Civil Protection Orders in Morgan County

Where to File: Morgan County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Morgan County Court of Common Pleas — Juvenile Division
19 East Main Street, 2nd Floor (Favreau Room), McConnelsville, OH 43756
Phone: (740) 962-2861
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed legal holidays)

Civil Protection Orders is the right path if…

• You've been harmed or threatened by a family or household member, or a dating partner.
• You need immediate, court-ordered protection (no contact, stay-away, or exclusive home use).
• You may need temporary custody, parenting time, or support included in the order.
• You understand a protection order is separate from any divorce or custody case.

Filing Fees

No filing fee for the petitioner (R.C. 3113.31) · statewide Supreme Court protection-order forms · filed with the Court of Common Pleas in McConnelsville · in an emergency call 911 · confirm whether intake is the Domestic Relations or General Division window at 740-962-3371

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Civil Protection Orders in Morgan County

1. Get the statewide forms. Use the Ohio Supreme Court protection-order forms (petition, ex parte order, full order) that the Morgan County court links to; there is no county-local CPO packet.
2. File the petition (no fee). File the petition with the Court of Common Pleas at 19 East Main Street, McConnelsville; there is no filing fee for the petitioner. In an emergency, call 911.
3. Ask for an ex parte order. If you're in immediate danger, ask the judge for a same-day ex parte order; the court can grant short-term protection at once.
4. Attend the full hearing. After the respondent is served, attend the full hearing (generally within about 7–10 days) where both sides present evidence; the court may issue a final CPO for up to five years.

Morgan County Practice Notes

• Same-day ex parte order, then a full hearing. The judge can issue a temporary ex parte order the same day the petition is filed if it shows an immediate danger. The respondent is then served and a full hearing is held — generally within about 7–10 days — where both sides present evidence; the court may issue a final CPO for up to five years. Violating a CPO is a crime.
• Mediation is never a substitute for a protection order. Morgan County does not post local CPO forms; it directs petitioners to the statewide Supreme Court protection-order forms. A mediation referral in any related case is never a substitute for a protection order — Probate Loc.R. 16.1 says so explicitly, and the principle applies court-wide. Confirm whether DV CPO petitions are intaked through the Domestic Relations or General Division window.
• Morgan County uses statewide standardized forms. Morgan County does not publish its own divorce, dissolution, or custody packet. Domestic Relations and Juvenile filers use the Ohio Supreme Court uniform forms, and protection-order filers use the statewide Supreme Court protection-order forms. The only county-local documents are the Standard Local Visitation Guidelines, the Long-Distance Visitation Guidelines, and the Phase-In Parenting Schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it cost anything to get a protection order in Morgan County?

No. There is no filing fee for the petitioner of a domestic-violence or dating-violence Civil Protection Order under R.C. 3113.31. In an emergency, call 911.

How fast can I get a protection order in Morgan County?

A judge can issue a same-day ex parte order if the petition shows an immediate danger. A full hearing is generally held within about 7–10 days, where both sides present evidence, and the court may issue a final CPO for up to five years. CPO petitions are filed with the Court of Common Pleas at the courthouse; confirm whether intake is through the Domestic Relations or General Division window.

What forms do I need in Morgan County, and where do I get them?

Morgan County uses the Ohio Supreme Court statewide standardized forms for Domestic Relations and Juvenile matters — the court does not publish its own packet. Get them from the Supreme Court of Ohio. Protection-order filers use the statewide protection-order forms. The county's only local family-law documents are its three parenting-time guideline PDFs (Standard Local, Long-Distance, and Phase-In).

Free Local Resources in Morgan County

• Morgan County Clerk of Courts (Domestic Relations). Current filing fees, deposit amounts, and filing instructions for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment. Call (740) 962-3371 or visit https://www.morgancocourtsoh.gov/Domestic-Relations/ before filing; the county uses the Ohio Supreme Court standardized forms.
• Morgan County Juvenile Division. Handles never-married-parent custody, parentage, parenting time, and child support, plus non-parent custody. Filing line (740) 962-2861; proceedings are held in the Favreau Room, 2nd floor of the courthouse.
• Morgan County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA / DJFS). Housed in the Morgan County Department of Job and Family Services (Director Heidi Burns), 155 E. Main St., Rm. 009, McConnelsville. Opens IV-D cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. Phone (740) 962-4616, fax (740) 962-5344.
• 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.

Other Family-Law Topics in Morgan County

• Statewide Custody Overview — How Ohio custody and parenting time work at a high level.
• Talk to a Family Law Attorney — Connect with a Morgan County family-law attorney for help with your case.

Related to your protection orders case

• Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
• Divorce & Dissolution — End your marriage through a contested divorce or an amicable dissolution.
• Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.

Related guides

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

• Civil Protection Orders in Ohio: How to Get a CPO — An Ohio civil protection order can provide fast, court-ordered protection from domestic violence — including no-contact terms, exclusive home use, and temporary custody. Here's how to get one.
• Emergency Custody in Ohio: When and How to Get an Ex Parte Order — When a child faces immediate danger, Ohio courts can grant emergency custody on short notice through an ex parte order. Here's what qualifies and what happens next.

Keep exploring

• Ohio Civil Protection Orders guide — Statewide overview of civil protection orders in Ohio.
• Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus 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.