Shared Parenting in Preble County

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

Preble County, Ohio · Eaton

Shared parenting (R.C. 3109.04) makes both parents the residential parent and legal custodian under a written Shared Parenting Plan the court approves as in the child's best interest. It is not automatically equal time — the plan sets each parent's schedule, decision-making, and support. Married/divorcing parents file the plan in their Common Pleas case; never-married parents file in the Juvenile Court.

How does shared parenting work in Preble County, Ohio?

One or both parents propose a written Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio uniform Form 20) covering residential schedule, holidays, decision-making, and support. The court approves it only if it is in the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F). Married/divorcing parents file the plan inside their Common Pleas case ((937) 456-8160); never-married parents file in the Preble County Juvenile Court ((937) 456-8136). Where the plan does not specify time, the county's Model Parenting Time Schedule (effective Nov. 1, 2019) guides companionship time. In contested cases the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem (a $500 deposit applies under Local Rule DR 9 in Common Pleas).

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: Preble County Court of Common Pleas — General Division (Domestic Relations)

101 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Eaton, OH 45320
Phone: (937) 456-8160
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: preblecountyohio.net
e-Filing: https://pa.preblecountyohio.net/eservices/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Preble County Juvenile & Probate Court
101 East Main Street, 2nd Floor, Eaton, OH 45320
Phone: (937) 456-8136
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed national holidays)

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Both parents want to be designated residential parent and legal custodian.
You can cooperate enough to follow a written plan and make joint decisions.
You want a plan tailored to your child rather than the default schedule.
You're a married/divorcing parent filing inside a Common Pleas case, or a never-married parent filing in the Juvenile Court.
You want the plan reviewed against the child's best interest (R.C. 3109.04).

Filing Fees

Married/divorcing: filed inside the Common Pleas case ($400/$500 DR deposit) · never-married: confirm the Juvenile Court deposit at (937) 456-8136 · GAL deposit $500 in Common Pleas (Local Rule DR 9) in contested cases · the Model Parenting Time Schedule guides time where the plan is silent

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting inside a Common Pleas case — Set inside the divorce/dissolution case ($400/$500 DR deposit)

File the Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) with the parenting affidavit, health-insurance affidavit, and support worksheet inside your divorce, dissolution, or legal-separation case.

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.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.
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.
Preble County Model Parenting Time Schedule (effective Nov. 1, 2019) — The Domestic Relations Court's detailed, age-banded guideline parenting-time schedule. Posted under download forms at preblecountyohio.net; it guides companionship time when parents do not file their own agreed plan.

Shared parenting for never-married parents (Juvenile Court) — Confirm the Juvenile Court deposit at (937) 456-8136

Establish parentage if needed, then file the parentage/custody complaint with a proposed Shared Parenting Plan in the Juvenile Court. Confirm the deposit at (937) 456-8136.

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.
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.
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.
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.

How to File Shared Parenting in Preble County

Draft a Shared Parenting Plan. Complete Form 20 covering the residential schedule, holidays, decision-making, transportation, and how support is calculated.
Pick the right court. Married/divorcing parents file the plan inside their Common Pleas case; never-married parents file in the Juvenile Court after parentage is established.
File the plan and supporting forms. File the plan with the parenting affidavit, health-insurance affidavit, and the Ohio child-support worksheet.
Show it serves the child's best interest. At the hearing the court applies the R.C. 3109.04(F) factors and may appoint a Guardian ad Litem before approving the plan.

