court
Jefferson County Justice Center, 12001 State Route 7, Steubenville, OH 43952
Phone: (740) 283-8557
Hours: Monday–Friday (call the court to confirm current hours)

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Both parents want to be named residential parent and legal custodian under one written plan.
You can agree on living arrangements, a holiday and vacation schedule, decision-making, and dispute resolution.
You can address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor in the proposed plan.
Parentage is established (or you are married), so the right court can allocate parental rights.

Filing Fees

Inside a divorce/legal separation: part of the case deposit ($250) · never-married parentage/custody filing in Juvenile Court: $125 · the Juvenile Court's Local Parenting Time Guidelines provide a default schedule. Confirm current amounts with the Jefferson County Clerk of Courts at (740) 283-8583 before filing.

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting inside a divorce or legal separation (married parents) — Part of the divorce/legal-separation deposit ($250)

File the proposed Shared Parenting Plan with your Domestic Division divorce or legal-separation case, along with the child-support worksheet.

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.
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.
Parenting Proceeding / UCCJEA Affidavit (Jefferson County Clerk of Courts) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA (R.C. 3127.23). Required in any case with minor children.

Shared parenting for never-married parents (Juvenile Court) — $125 (parentage/custody complaint) — Juvenile fee schedule

File the proposed plan with a parentage/custody complaint in the Jefferson County Juvenile Court after parentage is established.

Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities (Ohio SC Form 23) — Asks the Juvenile Branch to name a residential parent and legal custodian and set a parenting-time schedule when the parents were never married.
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 (Jefferson County Clerk of Courts) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA (R.C. 3127.23). Required in any case with 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 Jefferson County

Draft the plan. Write a Shared Parenting Plan that addresses every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor, using the Juvenile Court's Local Parenting Time Guidelines as a starting point for the schedule.
Pick the right court. Married or divorcing parents file inside the divorce or legal separation in the Domestic Division; never-married parents file with a parentage/custody complaint in the Juvenile Court.
Run the child-support worksheet. Shared parenting does not eliminate child support — file the Ohio child-support worksheet so the court can set the obligation.
File and attend the hearing. File the proposed plan with the right court; the judge or magistrate approves it only if it is in the child's best interest.

Jefferson County Practice Notes

The plan must address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor. A written Shared Parenting Plan must cover physical living arrangements, holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making authority, transportation, school and health-care decisions, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. Plans that skip a factor are routinely sent back for revision.
Best interest controls approval. The court approves a shared parenting plan only if it serves the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F). The Juvenile Court's Local Parenting Time Guidelines (alternating weekends Thursday 6:00 p.m.–Monday 8:00 a.m.) provide a baseline schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

What must a shared parenting plan include in Jefferson County?: A written Shared Parenting Plan must address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor — physical living arrangements, holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making authority, transportation, school and health-care decisions, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. Plans that skip a factor are routinely sent back for revision, and the court approves the plan only if it serves the child's best interest.
Where do I file for shared parenting in Jefferson County?: Married or divorcing parents file the proposed plan inside the divorce or legal separation in the Domestic Division; never-married parents file it with a parentage/custody complaint in the Jefferson County Juvenile Court ($125) after parentage is established. The Juvenile Court's Local Parenting Time Guidelines provide a default schedule.
What is the standard parenting-time schedule in Jefferson County?: The Jefferson County Juvenile Court applies its Local Parenting Time Guidelines — alternating weekends from Thursday 6:00 p.m. to Monday 8:00 a.m., plus holiday and summer provisions — unless the parents agree otherwise or the court orders a different schedule. A separate Long-Distance schedule is used when the parents live far apart.
How does a Jefferson County court decide custody?: Using the R.C. 3109.04(F)(1) best-interest factors — each parent's wishes, the child's wishes when of sufficient age, the child's interaction with parents and siblings, adjustment to home/school/community, the mental and physical health of everyone involved, which parent is more likely to honor parenting time, support compliance, and any history of abuse. In contested cases the court may appoint a Guardian ad Litem.

Free Local Resources in Jefferson County

Jefferson County Clerk of Courts (Andrew Plesich). 301 Market Street, Steubenville, OH 43952; (740) 283-8583. Hosts the Domestic Forms page (jeffersoncountyohcoc.com/domestic-forms) with the divorce, dissolution, fee-waiver, and protection-order packets, and confirms current deposits. Accepts cash, money order, or online card/debit — not personal checks. E-filing is under construction.
Jefferson County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Under Jefferson County Job & Family Services, 125 South Fifth Street, Steubenville, OH 43952; (740) 282-0961 (jcdjfs.com). Opens IV-D cases, sets and collects support by wage withholding (2% processing fee), and can establish paternity administratively.
Jefferson County Juvenile Court. Jefferson County Justice Center, 12001 State Route 7, Steubenville, OH 43952; (740) 283-8557 (jeffersoncountyprobatejuvenile.com/juvenile-court). Hears never-married parentage and custody, non-parent custody, and parenting time; publishes the Local Parenting Time Guidelines.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov — run the 2024 Income Shares worksheet yourself before filing so you know the likely support amount.

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.
Akron family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Akron metro.
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