Is a parenting class required in Medina County?

Yes. Medina County requires parenting education through its Family Court Resources (FCR) department (234-802-0944) in any case with minor children. Parents in a divorce or legal separation must complete the court's FOCUS program within 45 days after service; in a dissolution, within 45 days of filing and before the final hearing. The program is prepaid through the filing deposit. Children ages 6–17 also attend the separate 'What About Me?' seminar ($15 per child) unless the court excuses them.

Do custody and paternity cases go to Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Medina County?

Medina splits this work between two courts. Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and parentage/paternity are heard in the Domestic Relations Court at 225 East Washington Street — for unmarried parents, the initial custody and support order can ride along with a Complaint for Parentage there (deposit $200), the route the DR court's own forms support. 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 $180); non-parent (grandparent or relative) custody is also a Juvenile matter under Med Juv L R 3.4. Married or divorcing parents decide custody inside the divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the DR Court. Either court applies the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors. Confirm the right court and current deposit with the Clerk's Legal Division at (330) 725-9722.

Are mediation and a guardian ad litem available in Medina County?

Yes. In contested custody cases the Medina County Domestic Relations Court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem under Local Rule 14 to investigate and recommend a parenting arrangement in the child's best interest; the GAL's fee and deposit are allocated between the parties — confirm the current amount with the court. The court also offers mediation at no cost under Local Rule 15 (file the Request for Mediation), plus neutral evaluation and co-parent coaching for qualifying cases.

What does it mean for Ohio to be my child's 'home state' under the UCCJEA?

Under the UCCJEA (R.C. 3127), Ohio is the children's home state when they have lived in Ohio with a parent for at least 6 consecutive months immediately before the filing. If the children recently moved, the prior state may still have jurisdiction. Ohio courts can also decline jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum under R.C. 3127.21 even when home-state requirements are met.

Medina County Shared Parenting Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 8, 2026

Medina County, Ohio · Medina

Shared parenting names both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under one written plan. In Medina County the plan must meet the R.C. 3109.04(G) factors and is filed in the Domestic Relations Court at 225 East Washington Street, where parents also complete the FOCUS class before parenting orders are finalized.

Hire Gavvl for your Medina County shared parenting case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Medina 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 approved in Medina County, Ohio?

Submit a written Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio uniform Form 20) that addresses living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, decision-making, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution (R.C. 3109.04(G)). File it with your divorce, dissolution, or parentage case at the Medina County Domestic Relations Court, 225 East Washington Street, Medina, or with a Medina County Juvenile Court custody case brought after parentage is established for unmarried parents. Both parents complete the FOCUS class, and Medina's local parenting-time guidelines (Forms 6.05A/6.05B) provide the default schedule the plan can adopt or modify.

Hire Gavvl Law to build your Medina County shared parenting plan

Shared parenting names both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under one written plan, and in Medina County that plan (Ohio uniform Form 20) must satisfy every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor or the court sends it back for revision. It is filed with your divorce, dissolution, or parentage case in the Domestic Relations Court at 225 East Washington Street, where parents also complete the FOCUS class. Gavvl Law drafts a plan that holds up, for a flat fee quoted before we start.

Every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor, covered. A shared parenting plan must address living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, decision-making, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. We draft each section so the plan is not bounced back for a missing factor before the merit hearing.
Medina's own parenting-time grid. The court publishes standard and long-distance schedules — Forms 6.05A and 6.05B — covering weekend and midweek time by age, a holiday grid, summer vacation, and relocation notice. We build your plan to adopt or modify those defaults so it reads the way a Medina magistrate expects.
Right case, class done, flat fee. Married parents file the plan with the divorce; never-married parents file with a $200 parentage case or a Juvenile custody case after paternity. We route it correctly, finish the FOCUS class through Family Court Resources at (234) 802-0944, and set a flat fee with payment plans.

Because Medina publishes its own 6.05A and 6.05B parenting-time guidelines and enforces the full R.C. 3109.04(G) checklist, a plan written to the county's own templates clears review faster than a generic one. We draft to those local forms and the court's expectations at 225 East Washington Street so your shared parenting plan is approved, not returned.

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: Medina County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

225 East Washington Street, Medina, OH 44256
Phone: (330) 725-9740
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Website: Court website

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Both parents want to be named residential parent and legal custodian.
You can cooperate enough to follow one detailed written plan.
Your plan addresses every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor, including dispute resolution.
Both parents will complete the FOCUS parenting class.

Filing Fees

Included in the divorce/dissolution deposit · $200 parentage filing for never-married parents · Local parenting-time guidelines 6.05A/6.05B

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting plan inside a divorce/dissolution (married parents)

Filed with your divorce or dissolution at 225 East Washington Street. The plan must address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor or it will be sent back for revision.

Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio uniform Form 20) — Written plan covering physical living arrangements, holiday and vacation schedule, decision-making, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom. Confirms Ohio's jurisdiction over custody.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.

Shared parenting plan in a parentage case (never-married parents)

Unmarried parents file the plan with their parentage and custody action — a Complaint for Parentage in the Medina County Domestic Relations Court, or a custody case in the separate Medina County Juvenile Court — after paternity is established.

Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio uniform Form 20) — The written shared parenting plan filed with the parentage and custody action once fatherhood is established.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom. Confirms Ohio's jurisdiction over custody.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.

How to File Shared Parenting in Medina County

Draft a plan that meets R.C. 3109.04(G). Cover living arrangements, holidays, decision-making, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution.
Complete the FOCUS parenting class. Both parents complete the FOCUS class through Family Court Resources before the court finalizes parenting orders.
File the plan with your custody case. Married parents file with the divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Court at 225 East Washington Street; unmarried parents file with a DR parentage case there or a Medina County Juvenile Court custody case after parentage.
Address any revisions the court requests. If the plan skips a required factor, revise and re-file before the merit hearing.

Medina County Practice Notes

Shared parenting plan must address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor. A written Shared Parenting Plan must address 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.
Medina's local parenting-time guidelines. Medina publishes standard and long-distance parenting-time schedules — Forms 6.05A (standard) and 6.05B (long distance) — covering weekend/midweek time by age, a holiday grid, summer vacation, and relocation-notice and records-access provisions. A shared parenting plan can adopt or modify these defaults.
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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a parenting class required in Medina County?: Yes. Medina County requires parenting education through its Family Court Resources (FCR) department (234-802-0944) in any case with minor children. Parents in a divorce or legal separation must complete the court's FOCUS program within 45 days after service; in a dissolution, within 45 days of filing and before the final hearing. The program is prepaid through the filing deposit. Children ages 6–17 also attend the separate 'What About Me?' seminar ($15 per child) unless the court excuses them.
Do custody and paternity cases go to Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Medina County?: Medina splits this work between two courts. Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and parentage/paternity are heard in the Domestic Relations Court at 225 East Washington Street — for unmarried parents, the initial custody and support order can ride along with a Complaint for Parentage there (deposit $200), the route the DR court's own forms support. 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 $180); non-parent (grandparent or relative) custody is also a Juvenile matter under Med Juv L R 3.4. Married or divorcing parents decide custody inside the divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the DR Court. Either court applies the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors. Confirm the right court and current deposit with the Clerk's Legal Division at (330) 725-9722.
Are mediation and a guardian ad litem available in Medina County?: Yes. In contested custody cases the Medina County Domestic Relations Court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem under Local Rule 14 to investigate and recommend a parenting arrangement in the child's best interest; the GAL's fee and deposit are allocated between the parties — confirm the current amount with the court. The court also offers mediation at no cost under Local Rule 15 (file the Request for Mediation), plus neutral evaluation and co-parent coaching for qualifying cases.
What does it mean for Ohio to be my child's 'home state' under the UCCJEA?: Under the UCCJEA (R.C. 3127), Ohio is the children's home state when they have lived in Ohio with a parent for at least 6 consecutive months immediately before the filing. If the children recently moved, the prior state may still have jurisdiction. Ohio courts can also decline jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum under R.C. 3127.21 even when home-state requirements are met.

Free Local Resources in Medina County

Medina County Domestic Relations Court. Local forms, local rules, and case information for divorce, dissolution, custody, support, and protection orders at medinadr.org. The Forms page is medinadr.org/forms.html. Court staff cannot give legal advice or help complete forms.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. The state's official 2024 Income Shares worksheet at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov. Run it, print, and sign it before any hearing that sets or changes support.
FOCUS — Family Court Resources parenting program. The court-provided parenting class for parents of minor children, prepaid through the filing deposit and coordinated by Family Court Resources (234-802-0944). Approved online alternatives are Children in Between and Two Families Now.
Community Legal Aid Services. Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Medina County and northeast Ohio. Intake line 1-800-998-9454.

Start Your Parenting Plan for Free

Before you meet with an attorney or mediator, try our free Ohio parenting plan builder — it explains sole custody vs. shared parenting in plain language and turns your answers into a printable worksheet you can bring to court, mediation, or a consultation.

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 Medina County family-law resources

Ohio Shared Parenting guide — Statewide overview of shared parenting in Ohio.
Cleveland family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Cleveland metro.
Medina County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Medina County guide.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.

Call (216) 868-8005 or email support@gavvl.com.