Filing for Dissolution in Monroe County

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

Monroe County, Ohio · Woodsfield

A dissolution is a no-fault way to end a marriage when both spouses already agree on everything — property, debt, spousal support, and, if there are children, custody, parenting time, and child support. The spouses file together as co-petitioners with a signed Separation Agreement; nobody is sued. Dissolutions are heard by the General Division of the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas in Woodsfield, and the final hearing is set 30 to 90 days after filing.

How do I file for dissolution in Monroe County, Ohio?

Negotiate and sign a Separation Agreement (Form 19) settling property, debt, and support; with minor children, add a parenting plan and a child-support worksheet and complete the parenting session (Local Rule XV). File the joint Petition for Dissolution (Form 17) with the signed agreement, Affidavit 1 (income), and Affidavit 2 (property) — plus Affidavits 3 and 4 with children — at the Monroe County Clerk of Courts, Room 26, 101 North Main Street, Woodsfield, (740) 472-0761. The deposit is $200. Monroe County provides a no-children packet but NO with-children packet. By statute the hearing is set 30 to 90 days later (R.C. 3105.64), and both spouses must appear and confirm they still agree.

Ohio Divorce by the Numbers

6 months Ohio residency required before you can file Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.03
90 days Residency in the county of filing (venue) Source: Ohio Civ. R. 3
30–90 days Typical time to finalize an uncontested dissolution Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.64
1 year Living separate and apart that qualifies as no-fault grounds Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.01

Compare Your Options for Ending a Marriage in Ohio

Path	Ends the marriage?	Agreement required?	Best when
Dissolution	Yes	Yes — on every term before filing	Both spouses agree on everything and want the fastest, lowest-cost path
Divorce (contested)	Yes	No	Spouses disagree on property, support, or parenting and need a judge to decide
Divorce (uncontested / default)	Yes	No	One spouse will not respond or cannot be located
Legal separation	No — you stay married	Optional	You need court orders but must stay married (religion, insurance, or benefits)
Annulment	Treated as never valid	No	The marriage was never legally valid (fraud, bigamy, underage, or incapacity)

Where to File: Monroe County Court of Common Pleas — General Division

101 North Main Street, Room 33, Woodsfield, OH 43793
Phone: (740) 472-0841
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed legal holidays)
Website: www.monroecountyohio.com/government/clerk_of_courts/common_pleas_court/index.php

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Monroe County Combined Probate/Juvenile Division
101 North Main Street, Room 39, Woodsfield, OH 43793
Phone: (740) 472-5790
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed legal holidays)

Dissolution is the right path if…

You and your spouse agree on every issue — property, debt, support, and any parenting terms.
Both of you will sign the Separation Agreement and appear at the hearing.
You want the quickest, lowest-cost path to ending the marriage.
Neither spouse needs the court to decide a disputed issue (otherwise file a divorce).

If you don't fully agree, or your spouse won't participate, you need a divorce instead. Compare divorce.

Filing Fees

$200 cost deposit (with or without children) · the older no-children packet still lists $150 — confirm the current $200 with the Clerk · fee waiver (poverty affidavit) available · confirm current amounts and payment methods with the Clerk at (740) 472-0761

Forms & Filing Packets

Dissolution with no minor children — $200 deposit

Use the county's no-children dissolution packet or the Ohio Supreme Court forms: the joint Petition (Form 17), the signed Separation Agreement (Form 19), Affidavit 1 (income), and Affidavit 2 (property). Sign in blue ink and pay the $200 deposit.

