Filing for Divorce with Children in Medina County

Medina County Domestic Relations Court

225 East Washington Street, Medina. DR Court: (330) 725-9740 • Clerk of Courts: (330) 725-9722 • Docket: (330) 764-8298 • CSEA: (330) 722-9398

Medina County Procedure Quirks

• Electronic filing in the Domestic Relations Division is governed by Local Rule 10; confirm current e-filing eligibility with the Clerk's Legal Division at (330) 725-9722.
• Current local forms are posted on the court's Forms page at medinadr.org/forms.html.
• A Poverty Affidavit is available if you cannot afford the filing fee; ask the Clerk about a payment plan.

Parenting Class

FOCUS Parenting Program — Medina County Family Court Resources (234-802-0944) (Register / learn more)
Required in any case with minor children, completed within 45 days after service (within 45 days of filing for a dissolution) and before the final hearing. Prepaid through the filing fee. Children ages 6–17 also attend the separate "What About Me?" seminar unless the court excuses them.

Domestic Relations vs. Juvenile

Medina splits family-law work between two courts. Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and parentage/paternity are filed in the Domestic Relations Court at 225 East Washington Street; for unmarried parents, the first custody and support order can ride along with a Complaint for Parentage there. After parentage is established, a custody, parenting-time, or companionship action may instead be filed in the separate Medina County Juvenile Court under Medina Juvenile Local Rule 3 (new-case deposit), where non-parent (grandparent or relative) custody is also heard. Married couples file divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Court.

Free Local Resources in Medina County

• Medina County DR Court Forms Page. medinadr.org/forms.html — current local forms and local rules; Local Rule 10 governs electronic filing. Court staff cannot give legal advice or help complete forms.
• Ohio Child Support Calculator. ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov — the state's official 2024 Income Shares worksheet. Run, print, and sign it before any hearing that sets or changes support.
• FOCUS — Family Court Resources. The court's parenting program for parents of minor children, prepaid through the filing fee and coordinated by Family Court Resources at 234-802-0944.
• Community Legal Aid Services. Free civil legal help for income-eligible Medina County residents. Intake line 1-800-998-9454.

What it costs — two ways to hire us

Limited scope, flat fee — Flat fees from $1,250

You hire us for a defined piece of the work — drafting and filing your divorce with children paperwork, a single hearing, a specific motion — at a fixed, published price. The court's filing fee is paid to the Clerk of Courts separately. The number you see is the number you pay at checkout. What each flat fee covers.

Full representation — $3,500 retainer to start

An attorney manages the whole case — strategy, filings, hearings, negotiation. The retainer is known before you sign and is a deposit against work, not the total cost; the total depends on how contested your case becomes. You watch every dollar of it in real time. How full representation is billed.

Is there financing? Yes.

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. See every financing option.

Real people, — with direct lines

• Stephanie Green — Managing Partner
• Elizabeth Warren — Managing Partner
• Niva Elgin — Senior Case Manager · Licensed New Mexico Attorney

Your consultation

Stephanie Green or Elizabeth Warren, our managing partners — or Niva Elgin, our senior case manager and a licensed New Mexico attorney. They've heard hundreds of situations like yours and will tell you plainly what you need, and what you don't. Meet the firm.

Your attorney

One of our Of Counsel Ohio family-law attorneys is your attorney for the case — from the first strategy call to the final order in Medina County. You have their name and a direct line the day your file opens. Our attorneys.

Your case team

Niva Elgin keeps your case moving as Senior Case Manager. Madeline Wampler, Certified Paralegal, handles documents and scheduling. Erin Schultz, Finance Manager, handles billing and payment plans. Real people who answer when you call.

• 95+ five-star Google reviews
• 60+ years of combined Ohio family-law experience
• Super Lawyers honorees on the team
• Every flat fee published before you call

From first call to retained, — and every step after

1. Consultation — A 30-minute phone call, $25. You talk with Stephanie Green, Elizabeth Warren, or Niva Elgin about what's happening and what Ohio law actually does with it. Before you hang up you'll know whether you need a lawyer at all — and if you do, you leave with a written quote: the service we recommend, the price, your financing options, and your next steps.
2. Choose — Pick the level of help. Pay, or set up financing. Limited-scope flat fee or full representation — you choose, with real numbers in front of you. Pay online, or secure a Gavvl Direct payment plan or third-party financing in a few minutes. Nothing is billed until you decide.
3. Sign — Your agreement arrives by email. Review the client agreement and sign it electronically — from your phone if you like. While you do, your attorney reviews your intake.
4. Get started — Your first attorney call goes on the calendar. Limited scope: your attorney's first call is scheduled from your intake. Full representation: a paralegal reaches out the same or next business day to open your file and gather what's needed, then schedules your first attorney call — and if something is urgent, you speak with the attorney first.

