Shared Parenting in Paulding County

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

Paulding County, Ohio · Paulding

Shared parenting lets both parents be designated residential parents and legal custodians under a written plan (R.C. 3109.04(G)). In Paulding County a shared parenting plan is filed inside a divorce or dissolution at the General Division for married parents, or in the Juvenile Court for never-married parents. The court approves the plan only if it serves the child's best interest, and parents of minor children complete the A-OK parenting class.

How do I file for shared parenting in Paulding County, Ohio?

Submit a written Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio Form 20) addressing every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor — living arrangements, holidays and vacations, child support, decision-making, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. Married parents file it inside the divorce or dissolution at the General Division; never-married parents file it with the parentage/custody case in the Paulding County Juvenile Court. The court approves the plan only if it is in the child's best interest (R.C. 3109.04(F)), and parents of minor children complete the A-OK parenting class within 75 days of filing.

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: Paulding County Court of Common Pleas - General Division (Domestic Relations)

115 N. Williams Street, Suite 201, Paulding, OH 45879
Phone: (419) 399-8220
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00–4:30 p.m.
Website: www.pauldingcommonpleas.com/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Paulding County Juvenile & Probate Court
115 N. Williams Street, Suite 202, Paulding, OH 45879
Phone: (419) 399-8255
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Both parents want to be named residential parents and legal custodians.
You can agree on a detailed plan for living arrangements, holidays, decisions, and transportation.
Shared parenting is realistic given the parents' communication and proximity.
You can complete the A-OK parenting class and submit a plan covering every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor.

Filing Fees

Part of the $400 DR deposit (married parents) · $100 + $25 + $13 to open a Juvenile case (never-married parents) · A-OK parenting class $30 · confirm current amounts with the Clerk (419) 399-8210 or Juvenile Court (419) 399-8255

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting inside a divorce or dissolution (married parents) — Part of the $400 DR deposit

File the Shared Parenting Plan with the divorce/dissolution at the General Division, along with the children's affidavits and a child-support worksheet.

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.
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.
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 Rules for Parenting Time — Schedule A (Paulding County) — Paulding County's default parenting-time schedule (Local Rule 19.02): alternate weekends Friday 5 p.m.–Sunday 5 p.m., a Wednesday 5–8 p.m. weeknight, a holiday rotation, and six weeks of summer parenting time. Schedule B applies once the parents live more than 150 miles apart.

Shared parenting for never-married parents (Juvenile Court) — $100 + $25 + $13 (new Juvenile case)

File the Shared Parenting Plan with the parentage/custody case in the Paulding County Juvenile Court, with the UCCJEA affidavit and the support worksheet.

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.
Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities (Ohio SC Form 23) — Asks the Juvenile Branch to name a residential parent and legal custodian and set a parenting-time schedule when the parents were never married.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA. Required in any case involving minor children.
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.

How to File Shared Parenting in Paulding County

Pick the right court. Married or divorcing parents file inside the divorce/dissolution at the General Division; never-married parents file in the Paulding County Juvenile Court.
Draft a complete plan. Prepare a Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) addressing every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor, with a child-support worksheet.
File the plan and affidavits. File the plan with the case packet and the UCCJEA affidavit; if the parents don't agree, the court's Schedule A parenting-time order is the fallback.
Complete the A-OK parenting class. Both parents finish the Assisting Our Kids program within 75 days of filing and file the certificate.
Attend the hearing. The court reviews the plan under the best-interest standard, may appoint a Guardian ad Litem in a contested case, and approves or modifies the plan.

