Filing for Divorce with Children in Lake County

File for divorce with minor children in the Lake County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division. Step-by-step guidance, 6 required forms, ~$326 filing fee, parenting class requirements, and Ohio attorney help.

Lake County's Domestic Relations Division sits at 47 North Park Place, 2nd Floor, in Painesville, with Judge Colleen A. Falkowski presiding. The court hosts its own fillable forms at lcdrct.org/forms-filings and directs filers to the Ohio Supreme Court uniform pleadings, and case-initiating documents are e-filed through the Clerk of Courts. Deposits are $326 with minor children or $306 without, and any case with children requires the online 'Children in Between' parenting class before the final hearing. Lake also runs a free in-house Mediation Department for parties with a pending or completed DR case.

Lake County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division

47 North Park Place, 2nd Floor, Painesville, OH 44077
Phone: (440) 350-2708
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Website: lcdrct.org
e-Filing: Lake County Clerk of Courts e-Filing

File case-initiating documents by e-filing through the Lake County Clerk of Courts, 25 North Park Place, Painesville, (440) 350-2657. Mail or hand-deliver proposed entries to the DR Court, 2nd Floor, at least 7 days before the hearing.

Filing Fees

$326 divorce with children • $306 without children

Lake County Procedure Quirks

  • Case-initiating documents are e-filed through the Clerk of Courts; certain proposed judgment entries and supporting documents are instead mailed or hand-delivered to the DR Court (2nd Floor) at least 7 days before the hearing.
  • Mutual restraining orders on the parties' assets and financial accounts issue automatically when a divorce complaint is filed (DR Local Rule 11.01).
  • Schedule the family-education program (For Our Children) within 60 days after the complaint is served or the dissolution is filed (DR Local Rule 16).
  • DVCPO petitions are filed in person with the Clerk of Courts; there is no filing fee (Local Rule 24).

Parenting Class

Children in Between / For Our Children family-education program — Lake County DR Court / Center for Divorce Education (online) (https://lcdrct.org/forms-filings/)
Online 'Children in Between' class required before the final hearing in any case with minor children; a Parenting Seminar Certificate is required when any child is under 16. Under DR Local Rule 16, schedule the family-education program within 60 days after service or filing.

Judges

  • Judge Colleen A. Falkowski

Lake County Court of Common Pleas — Juvenile Division

53 East Erie Street, Painesville, OH 44077
Phone: (440) 350-3000
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (filings by 4:00 p.m.)
Website: lakecountyohio.gov/juvenilecourt

Separate building from the DR Division. Handles paternity and custody for never-married parents, plus grandparent / non-parent custody.

Domestic Relations vs. Juvenile

Lake County runs two separate courts. The Domestic Relations Division (47 North Park Place, 2nd Floor, Painesville) handles divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and the custody and support that travel with them for married parents. The separate Juvenile Division (53 East Erie Street, Painesville) handles paternity and custody for never-married parents and grandparent / non-parent custody.

Free Local Resources in Lake County

  • Forms & Filings (lcdrct.org). Fillable PDFs, affidavits, checklists, and judgment entries for divorce, dissolution, custody, support, and protection orders at lcdrct.org/forms-filings, plus links to the Ohio Supreme Court uniform forms.
  • Free in-house Mediation Department. Free mediation for parties with a case pending in or divorced through the Lake County Domestic Relations Court (Local Rule 14). Not used for domestic-violence adjudication or protection-order terms; children may not attend.
  • Children in Between (online parenting class). The court's required online parenting class for parents of minor children, completed before the final hearing. A Parenting Seminar Certificate is required when any child is under 16.

Related to your divorce

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

Call +1-844-694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.