Preble County Practice Notes

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.
Guardian ad Litem in contested cases. In a contested custody case, the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem — a court-appointed attorney — to investigate and recommend a parenting plan in the child's best interest. The GAL does not represent the child's wishes; the GAL represents what is best for the child. GAL fees are typically allocated between the parents.
Two separate courts: Common Pleas (Domestic Relations) and Juvenile. Preble County runs two separate family-law courts in the Preble County Courthouse, 101 East Main Street, Eaton. The Court of Common Pleas, General Division (Domestic Relations) on the 3rd floor (Hon. Stephen R. Bruns, Magistrate Erica J. Gordon, Clerk of Courts Shonda Haynes, (937) 456-8160) handles divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment — plus the custody, parenting time, and support that travel with them for married or divorcing parents. The separate Juvenile & Probate Court on the 2nd floor (Hon. Jenifer K. Overmyer, Magistrate K. Brent Copeland, Juvenile (937) 456-8136) handles paternity, custody, parenting time, and support for never-married parents, and non-parent custody.
Juvenile Court filings use the Juvenile Court's own fees. Custody, parenting time, parentage, and child support for never-married parents are filed in the separate Juvenile & Probate Court (Hon. Jenifer K. Overmyer; Magistrate K. Brent Copeland), not the Domestic Relations deposit schedule above. Confirm the current parentage/custody/support deposit, any genetic-testing cost, and any GAL deposit with the Juvenile Court at (937) 456-8136.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is shared parenting in Preble County?: Shared parenting (R.C. 3109.04) designates both parents as residential parent and legal custodian under a written Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio uniform Form 20) the court approves as in the child's best interest. It is not automatically 50/50 time; the plan sets each parent's time, decision-making, and support. Married/divorcing parents file the plan in their Common Pleas case ((937) 456-8160); never-married parents file in the Juvenile Court ((937) 456-8136). The county's Model Parenting Time Schedule guides time where the plan does not specify it.
What is the standard parenting-time schedule in Preble County?: The Domestic Relations Court encourages parents to agree on their own plan. If they don't, the court's age-banded Model Parenting Time Schedule (effective November 1, 2019) guides companionship time, and the court enters its Standard Parenting Time Order. Both are posted at preblecountyohio.net under download forms. The court sets or modifies a schedule on the child's best interest (R.C. 3109.04).
When does Preble County appoint a Guardian ad Litem?: In a contested custody or parenting-time matter the court may appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) to represent the child's best interest (Sup.R. 48). Under Local Rule DR 9, a party who moves for a GAL must deposit $500.00 in the movant's counsel's trust account as security for the GAL's fees and notify the Court; only the Judge may grant relief from this deposit. GAL reports are filed with the Assignment Commissioner and provided to counsel (not handed to the litigants themselves) under DR 32, and GAL fee statements use the court's form (DR 32A).
Do I file in Common Pleas or the Juvenile Court in Preble County?: If you are married to (or were married to) the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the Court of Common Pleas, General Division ((937) 456-8160). If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are handled by the separate Preble County Juvenile & Probate Court (Hon. Jenifer K. Overmyer; Magistrate K. Brent Copeland), (937) 456-8136. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are filed in the Juvenile Court.
How is child support calculated in Preble County?: Preble County uses Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares Model — there is no county formula. Run the official worksheet at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov with both parents' gross incomes, parenting-time, health-insurance, and child-care figures, then file the signed worksheet with your support pleadings. The Preble County CSEA ((937) 456-1499) collects and enforces the order through wage withholding once it is journalized.

Free Local Resources in Preble County

Preble County Court of Common Pleas (Domestic Relations). Local forms, the Model Parenting Time Schedule, the Standard Parenting Time Order, and filing information for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, custody, support, and protection orders at https://preblecountyohio.net. E-filing is required (pro se filers may file on paper); the Clerk of Courts (Shonda Haynes, (937) 456-8160) handles intake at 101 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Eaton. Court staff cannot give legal advice or complete forms.
Preble County Juvenile & Probate Court. Handles never-married-parent parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support, plus non-parent custody, at 101 East Main Street, 2nd Floor, Eaton (Hon. Jenifer K. Overmyer; Magistrate K. Brent Copeland). Juvenile Court (937) 456-8136; Probate Court (937) 456-8137. Website https://prebleohiojuvenileprobate.org. Confirm current deposits and genetic-testing costs with the court.
Preble County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Opens IV-D cases, establishes paternity administratively, runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, collects support by wage withholding, and enforces orders. Located at 1500 Park Avenue, Eaton, OH 45320; phone (937) 456-1499. Support payments run through the Ohio Child Support Payment Central.
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.
Child abuse / neglect hotline. Report suspected child abuse or neglect to Preble County Job & Family Services — Children Services at 1500 Park Avenue, Eaton: 24-hour hotline (937) 456-1135, Option 1. Statewide hotline 1-855-642-4453 (1-855-O-H-CHILD), 24/7. In an emergency, call 911.

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.
Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
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