It's easier than ever to retain an excellent attorney.

How you'll stay updated — you never have to wonder

Every client gets GavvLink™, our client portal, on day one. Your whole case — messages, calendar, billing, status — lives in one place, and your team is a message away.

• Reach your attorney directly. Message, text, email, or call. Request a callback or book time on their calendar yourself — no waiting to hear back.
• Case calendar with reminders. Every hearing, deadline, and milestone, with a reminder before each one.
• Case status updates. See where your case stands and what happens next, updated as it moves.
• Payments and billing in real time. Every entry on your account as it posts, plus links to make a payment or add funds.
• Your case team, one message away. Full-representation clients message their paralegal and case manager the same way — and they answer.
• 24/7 receptionists and direct lines. Something urgent after hours? A live receptionist answers around the clock and reaches your team. You also have your attorney's direct line — and a way to reach the managing partners. We return calls and messages promptly.

Can I do this without an attorney?

sometimes, yes. Ohio lets you represent yourself, and for a genuinely agreed dissolution or a simple motion, some people do. Every Ohio county's forms and local rules are linked from our county pages, and our free tools will draft a parenting plan or estimate child support before you spend anything.

Here's what the online-divorce platforms leave out: most Ohio counties require their own forms and language on top of the statewide ones, and a rejected filing is the most common reason people call us after trying it alone. A $25, 30-minute call tells you whether you can do this yourself — and if you can, we'll say so.

• Free parenting plan builder
• Free child support estimate
• Attorney-written guides

Schedule Your $25 Consultation

Required divorce-with-children packet (8 forms)

• Complaint for Divorce with Children — The main document that starts your case. Ohio Supreme Court Form 7.
• Affidavit of Income & Expenses — Your income and monthly bills. UDRF Affidavit 1.
• Affidavit of Property & Debt — What you own and owe. UDRF Affidavit 2.
• Parenting Proceeding Affidavit — The children's past 5-year address history. UDRF Affidavit 3.
• Health Insurance Affidavit — Who provides insurance and the cost. UDRF Affidavit 4.
• Motion & Affidavit for Temporary Orders — Requests temporary parenting, support, etc. while pending. UDRF Affidavit 5.
• Child Support Worksheet — Ohio Child Support Guidelines Calculator — run the numbers, print the worksheet, and file it with your paperwork.
• Judgment Entry — Decree of Divorce With Children — Court's final order. Submitted at the final hearing. UDRF Form 15.

Temporary orders while your case is pending

Under Civ.R. 75, either spouse can request temporary parenting time, child support, and spousal support while the divorce is pending using the Ohio uniform Affidavit 5 motion. A temporary child-support request should include a proposed child-support worksheet. File the motion with the Medina County Domestic Relations Court at 225 East Washington Street.

• Motion & Affidavit for Temporary Orders — Requests temporary parenting, support, etc. while pending. UDRF Affidavit 5.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on divorce, custody, and related Ohio family law topics.

• How to File for Divorce in Ohio: A Step-by-Step Guide — Filing for divorce in Ohio follows a defined path: confirm residency, choose your grounds, file the complaint, serve your spouse, and work toward temporary orders and a final decree. Here is how each step works.
• Divorce vs. Dissolution in Ohio: Which Path Is Right for You? — Divorce and dissolution both end an Ohio marriage, but they work very differently. Dissolution is a no-fault, agreed process; divorce is a lawsuit for couples who can't agree. Here's how to choose.
• What Happens If I Move Out Before the Divorce? (Ohio Myths vs. Reality) — Moving out of the marital home does not forfeit your share of the house, your retirement, or your right to parent your children. It can affect the date the court uses to divide property, and it can affect custody indirectly if you become less involved. This guide separates the myths from what Ohio law actually does, and explains why temporary orders solve most of it.
• How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Ohio? — The cost of an Ohio divorce ranges widely depending on conflict and complexity. Here's what drives the price — court fees, attorney fees, experts — and how to keep it manageable.
• Dividing Property in an Ohio Divorce — Ohio divides marital property equitably — meaning fairly, not always equally. The first step is classifying every asset and debt. Here's how the process works.
• Who Gets the House in an Ohio Divorce? — The marital home is often a couple's biggest asset and most emotional decision. Ohio divides its equity equitably — through a buyout, a sale, or a deferred sale. Here's how.

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.