Shared Parenting in Mercer County, Ohio

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

Mercer County, Ohio · Celina · General Division

Shared parenting makes both parents residential parents and legal custodians under a court-approved plan (R.C. 3109.04(G)). In Mercer County it can be ordered inside a divorce (General Division) or for never-married parents (Juvenile Court), and the plan must be filed at least 30 days before the hearing.

How do I get shared parenting in Mercer County, Ohio?

File a written Shared Parenting Plan under R.C. 3109.04, signed by one parent (single plan) or both (joint plan), at least 30 days before the hearing. The plan must cover living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule (Mercer's SO 2 / Local Rule 7 schedule may be incorporated), the school district, child support (a worksheet is required even in shared parenting), health care, and tax exemptions. File it in the court handling your case — the General Division in a divorce, or the Juvenile Court for never-married parents (Suite 307). The court approves the plan only if it is in the child's best interest (R.C. 3109.04(F)).

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: Mercer County Court of Common Pleas — General Division (Clerk of Courts, Legal Division)

101 N Main St, Room 205, PO Box 28, Celina, OH 45822
Phone: (419) 586-6461
Hours: Monday 8:30 AM–5:00 PM; Tuesday–Friday 8:30 AM–4:00 PM
Website: www.mercercountyoh.gov/elected-officials/clerk-of-courts/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Mercer County Court of Common Pleas — Probate/Juvenile Division
101 N Main St, Suite 307, Celina, OH 45822
Phone: (419) 586-1249
Hours: Monday 8:30 AM–5:00 PM; Tuesday–Friday 8:30 AM–4:00 PM

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Shared parenting may be the right fit in Mercer County if…

Both parents want to be residential parents and legal custodians and share decision-making.
You can cooperate enough to follow a written plan covering schedules, school, health care, and taxes.
You're willing to file a complete Shared Parenting Plan at least 30 days before the hearing.
You can complete the Ohio child-support worksheet (required even in shared parenting).
You understand shared parenting is about decision-making, not automatically a 50/50 time split.

Filing Fees

Inside a divorce/dissolution: part of the case deposit · Never-married case in Juvenile Court: $200 deposit · child-support worksheet required even in shared parenting. A-OK Parenting Program ($30/person) applies in DR cases with minor children.

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting inside a divorce (General Division) — Part of the divorce/dissolution deposit

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.
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.
Standard Parenting Time Allocation (Mercer SO 2) — The General Division's default parenting-time schedule (revised November 2025): alternating weekends Friday 7 p.m.–Sunday 7 p.m., one weekday evening (5:30–8:30 p.m.), alternating holidays, Mother's/Father's Day and birthdays with the respective parent, and five weeks of uninterrupted summer time each. It applies unless the parents agree otherwise or the court orders a different schedule.
Notice to Attend the A-OK Parenting Program (Mercer DR 7) — Parents of minor children in a Mercer County divorce or dissolution must complete the A-OK Parenting Program ($30/person) before the final hearing (Common Pleas Loc.R. 21.02). The class runs the 4th Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September, and November, 6:00–9:00 p.m., in Room 303 of the courthouse; you are registered automatically when you file and the court mails your assigned date. Tip: If you can't attend your assigned date, call 419-586-2122 to reschedule — late arrivals are not admitted.

Shared parenting for never-married parents (Juvenile Court) — $200 deposit (Juvenile case)

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.
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.
Mercer County Juvenile Court Forms — The Probate/Juvenile Division's own forms for never-married parents: Complaint for Parentage / Allocation of Parental Rights (Custody) / Parenting Time, parenting plans, motions to change custody or parenting time, motions for contempt with Show Cause Order, financial and health-insurance affidavits, the IV-D application, and the Grandparent Power of Attorney / Caretaker Authorization Affidavit.

How to File Shared Parenting in Mercer County

Draft a complete Shared Parenting Plan. Cover living arrangements, the holiday/vacation schedule (you may incorporate Mercer's SO 2 / Local Rule 7 schedule), the school district, child support, health care, decision-making, transportation, and tax exemptions. Plans that skip a required topic are routinely sent back.
File it at least 30 days before the hearing. File the plan under R.C. 3109.04, signed by one parent (single plan) or both (joint plan), at least 30 days before the hearing in the court handling your case — the General Division in a divorce, or the Juvenile Court (Suite 307) for never-married parents.
Attach the support worksheet. A child-support worksheet is required even in shared parenting. Run the Ohio Child Support Calculator and file the signed worksheet with your plan.
Attend the best-interest hearing. The court approves shared parenting only if it serves the child's best interest (R.C. 3109.04(F)). In a contested case the court can appoint a GAL ($1,000 deposit) to investigate and recommend.

