Shared Parenting in Pickaway County
Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026
Pickaway County, Ohio · Circleville
Shared parenting names both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under a written plan. In Pickaway County, married parents request it inside a divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General & Domestic Relations Division, and never-married parents request it in the Juvenile Division. The court approves a plan only if it serves the children's best interest.
How do I get shared parenting in Pickaway County, Ohio?
File a proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) with your case. The 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 (R.C. 3109.04(G)). Married parents file in the Pickaway County General & Domestic Relations Division; never-married parents file the Original Complaint for Custody, Paternity or Companionship in the Juvenile Division (deposit $135.00). The court reviews the plan against the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors and approves it only if it serves the children.
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 43113Phone: (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.
Shared Parenting is the right path if…
- Both parents want to be residential parents and legal custodians.
- You can cooperate enough to share major decisions for the children.
- You can submit a written plan addressing every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor.
- Shared parenting is realistically in the children's best interest.
Filing Fees
Shared parenting is decided inside a divorce/dissolution/legal separation ($250.00 deposit) or a Juvenile Division case ($135.00 deposit). Confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (740) 474-5231 or the Juvenile Division at (740) 474-3117.
Forms & Filing Packets
Shared parenting in a divorce, dissolution, or legal separation (married parents) — Part of the divorce/dissolution $250.00 deposit — confirm with the Clerk at (740) 474-5231
File the proposed Shared Parenting Plan with your divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General & Domestic Relations Division, along with the UCCJEA affidavit and an Ohio 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.
- 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.
Shared parenting for never-married parents (Juvenile Division) — Juvenile new-case deposit $135.00 — confirm with the court at (740) 474-3117
File the Original Complaint for Custody, Paternity or Companionship with a proposed Shared Parenting Plan and the UCCJEA affidavit in the Juvenile Division. Paternity must be established first.
- 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.
- 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 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 Pickaway County
- Pick the right court. Married or divorcing parents file in the General & Domestic Relations Division; never-married parents file in the Juvenile Division.
- Draft a complete plan. Address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor in the written Shared Parenting Plan so the court does not send it back.
- File with your case. Attach the plan to your divorce/dissolution or the Juvenile Division complaint, along with the UCCJEA affidavit and a support worksheet.
- Establish parentage first if unmarried. Never-married parents must establish paternity before a father's shared-parenting rights can be ordered.
- Attend the hearing. The court reviews the plan against the best-interest factors and, if it serves the children, approves it as the parenting order.
Pickaway County Practice Notes
- The plan must address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor. A written Shared Parenting Plan must cover 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.
- Best-interest standard governs. R.C. 3109.04(F)(1) lists 10+ factors: each parent's wishes, the child's wishes (when of sufficient age), the child's interaction with parents/siblings, adjustment to home/school/community, mental and physical health of all involved, the parent more likely to facilitate court-approved parenting time, child support compliance, criminal history, residence outside Ohio, and any history of abuse.
- 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
- How does shared parenting work in Pickaway County?
- Shared parenting names both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under a written plan the court approves only if it serves the children (R.C. 3109.04). Married or divorcing parents request it inside a divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General & Domestic Relations Division using the Ohio Supreme Court Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20); never-married parents request it in the Juvenile Division as part of a custody/paternity case. Ohio does not use the terms "primary" or "joint" custody.
- How does a Pickaway County court decide custody?
- Ohio allocates parental rights one of two ways: sole custody (one residential parent and legal custodian, with parenting time to the other parent) or shared parenting (both parents are legal custodian and residential parent under an approved plan). The court decides based on the child's best interest under the R.C. 3109.04(F) factors. Married parents resolve custody in the General & Domestic Relations Division; never-married parents in the Juvenile Division.
- Does it matter whether the parents were married in Pickaway County?
- Yes — it decides which court hears your case. Married or divorcing parents resolve custody, parenting time, and child support inside their divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General & Domestic Relations Division. Never-married parents resolve parentage, custody, parenting time, and support in the Probate & Juvenile Court. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are filed in the Juvenile Division.
- When does a Pickaway County court appoint a Guardian ad Litem?
- The Court may appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) and must appoint one on the written motion of either party (Local Rule 15.14). From the Local Rules appendix (Form D), the GAL rate is $100.00/hour with a $1,500.00 deposit unless the appointment entry orders otherwise, and the Court can split the fees between the parents. The GAL files a written report and makes it available at least 7 days before the final hearing. Confirm current figures with the Court.
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.
Other Family-Law Topics in Pickaway County
- Statewide Custody Overview — How Ohio custody and parenting time work at a high level.
- Ohio Child Support Calculator — Run the 2024 Income Shares worksheet yourself.
- Talk to a Family Law Attorney — Connect with a Pickaway County family law attorney for help with your case.
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.
Keep exploring
- Ohio Shared Parenting guide — Statewide overview of shared parenting in Ohio.
- Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
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