Grandparent & Non-Parent Custody in Licking County
Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 17, 2026
Licking County, Ohio · Newark
When a child cannot safely live with a parent, a relative or other suitable adult can ask the Licking County Probate & Juvenile Court for legal custody. A non-parent must generally show the parents are unsuitable before a court awards custody. For less formal needs, the county offers a Caretaker Authorization Affidavit and a Grandparent Power of Attorney so a relative can handle school and medical matters without a full custody case.
How can a grandparent or relative get custody in Licking County, Ohio?
A relative or other suitable adult files a Complaint for Custody in the Licking County Probate & Juvenile Court, 1 North Park Place, Newark ($250.00). A non-parent must generally show the parents are unsuitable (or have relinquished custody) before the court awards custody, and a grant of legal custody leaves the parents' residual rights intact. For less formal needs, a relative caregiver can use the county Caretaker Authorization Affidavit (to handle school and medical decisions) or a parent can sign a Grandparent Power of Attorney — neither is a custody order, but both are often the right first step. Confirm requirements with the court at (740) 670-5624.
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: Licking County Domestic Relations Court
75 East Main Street, Newark, OH 43055Phone: (740) 670-5400
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–Noon and 1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Website: lickingcounty.gov/depts/domestic/default.htm
e-Filing: https://efileoh.tylertech.cloud/OfsEfsp/ui/landing
Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)
Licking County Probate & Juvenile Court
1 North Park Place, Newark, OH 43055
Phone: (740) 670-5624
Hours: Monday–Friday (call the court to confirm current hours)
Grandparent & Non-Parent Custody is the right path if…
- You are a grandparent, relative, or other suitable adult and the child cannot safely live with a parent.
- You can show the parents are unsuitable, or they have agreed to relinquish custody.
- You need either full legal custody or a quicker tool to handle school and medical decisions.
- You understand a non-parent custody case is filed in the Probate & Juvenile Court.
Filing Fees
A non-parent's Complaint for Custody in Juvenile Court is $250.00. The Caretaker Authorization Affidavit and Grandparent Power of Attorney are county tools that may not require a custody-case filing — confirm with the court. A fee waiver is available if you can't afford the deposit. Confirm current amounts with the Licking County Clerk of Courts at (740) 670-5400 before filing.
Forms & Filing Packets
Seek legal custody (Complaint for Custody) — $250.00 Complaint for Custody (Juvenile) — confirm with the Clerk
Filed in the Licking County Probate & Juvenile Court. A non-parent must generally show the parents are unsuitable. A grant of legal custody leaves the parents' residual rights (including possible companionship and a duty of support) intact.
- 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.
- Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Licking County Juvenile Court) — The county-posted UCCJEA parenting affidavit used in Juvenile Court custody and parenting-time cases. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction.
- Juvenile Court — Basic Schedule of Court Costs (Licking County) — The Juvenile Court's official cost schedule: a Complaint for Custody is $250.00 and a Motion for Further Hearing (most post-decree motions) is $50.00.
Use a Caretaker Affidavit or Grandparent Power of Attorney — No custody-case deposit — the affidavit/POA are executed (notarized) documents, not a custody filing; confirm any filing cost with the Probate & Juvenile Court at (740) 670-5624
For a relative caring for a child who needs to handle school and medical decisions without a full custody case. These tools are not custody orders, but are often the right first step.
- Caretaker Authorization Affidavit – Forms (Licking County Juvenile Court) — Lets a grandparent or other relative caring for a child handle school and medical decisions without a full custody case. See the county instructions before completing.
- Caretaker Authorization Affidavit – Instructions (Licking County Juvenile Court) — Step-by-step instructions for completing and using the county Caretaker Authorization Affidavit.
- Grandparent Power of Attorney – Forms (Licking County Juvenile Court) — Lets a parent grant a grandparent authority for the child's care. This is not a custody order, but it is often the right first step for relative caregivers.
- Grandparent Power of Attorney – Instructions (Licking County Juvenile Court) — Step-by-step instructions for completing and using the county Grandparent Power of Attorney.
How to File Grandparent & Non-Parent Custody in Licking County
- Decide full custody vs. caregiver authority. If you need to be the child's legal custodian, file a Complaint for Custody. If you mainly need to handle school and medical decisions, use the Caretaker Affidavit or Grandparent POA.
- Gather proof of the parents' unsuitability. For legal custody, be ready to show the parents are unsuitable or have relinquished custody.
- File in the Probate & Juvenile Court. File the Complaint for Custody ($250.00) with the UCCJEA parenting affidavit at 1 North Park Place, Newark.
- Serve the parents and attend the hearing. Serve the parents and present your evidence; the court applies the best-interest standard and, if appropriate, awards legal custody while preserving the parents' residual rights.
Licking County Practice Notes
- Unsuitability must usually be shown first. A non-parent must generally show the parents are unsuitable (or have contractually relinquished custody) before a court awards custody to a non-parent. A grant of legal custody to a relative leaves the parents' residual rights intact, including possible companionship and a duty of support.
