Emergency & Temporary Orders in Pickaway County

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

Pickaway County, Ohio · Circleville

While a divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment is pending, the Pickaway County General & Domestic Relations Division can issue temporary (pendente lite) orders on custody, parenting time, support, and possession of the home. These are short-term orders that last until the final decree — and genuine, same-day emergencies follow a different, protection-order track.

How do I get an emergency or temporary custody order in Pickaway County, Ohio?

In a pending divorce, request temporary (pendente lite) orders under Local Rule 15.04 in your complaint, answer, or by motion, supported by financial affidavits (and a child-support worksheet for support). Get a non-oral hearing date from the Assignment Commissioner, Deanna Reeser, (740) 474-6027, before serving the other side; the court generally decides on the affidavits without an oral hearing. A motion for exclusive use of the home (Local Rule 15.05) is set for an oral hearing and is not granted ex parte. Same-day removal of an abuser requires a domestic-violence civil protection order under R.C. 3113.31. For never-married parents, temporary custody is sought in the Juvenile Division.

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: Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division

207 South Court Street, Circleville, OH 43113
Phone: (740) 474-6026
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: pickawaycountyohio.gov/offices/common-pleas/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Pickaway County Probate & Juvenile Court
207 South Court Street, Circleville, OH 43113
Phone: (740) 474-3117
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Emergency & Temporary Orders is the right path if…

You have a pending divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment.
You need interim custody, parenting time, or support before the case ends.
You need temporary possession or exclusive use of the marital home.
There is a safety emergency requiring immediate, same-day protection.

Filing Fees

Temporary orders are requested inside your pending case (covered by the case deposit). A protection order has no filing fee for the petitioner (R.C. 3113.31). Never-married parents seek temporary custody in the Juvenile Division ($135.00). Confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (740) 474-5231 or the Juvenile Division at (740) 474-3117.

Forms & Filing Packets

Temporary orders in a pending divorce (pendente lite) — Part of the case deposit — confirm with the Clerk at (740) 474-5231

File a Motion for Temporary Orders with current financial affidavits in your pending DR case. Get the non-oral hearing date from the Assignment Commissioner before serving the other party. The court usually decides on the affidavits.

Motion for Temporary Orders (Civ. R. 75(N)) — Asks the court for temporary custody, parenting time, child support, spousal support, or exclusive use of the home while the case is pending. Tip: Attach a current Financial Affidavit (Affidavit 1) and Affidavit 2 (Property).
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.
Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas, General & Domestic Relations Division — The General & Domestic Relations Division (Hon. P. Randall Knece; DR Magistrate Rick Noble, (740) 477-3840) hears all Pickaway County divorces, dissolutions, legal separations, annulments, and adult civil protection orders. Confirm the current local rules and procedures here.

Immediate safety — protection order (R.C. 3113.31) — No filing fee for the petitioner (R.C. 3113.31)

A spouse can only be ordered out of the home on a same-day, ex parte basis through a domestic-violence civil protection order. File the Ohio protection-order petition with the Clerk for the General & Domestic Relations Division — no filing fee. A DVCPO can include temporary custody.

Ohio Supreme Court Protection-Order Forms (DVCPO / civil stalking) — The standardized petition, ex parte order, and full-hearing order used for a domestic-violence civil protection order (R.C. 3113.31) or civil stalking / sexually-oriented-offense protection order (R.C. 2903.214). There is no filing fee for the petitioner.
Original Complaint for Custody, Paternity or Companionship — The Juvenile Division complaint that establishes parentage and asks the court to name a residential parent and legal custodian, set parenting time, and order support when the parents were never married.
Pickaway County Clerk of Courts — Clerk Grant L. Davis files all Common Pleas domestic-relations cases at 207 South Court Street, 2nd Floor, P.O. Box 280, Circleville, OH 43113; (740) 474-5231. Confirm the current filing deposit, accepted payment methods, and number of copies before filing.

How to File Emergency & Temporary Orders in Pickaway County

Decide the track. A pending-divorce need uses pendente lite orders (Local Rule 15.04); a genuine safety emergency uses a protection order (R.C. 3113.31).
Prepare financial affidavits. Temporary orders are supported by accurate financial affidavits, and a child-support worksheet when support is requested.
Get the non-oral hearing date. Secure the non-oral hearing date from the Assignment Commissioner, Deanna Reeser, (740) 474-6027, before serving the other side (Local Rule 15.04).
Serve and file. Serve the motion and affidavit under the Civil Rules; the court generally decides temporary orders on the affidavits without an oral hearing.
Use the protection track for safety. If someone is in danger, file a domestic-violence civil protection order for an ex parte (same-day) order that can include removal and temporary custody.

