Monroe County Divorce Attorneys

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

Monroe County, Ohio · Woodsfield

A divorce is the contested-or-default path to ending a marriage when you and your spouse don't have a complete written agreement, or when your spouse won't participate. In Monroe County there is no separate Domestic Relations court — divorce is heard by the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas (Hon. Julie R. Selmon) and filed through the Clerk of Courts in Room 26 at 101 North Main Street, Woodsfield. The county uses the Ohio Supreme Court standardized forms and its own Standard Visitation Schedule.

Hire Gavvl for your Monroe County divorce case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Monroe County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start.

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 file for divorce in Monroe County, Ohio?

Confirm the plaintiff has been an Ohio resident for at least six months (R.C. 3105.03). File the Ohio Supreme Court Complaint — Form 6 without minor children or Form 7 with children — with Affidavit 1 (income), Affidavit 2 (property), and, with children, Affidavit 3 (UCCJEA), Affidavit 4 (health insurance), the child-support worksheet, and a parenting plan, at the Monroe County Clerk of Courts, Room 26, 101 North Main Street, Woodsfield, (740) 472-0761. Pay the $200 cost deposit (Local Rule XII; fee waiver available with a poverty affidavit). Sign in blue ink (Local Rule IV) and you may e-file through the Henschen portal.

Hire Gavvl Law for your Monroe County divorce

Monroe County has no separate Domestic Relations court, so your divorce is heard in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas under Hon. Julie R. Selmon and filed with Clerk Beth Ann Rose in Room 26 at 101 North Main Street, Woodsfield. Gavvl Law assembles the correct Ohio Supreme Court complaint — Form 6 without children or Form 7 with them — signs every original in blue ink, funds the $200 cost deposit, and charges one flat fee approved up front for a straightforward case or full representation when your spouse fights.

Blue-ink originals and the 7-day update duty, handled. Local Rule IV requires blue-ink signatures on 8½ × 11 paper, and Local Rule XIII stops the Court from proceeding if your updated information is not in within 7 days of the final hearing. We prepare filings the Woodsfield clerk accepts and calendar that pre-hearing deadline so nothing stalls your decree.
A missing spouse won't stop your case. When a spouse can't be located, Local Rule IX allows service by publication posted at the Beallsville and Sardis post offices and the courthouse after certified- and regular-mail attempts fail. We run that process correctly so an uncontested, default-style divorce moves forward instead of sitting in limbo.
Flat fee up front, financing when you need it. You get one flat fee quoted before we start, with payment plans and financing available, plus e-filing through the Henschen portal. For contested property, debt, or parenting-time disputes, the same team steps up to full representation without restarting your case.

Because divorce, custody, and support all run through Monroe County's single General Division rather than a stand-alone DR court, we keep every piece in one filing — the Form 6 or Form 7 complaint, the income and property affidavits, and, with children, the parenting session required by Local Rule XV — so the Woodsfield clerk's counter processes it the first time.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the correct complaint packet for your situation; you appear at any hearings yourself.

Complaint for Divorce: $1,250
With temporary orders: $1,750
With minor children: $1,750
With children + temporary orders: $2,000

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 divorce case or see payment plans & financing.

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: Court website

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)

Divorce is the right path if…

You want to end the marriage and the plaintiff meets Ohio's six-month residency.
You and your spouse don't have a complete written agreement (otherwise a dissolution may fit).
Your spouse can't be located or won't participate, so you need an uncontested (default-style) divorce.
You need the court to divide property and debt and set support and parenting orders.
You want the court's Standard Visitation Schedule to set parenting time if you have minor children.

If you and your spouse fully agree on everything and both will sign and appear, a dissolution is usually faster and cheaper. Compare dissolution.

Filing Fees

$200 cost deposit (with or without children) · $200 answer/counterclaim · $60 motions/contempt/temporary orders · $100 change of custody · $101 appeals · fee waiver (poverty affidavit) available · confirm current amounts and payment methods with the Clerk at (740) 472-0761

Forms & Filing Packets

Divorce with no minor children — $200 deposit

File the Form 6 complaint with Affidavit 1 (income & expenses) and Affidavit 2 (property & debt), plus a request for service. Pay the $200 deposit. Sign all originals in blue ink (Local Rule IV).

