Which court handles family-law cases in Madison County?

The General Division of the Madison County Court of Common Pleas (Judge Eamon P. Costello, 1 N. Main St., London) hears all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases — there is no separate Domestic Relations court, and most domestic matters are referred to a magistrate (C.P. Loc.R. 6.1). The combined Probate & Juvenile Court (Judge Christopher J. Brown, 1 N. Main St., London) handles unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting time (Juvenile, R.C. 2151.23) and adoptions (Probate). Domestic-relations cases are filed through the Clerk of Courts at (740) 852-9776.

Married vs. never-married parents — which court decides custody in Madison County?

If you are or were married, custody and parenting time are decided as part of the divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas. If the parents were never married, parentage, custody, support, and parenting time are decided in the Juvenile Division (R.C. 2151.23) using the Juvenile Division's local forms.

When does Madison County appoint a Guardian ad Litem?

In a contested custody, parenting-time, or allocation-of-parental-rights case, the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem to investigate and recommend what is in the child's best interest. In the General Division the GAL / home-investigation deposit is $400 per party (C.P. Loc.R. 4.1). In the Juvenile Division a GAL adds a $2,000 deposit, and the request must be made within 90 days of the original complaint or motion (Juv. Loc.R. 25).

Do I have to take a parenting class in Madison County?

The Madison County skill does not name a single mandatory parenting seminar. A magistrate or judge may order parenting education in a divorce, dissolution, or custody case, so plan for the possibility and confirm whether a class is required in your case with the court. The standard parenting-time schedule that applies when parents do not agree otherwise is set by C.P. Loc.R. 6.17.

Madison County Shared Parenting Attorneys

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

Madison County, Ohio · London

Shared parenting lets both parents remain residential parents and legal custodians under a written plan (R.C. 3109.04(G)). For married/divorcing parents it is decided in the General Division; for never-married parents it is decided in the Juvenile Division using the court's shared-parenting motion forms.

Hire Gavvl for your Madison County shared parenting case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Madison 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 a shared-parenting plan in Madison County, Ohio?

If you are divorcing, file a Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) with your divorce or dissolution in the General Division, along with the parenting affidavits and support worksheet. If the parents were never married, file the Motion for Shared Parenting in the Juvenile Division — there are separate forms for when the parties are in agreement and when they are not — with the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and support worksheet ($200 deposit). The court approves a plan only if it is in the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04.

Madison County shared parenting, drafted by Gavvl Law

Shared parenting lets both parents stay residential parents and legal custodians under one written plan (R.C. 3109.04(G)). For divorcing parents it is filed as an Ohio SC Form 20 plan in the General Division; for never-married parents it is a Motion for Shared Parenting in the Juvenile Division, with separate forms for when the parties agree and when they do not. Gavvl Law writes the plan the court will actually approve and offers one flat fee up front, with payment plans and full representation for contested cases.

A plan built to pass the best-interest test. A Madison court approves a shared-parenting plan only if it serves the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04 — so vague plans get rejected. We draft a specific residential schedule, decision-making terms, holidays, and support that the court or magistrate can adopt without rewriting it.
The correct form for your court. Married parents use the Ohio SC Form 20 shared-parenting plan inside the divorce; never-married parents use the Juvenile Motion for Shared Parenting — the in-agreement version when both sides are aligned, and the not-in-agreement version when they are not. We pick and complete the right one so the filing is not bounced.
Never-married parents: parentage comes first. In the Juvenile Division a shared-parenting motion cannot stand until parentage is established, and a court parentage action must follow a CSEA administrative determination under R.C. 3111.22 (Juv. Loc.R. 16). We clear that predicate before filing the $200 Juvenile motion so the plan is not held up.

When parents cannot agree, Madison County falls back to its standard parenting-time schedule under C.P. Loc.R. 6.17, and the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem — $400 per party in the General Division or a $2,000 deposit in the Juvenile Division. We build your proposal against that local default so the plan the court enters is yours, not the fallback.

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: Madison County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

1 N. Main Street, London, OH 43140
Phone: (740) 852-9776
Hours: Monday–Friday (confirm current public-counter hours with the Clerk)
Website: Court website

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Both parents want to remain residential parents and share decision-making.
You can cooperate enough to follow a written shared-parenting plan.
You need the plan made into an enforceable court order.
You want to set out a specific residential schedule and decision-making rules.

Filing Fees

General Division shared parenting within a divorce ($450 case deposit) or Juvenile shared-parenting motion ($200) · GAL $400 per party (General) or $2,000 (Juvenile) · confirm current amounts with the court

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting within a divorce/dissolution (General Division)

Married parents file a Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) with the divorce or dissolution, plus the parenting affidavits and 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.
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.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.
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 for never-married parents (in agreement) — $200 Juvenile deposit

File the Motion for Shared Parenting — Parties in Agreement in the Juvenile Division with the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and support worksheet.