Pickaway County Practice Notes

A spouse is not removed from the home ex parte in a divorce. Pendente lite relief in a Pickaway divorce is generally decided on affidavits without an oral hearing (Local Rule 15.04), and a motion for exclusive use of the home (Local Rule 15.05) is set for an oral hearing — it is not granted ex parte. Immediate, same-day removal of a spouse requires a domestic-violence civil protection order under R.C. 3113.31. Secure the non-oral hearing date from the Assignment Commissioner, Deanna Reeser, (740) 474-6027, before serving the other side.
Exclusive use of the home requires an oral hearing. A motion for exclusive use of the marital residence or to vacate (Local Rule 15.05) must state specific facts with an affidavit and is set for an oral hearing. The court grants it only on a showing such as actual or threatened violence, child abuse, conduct causing severe emotional stress, or the other spouse's voluntary absence of 30+ days.
Never-married parents file in the Probate & Juvenile Court. When parents were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided in the combined Pickaway County Probate & Juvenile Court (Judge Shelly R. Harsha; Magistrate Carrie L. Charles), 207 South Court Street, Circleville; Juvenile Division (740) 474-3117. The court publishes its own forms at pickawaypjcourt.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get temporary orders while my Pickaway County divorce is pending?: Yes. Request temporary (pendente lite) orders under Local Rule 15.04 in your complaint, answer, or by motion, supported by financial affidavits and (for support) a child-support worksheet. Get a non-oral hearing date from the Assignment Commissioner, Deanna Reeser, (740) 474-6027, before serving the other side. The court generally decides temporary custody, parenting time, support, and possession of the home on the affidavits, without an oral hearing.
How do I get a domestic-violence protection order in Pickaway County?: File a petition for a domestic-violence civil protection order (DVCPO, R.C. 3113.31) with the Clerk for the General & Domestic Relations Division using the Ohio Supreme Court protection-order forms. There is no filing or service fee for the person seeking protection. If the petition shows immediate danger, the court can issue an ex parte (same-day) order, then hold a full hearing generally within about 7–10 court days; a final order can last up to five years. If the abuser is a minor, the petition is a Juvenile Division matter.
Can a Pickaway County protection order give me temporary custody?: Yes. A domestic-violence civil protection order in Pickaway County can include temporary custody of the children and possession of the home as part of its safety terms, along with no-contact, stay-away, and firearms terms. That custody order lasts while the protection order is in effect; longer-term custody is decided in a divorce, dissolution, or Juvenile Division parentage case.
Which Pickaway County court handles my family-law case?: If you are or were married to the other parent, file your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, or protection order with the Clerk of Courts for the Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas, General & Domestic Relations Division (Hon. P. Randall Knece), 207 South Court Street, 2nd Floor, Circleville; (740) 474-5231. If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support are handled by the combined Pickaway County Probate & Juvenile Court (Judge Shelly R. Harsha), 207 South Court Street; Juvenile Division (740) 474-3117.

Free Local Resources in Pickaway County

Pickaway County Clerk of Courts (General & Domestic Relations Division). Clerk Grant L. Davis, 207 South Court Street, 2nd Floor, P.O. Box 280, Circleville, OH 43113; (740) 474-5231. Files all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and adult protection-order cases. Confirm current filing deposits and procedures at https://www.pickawaycountyclerk.com/Filing-Fee-Costs.html. The original complaint that starts a case cannot be filed by e-mail (Local Rule 4.02(B)(4)); in-person or mailed filing is strongly preferred.
Pickaway County Probate & Juvenile Court. Judge Shelly R. Harsha; Magistrate Carrie L. Charles. 207 South Court Street, Circleville, OH 43113; Juvenile Division (740) 474-3117 (https://www.pickawaypjcourt.com/). Hears never-married parentage, custody, parenting time, and support, and publishes its own juvenile forms at https://www.pickawaypjcourt.com/formsJU.php. The filing/reactivation fee is $135.
Pickaway County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Pickaway County Job & Family Services, Child Support Division, 110 Island Road, P.O. Box 610, Circleville, OH 43113. Opens IV-D cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. Confirm the current direct phone with the office before filing.
Ohio Legal Help. https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/ — free, plain-English explanations and statewide court forms for divorce, custody, child support, and protection orders.

Related to your emergency orders case

Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
Grandparents' Rights — Seek visitation or custody when it serves the child's best interest.
Post-Decree Modification — Update custody, support, or parenting orders after your case ends.

Related guides

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

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.
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.
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.

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Ohio Emergency Custody guide — Statewide overview of emergency custody in Ohio.
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