Monroe County Dissolution Packet (No Minor Children) — The county's only do-it-yourself dissolution packet — for couples with no minor children. (Monroe County publishes NO with-children dissolution packet and warns incorrect paperwork may be dismissed with loss of the deposit.) The packet still lists the older $150 deposit; confirm the current $200 amount with the Clerk.
Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (Ohio SC Form 17) — Both spouses file jointly, telling the court they have a complete agreement and want the marriage dissolved.
Separation Agreement (Ohio SC Form 19) — The contract that settles property, debt, support, and parenting. Both spouses must sign in front of a notary.
Affidavit of Income & Expenses (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own. Must be notarized.
Affidavit of Property (Ohio SC Affidavit 2) — Lists every asset and debt. Required at filing.
Decree of Dissolution (Ohio SC Form 18) — Proposed final order that ends the marriage and incorporates the Separation Agreement.

Dissolution with minor children — $200 deposit

There is NO county with-children packet — use the Ohio Supreme Court forms. Add a parenting plan, Affidavit 3 (UCCJEA), Affidavit 4 (health insurance), and the child-support worksheet, and both spouses must complete the parenting session (Local Rule XV). Incorrect paperwork may be dismissed with loss of the deposit, so the Court recommends an attorney.

Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (Ohio SC Form 17) — Both spouses file jointly, telling the court they have a complete agreement and want the marriage dissolved.
Separation Agreement (Ohio SC Form 19) — The contract that settles property, debt, support, and parenting. Both spouses must sign in front of a notary.
Affidavit of Income & Expenses (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own. Must be notarized.
Affidavit of Property (Ohio SC Affidavit 2) — Lists every asset and debt. Required at filing.
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.
Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 21) — Used when one parent will be designated residential parent and legal custodian.
Monroe County Standard Visitation Schedule (Local Rule XXVIII) — The county's default parenting-time order. It becomes the schedule unless the parents agree to a different plan the Court approves, and it requires notifying the other parent and trying to renegotiate before a move.
Decree of Dissolution (Ohio SC Form 18) — Proposed final order that ends the marriage and incorporates the Separation Agreement.

How to File Dissolution in Monroe County

Reach full agreement. Settle every issue — property, debt, spousal support, and any custody, parenting time, and child support — and put it in a Separation Agreement (Form 19) signed before a notary.
Assemble the packet. Use the county no-children packet or the Ohio Supreme Court forms: the joint Petition (Form 17), the signed agreement, Affidavit 1 (income), and Affidavit 2 (property); with children add a parenting plan, Affidavit 3, Affidavit 4, and the support worksheet. Sign originals in blue ink.
File jointly with the deposit. Both spouses file together at the Monroe County Clerk of Courts, Room 26, Woodsfield, with the $200 deposit (or a poverty affidavit). You may e-file through the Henschen portal.
Complete the parenting session if you have children. Both spouses must complete the two-hour 'Helping Children Cope With Divorce' session through OSU Extension before the case is set for hearing (Local Rule XV).
Attend the hearing 30–90 days later. By statute the hearing is held 30 to 90 days after filing (R.C. 3105.64). Both spouses appear, confirm they still agree, and the judge signs the Decree of Dissolution (Form 18).