Mercer County Practice Notes

Use Ohio's custody terms. Ohio allocates parental rights as sole custody (one residential parent and legal custodian) or shared parenting (both parents are residential parents and legal custodians under a court-approved plan, R.C. 3109.04(G)). Ohio does not use 'primary custody' or 'joint custody,' and shared parenting is about decision-making, not a 50/50 time split.
One Standard Parenting Time schedule across both courts. The General Division's Standard Parenting Time Guidelines (SO 2, rev. 11/2025) and the Juvenile Division's Local Rule 7 schedule (Appendix B) are identical: alternating weekends Friday 7 p.m.–Sunday 7 p.m., one weekday evening (5:30–8:30 p.m.), alternating holidays, and five weeks of uninterrupted summer time each. A phase-in schedule applies where parent and child have little or no established relationship.
Shared parenting plan must address every required topic. A Shared Parenting Plan must cover living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, school district, child support (a worksheet is required), health care, decision-making, transportation, and tax exemptions. In a shared parenting plan both parents are residential parents and legal custodians — the plan may name one parent residential for school or tax purposes only.
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

What's the difference between sole custody and shared parenting in Mercer County?: Sole custody names one parent the residential parent and legal custodian; shared parenting makes both parents residential parents and legal custodians under a court-approved Shared Parenting Plan (R.C. 3109.04(G)). The plan must be filed at least 30 days before the hearing. Ohio doesn't use 'primary' or 'joint custody,' and shared parenting is about decision-making, not a 50/50 time split.
What must a Mercer County shared parenting plan cover?: A Shared Parenting Plan must cover living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule (Mercer's SO 2 / Local Rule 7 schedule may be incorporated), the school district, child support (a worksheet is required even in shared parenting), health care, and tax exemptions. It must be filed at least 30 days before the hearing, signed by one parent (single plan) or both (joint plan).
What is the standard parenting-time schedule in Mercer County?: The court's guidelines (DR Standing Order 2 and the identical Juvenile Local Rule 7): alternating weekends Friday 7 p.m. to Sunday 7 p.m., one weekday evening (5:30–8:30 p.m.), alternating holidays, Mother's/Father's Day and birthdays with the respective parent, and five weeks of uninterrupted summer time each. A phase-in schedule applies where there is little or no established relationship.
We were never married — where do I file for custody in Mercer County?: In the combined Probate/Juvenile Division (Judge Matthew L. Gilmore) on the 3rd floor, Suite 307, 419-586-1249. Parentage, custody, parenting time, and support for never-married parents are Juvenile Court matters, not divorce-court matters.

Free Local Resources in Mercer County

Mercer County Clerk of Courts — Legal Division (divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, CPO). Clerk Calvin Freeman, 101 N. Main St., Room 205, PO Box 28, Celina, OH 45822; (419) 586-6461; fax (419) 586-5826; clerk@mercercountycourts.com. Files all Domestic Relations and civil cases and confirms current deposits (divorce, dissolution, and post-decree motions are each a $350 deposit eff. 4/1/2024). No personal checks — cash, money order, or cashier's check, or pay online via LexisNexis. Court staff cannot give legal advice. Confirm the current amount and any e-filing registration (Common Pleas Loc.R. 29) with the Clerk before filing.
Mercer County Court of Common Pleas — General Division (hears all Domestic Relations cases). Judge Matthew K. Fox, Magistrate Richard M. Delzeith, 101 N. Main St., Room 301, Celina, OH 45822; (419) 586-2122; cpc@mercercountycourts.com. Decides divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, DR post-decree, and domestic-violence civil protection orders. There is no separate Domestic Relations court.
Mercer County Probate/Juvenile Division (never-married parents, non-parent custody). Judge Matthew L. Gilmore, Suite 307 (3rd floor), 101 N. Main St., Celina, OH 45822; juvenile line (419) 586-1249 or (419) 586-2418; fax (419) 586-4506; https://mercercountycourts.com/index.php. Handles parentage, custody, parenting time, and support for never-married parents, plus grandparent and other non-parent custody. New custody/support/visitation/paternity cases carry a $200 deposit (plus a $25 stenographer's fee); confirm current amounts with the court.
Mercer County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). 220 W. Livingston St., Room B181, PO Box 649, Celina, OH 45822-0649; (419) 586-7961; toll-free 800-207-3597; fax (419) 586-2151; hours M–F 8:30 AM–4:00 PM. Opens IV-D child-support cases, establishes paternity administratively, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders.
A-OK Parenting Program (required for divorce/dissolution with minor children). Mercer County requires each parent in a divorce or dissolution with minor children to attend the A-OK Parenting Program before the final hearing (Common Pleas Loc.R. 21.02). Cost is a one-time $30 per person, paid at the class; you are registered automatically when you file, and the court mails your assigned date. The program runs 6:00–9:00 PM on the 4th Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September, and November in Room 303 of the courthouse. Juvenile (never-married) cases are generally not ordered into A-OK. Call (419) 586-2122 to reschedule.
Ohio Legal Help & legal aid. Ohio Legal Help (https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/) has plain-English guides and the Ohio Supreme Court standardized forms for divorce, custody, support, and protection orders. Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO) serves Mercer County for income-eligible residents — confirm the current intake line.

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.

Keep exploring

Ohio Shared Parenting guide — Statewide overview of shared parenting in Ohio.
Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.

Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.