Paulding County Practice Notes

The plan must address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor. A written Shared Parenting Plan must address physical living arrangements, the 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, and the court approves a plan only if it is in the child's best interest (R.C. 3109.04(F)).
Schedule A is the default parenting-time order. If the parents don't agree on a schedule, the court's Standard Rules for Parenting Time (Schedule A) apply: alternate weekends Friday 5 p.m.–Sunday 5 p.m., a Wednesday 5–8 p.m. weeknight, a holiday rotation, and six weeks of summer parenting time (with at least 30 days' written notice). A long-distance Schedule B applies once the parents live more than 150 miles apart, and neither parent may change the children's school district without agreement or a court order.
"A-OK" parenting class is required and can delay the final hearing. Under Local Rule 19.08, all parents of minor children in a divorce, dissolution, or any case allocating parental rights must complete the Assisting Our Kids (A-OK) program within 75 days of filing. Take it online at assistingourkids.com for $30 (or a live class), then deliver the certificate to the court or email it to the Court Administrator at lvance@pauldingcounty-oh.com. The certificate is good for three years, and the court can delay concluding the case or your parenting time until it is on file.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which court handles my family case in Paulding County?: Married parents — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and the custody, parenting time, and support decided inside those cases, plus civil protection orders — go to the Common Pleas Court, General Division (Domestic Relations docket), Judge Tiffany R. Beckman, 115 N. Williams St., Suite 201, Paulding, filed through the Clerk of Courts at (419) 399-8210. Unmarried parents (parentage, custody, parenting time, support), abuse/neglect/dependency, and delinquency go to the Paulding County Juvenile Court, and adoptions and name changes go to the Probate Court — Juvenile and Probate are a combined court under Judge Harvey D. Hyman in Suite 202 ((419) 399-8255 Juvenile / (419) 399-8256 Probate).
What is the standard parenting-time schedule in Paulding County?: If the parents don't agree, the court's Standard Rules for Parenting Time (Schedule A) apply: alternate weekends Friday 5 p.m.–Sunday 5 p.m., one weeknight (Wednesday by default) 5–8 p.m., a holiday rotation, and six weeks of summer parenting time (with at least 30 days' written notice). A long-distance Schedule B applies once the parents live more than 150 miles apart. Neither parent may remove the children from their school district without the other's written agreement or a court order.
Is a parenting class required in Paulding County, and when must it be done?: Yes. Under Local Rule 19.08, all parents of minor children in a divorce, dissolution, or any case allocating parental rights must complete the Assisting Our Kids (A-OK) parenting program within 75 days of filing. Take it online at assistingourkids.com for $30 (or a live class), then deliver the certificate to the Common Pleas Court or email it to the Court Administrator at lvance@pauldingcounty-oh.com. The certificate is good for three years, and the court may delay the final hearing or parenting time until the class is completed.
When does Paulding County appoint a Guardian ad Litem?: On a party's request or its own motion in a contested custody or parenting-time case, the court may appoint a Guardian ad Litem to investigate and recommend what serves the child's best interest; the appointment lasts until the final entry (Local Rule 19.10, adopting Sup.R. 48–48.07). The GAL files a written, confidential report at least seven days before the final hearing. There is no flat GAL deposit on the published schedule, so the fee is set in the appointment entry and allocated between the parties.

Free Local Resources in Paulding County

Paulding County Clerk of Courts. Clerk Sarah Jo Harpel files all divorce, dissolution, and Domestic Relations documents. 115 N. Williams St., Room 104, Paulding, OH 45879 · (419) 399-8210 · fax (419) 399-8248 · clerk@pauldingcountyoh.com. E-filing is by email and currently available to attorneys only (Local Rule 23); an original complaint or initial pleading may not be filed by fax or email. Confirm current deposits and packet requirements before filing.
Paulding County Common Pleas Court - General Division. Domestic Relations cases are heard by Judge Tiffany R. Beckman; contact Court Administrator Lynn Vance at (419) 399-8220 or lvance@pauldingcounty-oh.com. Local forms and Local Rules: http://www.pauldingcommonpleas.com/local-rules.html · eServices records search: http://www.pauldingcommonpleas.com/eservices/
Assisting Our Kids ("A-OK") Parenting Program. Local Rule 19.08 requires all parties in a divorce/dissolution with minor children — and any case allocating parental rights — to complete the A-OK parenting class within 75 days of filing. Take it online at https://www.assistingourkids.com/ for $30.00; the certificate is valid for three years. Print and deliver the certificate to the court or email it to lvance@pauldingcounty-oh.com.
Paulding County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Paulding County's IV-D agency opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders; child-support orders are forwarded by the Clerk to the CSEA (Local Rules 19.02, 19.09). Confirm the current direct line with the county. File a IV-D Application when establishing or modifying support.
Paulding County Juvenile & Probate Court. Judge Harvey D. Hyman hears never-married custody, paternity, and juvenile matters (Juvenile (419) 399-8255; Probate/adoption (419) 399-8256). 115 N. Williams St., Suite 202, Paulding, OH 45879 · https://www.pauldingjuvenilecourt.com/

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.

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Ohio Shared Parenting guide — Statewide overview of shared parenting in Ohio.
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