- Caretaker Affidavit and Grandparent POA are not custody orders. The county Caretaker Authorization Affidavit lets a relative caring for a child handle school and medical decisions, and a Grandparent Power of Attorney lets a parent grant a grandparent authority for the child's care. They are not the same as a custody order, but they are often the right first step for relative caregivers.
- Non-parent custody is in Probate & Juvenile Court. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are always filed in the Probate & Juvenile Court (1 North Park Place, Newark; (740) 670-5624), not the Domestic Relations Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can a non-parent get custody in Licking County?
- A relative or other suitable adult files a Complaint for Custody in the Probate & Juvenile Court, 1 North Park Place, Newark ($250.00). A non-parent must generally show the parents are unsuitable (or have relinquished custody) before the court awards custody, and a grant of legal custody leaves the parents' residual rights intact. Confirm requirements with the court at (740) 670-5624.
- What is a Caretaker Authorization Affidavit or Grandparent Power of Attorney in Licking County?
- The county Caretaker Authorization Affidavit lets a grandparent or other relative caring for a child handle school and medical decisions without a full custody case, and a Grandparent Power of Attorney lets a parent grant a grandparent authority for the child's care. Neither is a custody order, but both are often the right first step for relative caregivers. Confirm whether the form must be filed with the court or simply executed by calling (740) 670-5624.
- Can grandparents get visitation (companionship) in Licking County?
- Non-parents seek "companionship or visitation" (not "custody" or "parenting time"). Ohio allows grandparent or relative companionship in defined circumstances — for example, after a parent's death, in a parentage case, or in a divorce/dissolution/legal-separation case (R.C. 3109.11 and 3109.12) — when companionship is in the child's best interest. Confirm which court hears your request by calling (740) 670-5400 (DR) or (740) 670-5624 (Juvenile).
- Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Licking County?
- If you are married to (or were married to) the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the Domestic Relations Court (75 E. Main Street, Newark). If you were never married, custody and support are handled by the Probate & Juvenile Court (1 North Park Place, Newark). Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are always filed in the Probate & Juvenile Court. Note that paternity itself is heard in the Domestic Relations Court in Licking County.
Free Local Resources in Licking County
- Licking County Clerk of Courts — Domestic Relations. 75 East Main Street, Newark, OH 43055; (740) 670-5400, fax (740) 670-5419. Provides current filing deposits, the Domestic Relations forms, rules & guides page (https://lickingcounty.gov/depts/domestic/forms_rules.htm), and CPO packets. Clerk of Common Pleas: Olivia C. Parkinson.
- Licking County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). 65 East Main Street, Newark, OH 43055; (740) 670-5998 or 1-800-513-1128 (https://lickingcounty.gov/depts/csea/). Opens IV-D cases, sets and collects support by wage withholding, and enforces orders. CSEA enforces the court's order; it does not represent either parent.
- Parenting seminar — "Helping Children Succeed After Divorce" (The Woodlands). Required for everyone with minor children who files for divorce or dissolution. About 90 minutes online or a 2-hour in-person class. Register at www.thewoodland.org or (740) 349-7066 (online tech support ext. 241).
- Licking County Domestic Relations Mediation. Mediation Coordinator Christopher R. Meyer, (740) 670-5409 (https://lickingcounty.gov/depts/domestic/mediation.htm). Offers assessment and referral to a court-approved mediator for divorce and post-divorce parenting disputes. A domestic-violence victim may decline mediation or bring a support person.
- The Center for New Beginnings (domestic-violence help). Helps victims obtain a protection order and offers free confidential housing and services: (740) 345-4498 or (740) 349-8719, toll-free 1-800-686-2760.
- Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio (SEOLS) — Newark. 15 West Locust Ave., Suite A, Newark, OH 43055; (740) 345-0850 or 1-888-831-9412. Free civil legal help for those who qualify.
Other Family-Law Topics in Licking County
- Licking County Divorce — Full filing guide with forms, the $400 fee, and the parenting seminar.
- Licking County Custody — Where to file when parents are married vs. never married.
- Ohio Child Support Calculator — Run the 2024 Income Shares worksheet yourself.
- Ohio family-law resources — 88-county directory of courts and legal aid.
Related to your non-parent custody case
- Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
- Adoption — Grow your family through step-parent, agency, or kinship adoption.
- Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.
Related guides
In-depth, attorney-written guides on non-parent custody and related Ohio family law topics.
- Grandparents' Rights in Ohio: Visitation and Custody — Ohio grandparents can sometimes seek court-ordered companionship time or even custody — but only in specific circumstances and always under the best-interest standard. Here's how it works.
- 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.
- Kinship Adoption in Ohio: Adopting a Relative's Child — When a child can't safely stay with their parents, relatives often step in. Kinship adoption gives that arrangement legal permanence. Here's how it works in Ohio — and how it differs from custody.
Keep exploring
- Ohio Grandparent / Non-Parent Custody guide — Statewide overview of grandparent / non-parent custody in Ohio.
- Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
- Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
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