Monroe County Practice Notes

No separate Domestic Relations court — one General Division. Monroe County has no separate Domestic Relations court. Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and protection orders are heard by the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas (Hon. Julie R. Selmon) and filed through the Clerk of Courts, Beth Ann Rose, in Room 26 at 101 North Main Street, Woodsfield. Never-married custody, paternity, and parenting time go to the combined Probate/Juvenile Division (Hon. James W. Peters, Room 39).
No with-children dissolution packet — deposit-loss warning. Monroe County publishes a no-children dissolution packet but NO with-children packet, and warns that incorrect paperwork 'may be dismissed and you risk losing your deposit.' For a dissolution with minor children, use the Ohio Supreme Court uniform forms plus a parenting plan and child-support worksheet, complete the parenting session (Local Rule XV), and strongly consider an attorney.
Blue ink, 7-day update duty, and service by publication. Local Rule IV requires all original filings and signatures to be in blue ink on 8½ × 11 paper. Under Local Rule XIII, all updated information must reach the Court within 7 days before the final hearing or the Court will not proceed. If a spouse can't be located, service by publication (Civ.R. 4.4, Local Rule IX) posts at the U.S. post offices in Beallsville and Sardis plus the Woodsfield courthouse after certified- and regular-mail attempts are exhausted.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a dissolution take in Monroe County?: By statute the final hearing is set not less than 30 nor more than 90 days after the joint petition is filed (R.C. 3105.64). Both spouses must appear at the hearing and confirm they still agree and want the dissolution before the judge signs the decree.
Can I file a dissolution with children without a lawyer in Monroe County?: You can, but Monroe County provides no with-children dissolution packet and warns that incorrect paperwork 'may be dismissed and you risk losing your deposit,' so the Court recommends an attorney. A no-children dissolution packet is available. With children you use the Ohio Supreme Court uniform forms plus a parenting plan, the child-support worksheet, and both spouses must complete the parenting session (Local Rule XV).
How much does it cost to file for divorce or dissolution in Monroe County?: A $200 cost deposit (Local Rule XII), the same for divorce and dissolution with or without children. An answer/counterclaim is also $200; motions, contempt, and temporary-order requests are $60; a change of custody is $100; appeals are $101. The older no-children dissolution packet still lists $150 — confirm the current $200 amount with the Clerk at (740) 472-0761. A fee waiver is available with a poverty affidavit.
Is an uncontested divorce the same as a dissolution in Monroe County?: No. A dissolution is a jointly filed case where both spouses agree on everything before filing and both attend a hearing 30–90 days later (R.C. 3105.64). An 'uncontested' divorce is still a lawsuit — you use it when your spouse won't participate, won't sign, or can't be found (served by posting/publication under Local Rule IX), and the Court grants the divorce on your evidence.
Is a parenting class required for family-law cases in Monroe County?: Yes. Under Local Rule XV, any party seeking custody or parenting time in a case with children under 18 — and both spouses in a dissolution with children — must complete the two-hour 'Helping Children Cope With Divorce' session through OSU Extension before the case is set for hearing. The fee is $10 under the rule / $15 per the Court's class page; confirm when you register at (740) 472-0810.

Free Local Resources in Monroe County

Monroe County Clerk of Courts (General Division). Current filing fees, deposit amounts, and filing instructions for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment. Clerk Beth Ann Rose, Room 26; call (740) 472-0761 before filing. The county uses the Ohio Supreme Court standardized forms and accepts e-filing through the Henschen portal (https://efile.henschen.com/).
Monroe County Combined Probate/Juvenile Division. Handles never-married-parent custody, parentage, parenting time, and child support, plus non-parent custody and adoptions, under Hon. James W. Peters in Room 39. Juvenile line (740) 472-5790; Probate line (740) 472-1654.
Monroe County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA / DJFS). Housed in the Monroe County Department of Job and Family Services at 100 Home Avenue, Woodsfield. Prepares the support worksheet for free, opens IV-D cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. Phone (740) 472-1602.
Parenting Session — OSU Extension. The two-hour 'Helping Children Cope With Divorce' session required under Local Rule XV. Register through OSU Extension at (740) 472-0810; the fee is $10 under the rule / $15 per the Court's class page — confirm when you register.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares child-support worksheet at https://ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov/ before any case that sets or changes support.

Related to your dissolution case

Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.
Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.
Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.

Related guides

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

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.
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.
How Long Does a Divorce Take in Ohio? — There is no single answer to how long an Ohio divorce takes — an agreed dissolution can finish in a couple of months, while a contested divorce may run a year or more. Here's what drives the timeline.
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.

Keep exploring

Ohio Dissolution guide — Statewide overview of dissolution in Ohio.
Akron family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Akron 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.

Understand the cost

Divorce vs. Dissolution in Ohio — How the two paths compare on agreement, timeline, and cost.
Ohio Divorce Cost & Timeline by Path — Compare cost and timeline across every path to ending a marriage.

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