Shared Parenting in Pike County

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

Pike County, Ohio · Waverly

Shared parenting names both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under a written plan. In Pike County, married parents request it inside a divorce or dissolution in the General Division, and never-married parents request it in the Juvenile Court. The court approves a plan only if it is in the children's best interest.

How do I get shared parenting in Pike 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 Pike County Court of Common Pleas, General Division; never-married parents file in the Pike County Juvenile Court (deposit $128). 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: Pike County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

100 East Second Street, Waverly, OH 45690
Phone: (740) 947-2212
Hours: Monday–Friday (call the Clerk of Courts at (740) 947-2212 to confirm current hours)
Website: commonpleascourt.pikecounty.oh.gov/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Pike County Juvenile Court (Common Pleas, Juvenile Division)
230 Waverly Plaza, Suite 600, Waverly, OH 45690
Phone: (740) 947-5914
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed 12:00–1:00 p.m. for lunch and on legal holidays)

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 (General Division deposit set by the Clerk) or a Juvenile Court case (deposit $128). Confirm current amounts with the General Division at (740) 947-2212 or the Juvenile Court at (740) 947-5914.

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting in a divorce or dissolution (married parents) — Part of the divorce/dissolution deposit — confirm with the Clerk at (740) 947-2212

File the proposed Shared Parenting Plan with your divorce or dissolution in the General Division, along with the UCCJEA affidavit 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.
Pike County Court of Common Pleas, General Division — The General Division (Hon. Rob Junk) hears all Pike County divorces, dissolutions, legal separations, annulments, and adult protection orders. Call the Clerk at (740) 947-2212 to confirm the current filing deposit, accepted payment methods, and number of copies before filing.

Shared parenting for never-married parents (Juvenile Court) — Juvenile complaint deposit $128 — confirm with the court at (740) 947-5914

File the parentage/custody complaint with a proposed Shared Parenting Plan and the UCCJEA affidavit in the Juvenile Court. Paternity must be established first.

Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights & Parenting Time — The Juvenile Court complaint that establishes parentage and asks the court to name a residential parent and legal custodian and set parenting time 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, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody.
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 Pike County

Pick the right court. Married or divorcing parents file in the General Division; never-married parents file in the Juvenile Court.
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 parentage complaint, along with the UCCJEA affidavit and a support worksheet.
Show it serves the children. Be ready to explain at the hearing how shared parenting meets the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors.

Pike 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 Juvenile Court. When parents were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided in the combined Pike County Juvenile & Probate Court (Hon. Paul Price), 230 Waverly Plaza, Suite 600, Waverly; (740) 947-5914. The Juvenile Court publishes its own forms at pikecountypjcourt.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does shared parenting work in Pike County?: Shared parenting names both parents as residential parents and legal custodians under a written plan. To ask for it, file a proposed Shared Parenting Plan that addresses physical living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making, transportation, school and medical decisions, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution (R.C. 3109.04(G)). The court approves the plan only if it is in the children's best interest. Married parents file in the General Division; never-married parents file in the Juvenile Court.
Which Pike 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 in the Pike County Court of Common Pleas, General Division (Hon. Rob Junk), 100 East Second Street, Waverly; (740) 947-2212. Pike County has no separate Domestic Relations Division. If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support are handled by the combined Pike County Juvenile & Probate Court (Hon. Paul Price), 230 Waverly Plaza, Suite 600; (740) 947-5914.
When does a Pike County court appoint a Guardian ad Litem?: In a contested custody case, the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) — a court-appointed attorney who investigates and files a written report recommending what is in the children's best interest. GAL fees in Pike County are set case-by-case and are typically allocated between the parents; confirm the current deposit with the General Division at (740) 947-2212 or the Juvenile Court at (740) 947-5914.
How much does it cost to file in the Pike County Juvenile Court?: The Pike County Juvenile Court charges a $128.00 deposit to file a custody/parentage complaint, a motion to reopen, or a child-support complaint. Confirm the current amount and payment methods with the Juvenile Court at (740) 947-5914; an indigency (fee-waiver) form is available if you cannot afford the deposit.

Free Local Resources in Pike County

Pike County Clerk of Courts (General Division / Domestic Relations). Pike County Courthouse, 100 East Second Street, Waverly, OH 45690; (740) 947-2212. Accepts all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and DV civil protection order filings — the General Division hears every domestic relations matter (there is no separate Domestic Relations court). The General Division's filing-fee deposits are not published online; call (740) 947-2212 to confirm the current deposit, accepted payment methods, and any local cover-sheet requirement before filing.
Pike County Juvenile & Probate Court. Pike County Government Center, 230 Waverly Plaza, Suite 600, Waverly, OH 45690. Juvenile (unmarried-parent custody, parentage, support, parenting time): (740) 947-5914, http://www.pikecountypjcourt.com/juvMain.php — the custody/support filing deposit is $128.00 (http://www.pikecountypjcourt.com/juvCosts.php). Probate (stepparent and kinship adoption): (740) 947-2560, http://www.pikecountypjcourt.com/prbMain.php. The Honorable Paul Price serves as Judge and Clerk of both divisions.
Parenting education (confirm before relying on it). Ohio law (R.C. 3109.053) lets the court order a parenting class when a case involves minor children. Pike County's program, provider, cost, and deadline are not published online — ask the General Division Clerk at (740) 947-2212 (divorce/dissolution) or Juvenile Court at (740) 947-5914 (unmarried parents) which provider is approved and the current cost before you register for any course.
Pike County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Pike County child-support services are administered through Pike County Job & Family Services. The Juvenile Court does not run child-support enforcement — confirm the current CSEA phone and address with the agency before relying on a number. File a IV-D Application when establishing or modifying support.
Child abuse / neglect reporting. Statewide hotline 1-855-O-H-CHILD (1-855-642-4453), which routes to the county Children Services agency. Confirm the direct Pike County Children Services intake line locally.

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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