Complaint for Divorce Without Children (Ohio SC Form 6) — Opens your divorce case and tells the court what you're asking for. Use when you and your spouse have no minor children together.
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 Divorce Without Children (Ohio SC Form 14) — Proposed final order ending the marriage. Prepare in advance; the Judge signs it at the final hearing.

Divorce with minor children — $200 deposit

File the Form 7 complaint and add Affidavit 3 (parenting proceeding / UCCJEA), Affidavit 4 (health insurance), the child-support worksheet, and a parenting plan. Complete the parenting session (Local Rule XV). The county's Standard Visitation Schedule sets parenting time. Pay the $200 deposit.

Complaint for Divorce With Children (Ohio SC Form 7) — The divorce Complaint used when you and your spouse have minor children together. Pleads custody, parenting time, and child-support allegations.
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 Divorce With Children (Ohio SC Form 15) — Proposed final order for a divorce with minor children.

How to File Divorce in Monroe County

Confirm residency and pick the complaint. Make sure the plaintiff meets Ohio's six-month residency, then choose Form 6 (no children) or Form 7 (with children).
Complete the forms in blue ink. Fill in the complaint, Affidavit 1 (income), and Affidavit 2 (property); with children add Affidavit 3 (parenting proceeding), Affidavit 4 (health insurance), the support worksheet, and a parenting plan. Sign all originals in blue ink (Local Rule IV).
File with the deposit. File at the Monroe County Clerk of Courts, Room 26, 101 North Main Street, Woodsfield, with the $200 deposit (or file a poverty affidavit for a waiver). You may e-file through the Henschen portal.
Serve your spouse. Arrange certified-mail service through the Clerk; if your spouse can't be found, ask for service by publication (Civ.R. 4.4, Local Rule IX) — posted at the Beallsville and Sardis post offices and the courthouse after mail attempts fail — and the case proceeds as a default-style divorce.
Resolve and finalize. Use temporary orders if needed while the case is pending; update the Court within 7 days before the hearing (Local Rule XIII). The judge resolves contested issues by agreement or trial and signs the Decree of Divorce (Form 14 without children / Form 15 with children).

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).
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.
Monroe County uses statewide standardized forms. Monroe County publishes only a no-children dissolution packet and its Standard Visitation Schedule. Divorce, with-children dissolution, and custody filers use the Ohio Supreme Court uniform forms, and protection-order filers use the statewide Supreme Court protection-order forms. There is no with-children dissolution packet — the Court warns incorrect paperwork may be dismissed with loss of the deposit and recommends an attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the residency requirements to file for divorce in Monroe County?: For a divorce, the plaintiff must have been an Ohio resident for at least six months before filing (R.C. 3105.03) and meet Monroe County venue (Civ.R. 3). A dissolution requires the same six-month Ohio residency. For never-married custody in the Juvenile Division, Ohio must be the child's 'home state' under the UCCJEA (R.C. 3127) — generally the child has lived in Ohio for the last six consecutive months.
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.
What is the standard parenting-time schedule in Monroe County?: Monroe County's default parenting-time order is its Standard Visitation Schedule (Local Rule XXVIII). It becomes the order unless the parents agree to a different plan the Court approves, and it requires notifying the other parent and trying to renegotiate the schedule before a move. Read the schedule PDF for the specific times before you assume a particular weekend, holiday, or summer arrangement.
Can I file my Monroe County case online?: Yes. Monroe County accepts electronic filing through the Henschen eFile portal at https://efile.henschen.com/. Probate and Juvenile card payments run through Point & Pay. Confirm whether your filing type is eligible and accepted payment methods with the Clerk at (740) 472-0761 before filing; original signatures must still be in blue ink (Local Rule IV).

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 divorce case

Divorce & Dissolution — End your marriage through a contested divorce or an amicable dissolution.
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.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on divorce 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.
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.

Continue your Monroe County research

Ohio Divorce guide — Statewide overview of divorce in Ohio.
Akron family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Akron metro.
Monroe County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Monroe 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.

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.
Uncontested vs. Contested Divorce in Ohio — What each path means for your timeline and total cost.

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