Motion for Shared Parenting — Parties in Agreement (Madison County Juvenile) — Asks the Juvenile Division to adopt a shared-parenting plan when both parents agree to share residential and decision-making responsibility.
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.

Shared parenting for never-married parents (not in agreement) — $200 Juvenile deposit

File the Motion for Shared Parenting — Parties Not in Agreement in the Juvenile Division; the court decides under the best-interest factors and may appoint a Guardian ad Litem.

Motion for Shared Parenting — Parties Not in Agreement (Madison County Juvenile) — Asks the Juvenile Division for shared parenting when the parents do not agree; the court decides under the best-interest factors.
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 Madison County

Determine the right court. Married (or divorcing) parents file in the General Division; never-married parents file in the Juvenile Division — where parentage must be established first (a court parentage action must follow a CSEA administrative determination under R.C. 3111.22 / Juv. Loc.R. 16).
Choose the right form. Use the Ohio SC Form 20 shared-parenting plan in a divorce, or the Juvenile Motion for Shared Parenting (in agreement or not in agreement) for never-married parents.
Propose the plan terms. Set out the residential schedule, decision-making, holidays, and support; attach the parenting affidavits and support worksheet.
Best-interest review. The court (or magistrate) reviews the plan under R.C. 3109.04 and approves it only if it serves the child's best interest.

Madison 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.
A Juvenile parentage case must follow a CSEA administrative determination. Before a parentage action is filed in the Madison County Juvenile Division, the plaintiff must first request a CSEA administrative determination under R.C. 3111.22 (Madison Co. Juv. Loc.R. 16). In most cases paternity is established administratively through the Madison County CSEA, 200 Midway St., London, (740) 852-4770 — by a signed Paternity Affidavit or genetic testing — and a court parentage case follows only if it is not resolved that way.
Juvenile Division uses its own local form set. Unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting-time cases are filed in the Probate & Juvenile Court (Judge Christopher J. Brown, 1 N. Main St., London, (740) 852-0760) using its local PDF forms. The court is open 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. M-F; self-represented parents reactivating a case by motion are not accepted after 3:30 p.m. (Juv. Loc.R. 3).
Standard parenting-time schedule (C.P. Loc.R. 6.17). When parents do not agree on a schedule, the General Division's standard parenting-time schedule under C.P. Loc.R. 6.17 applies. Specific terms in a journal entry take precedence over the standard schedule. Confirm the current schedule details with the court.
Domestic cases are referred to a magistrate (C.P. Loc.R. 6.1). Under C.P. Loc.R. 6.1, domestic-relations matters in the General Division are referred to a magistrate who hears the case and issues a decision. A party may file objections under Civ.R. 53, and Judge Costello then rules on the objections and enters the final order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which court handles family-law cases in Madison County?: The General Division of the Madison County Court of Common Pleas (Judge Eamon P. Costello, 1 N. Main St., London) hears all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases — there is no separate Domestic Relations court, and most domestic matters are referred to a magistrate (C.P. Loc.R. 6.1). The combined Probate & Juvenile Court (Judge Christopher J. Brown, 1 N. Main St., London) handles unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting time (Juvenile, R.C. 2151.23) and adoptions (Probate). Domestic-relations cases are filed through the Clerk of Courts at (740) 852-9776.
Married vs. never-married parents — which court decides custody in Madison County?: If you are or were married, custody and parenting time are decided as part of the divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas. If the parents were never married, parentage, custody, support, and parenting time are decided in the Juvenile Division (R.C. 2151.23) using the Juvenile Division's local forms.
When does Madison County appoint a Guardian ad Litem?: In a contested custody, parenting-time, or allocation-of-parental-rights case, the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem to investigate and recommend what is in the child's best interest. In the General Division the GAL / home-investigation deposit is $400 per party (C.P. Loc.R. 4.1). In the Juvenile Division a GAL adds a $2,000 deposit, and the request must be made within 90 days of the original complaint or motion (Juv. Loc.R. 25).
Do I have to take a parenting class in Madison County?: The Madison County skill does not name a single mandatory parenting seminar. A magistrate or judge may order parenting education in a divorce, dissolution, or custody case, so plan for the possibility and confirm whether a class is required in your case with the court. The standard parenting-time schedule that applies when parents do not agree otherwise is set by C.P. Loc.R. 6.17.

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.

More Madison County family-law resources

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