Stark County Divorce Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 5, 2026

Stark County, Ohio · Canton

Divorces in Stark County are handled by the combined Family Court — the Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas — at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 670, in Canton, with Judge Michelle L. Cordova presiding over domestic relations. The court distributes its own assembled filing packets, and cases are filed with the Clerk of Courts' Domestic Relations Division.

Hire Gavvl for your Stark County divorce case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Stark County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start.

Start with a $25 consultation and talk through your options with an Ohio family-law attorney before you commit to anything. Get started online or see payment plans & financing.

How do I file for divorce in Stark County, Ohio?

Use the Stark County Family Court's assembled Divorce packet (with or without children) and file it with the Clerk of Courts' Domestic Relations Division at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 690, Canton, OH 44702. The deposit is $391. You must include signed, sworn, current financial statements, and — if you have minor children — a Uniform Child Custody (UCCJEA) Affidavit and a Child Support Worksheet (Rule 12.02). You or your spouse must have been an Ohio resident for 6+ months and a Stark County resident for 90+ days. Any case with minor children requires a court-approved parent-education program (Rule 12.04). When the complaint is filed, the Clerk issues a mutual restraining order (Rule 12.07).

Hire Gavvl Law for your Stark County divorce

Stark County runs a combined Family Court at 110 Central Plaza South in Canton, where Judge Michelle L. Cordova's Domestic Relations Division takes divorces on the court's own assembled Divorce with/without Children packet and a $391 Clerk deposit. Under Rule 12.02 the Clerk will not even accept the filing without signed, sworn, current financial statements, and the moment the complaint lands a mutual restraining order issues under Rule 12.07. Gavvl Law assembles the packet the Suite 690 counter will take, and offers one flat fee approved up front, payment plans, and full representation if your case turns contested.

The Rule 12.02 financial statements done right. Stark rejects a divorce filing that arrives without signed, sworn, current financial statements, and with minor children you also need the UCCJEA affidavit and the Ohio child-support worksheet. We build the assembled packet completely so your case number issues the day you file instead of bouncing back from the counter.
Ready for the mutual restraining order and temp-orders window. The Clerk issues Stark's standard mutual restraining order at filing (Rule 12.07), and a temporary-orders hearing can be set within 1 to 21 days under Rule 13. We prepare your support, home, and parenting-time requests so you are ready the moment Judge Cordova's division calendars the hearing.
A flat fee that fits the $391 deposit math. Stark's divorce deposit is $391, with $50 added for every five defendants beyond the first four, and total costs climb once service or contested motions start. We quote one flat fee approved up front, offer payment plans and financing, and step into full representation the moment the other side fights.

Everything files with the Clerk of Courts' Domestic Relations Division at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 690 in Canton, and any case with minor children requires the court-approved parent-education program under Rule 12.04. We keep your filing on that combined Family Court's track and book the parent-education class early so it never holds up the final entry.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the correct complaint packet for your situation; you appear at any hearings yourself.

Complaint for Divorce: $1,250
With temporary orders: $1,750
With minor children: $1,750
With children + temporary orders: $2,000

Prefer full representation? An Ohio attorney can carry the entire case on a $3,500 retainer.

Split any flat fee with Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan at 19% APR, $500 minimum — on a 60%-down schedule of 18 weekly, 8 bi-weekly, or 4 monthly payments, or full financing where work begins once 60% is paid. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay.

Start your divorce case or see payment plans & financing.

Ohio Divorce by the Numbers

6 months Ohio residency required before you can file Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.03
90 days Residency in the county of filing (venue) Source: Ohio Civ. R. 3
30–90 days Typical time to finalize an uncontested dissolution Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.64
1 year Living separate and apart that qualifies as no-fault grounds Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.01

Compare Your Options for Ending a Marriage in Ohio

Path	Ends the marriage?	Agreement required?	Best when
Dissolution	Yes	Yes — on every term before filing	Both spouses agree on everything and want the fastest, lowest-cost path
Divorce (contested)	Yes	No	Spouses disagree on property, support, or parenting and need a judge to decide
Divorce (uncontested / default)	Yes	No	One spouse will not respond or cannot be located
Legal separation	No — you stay married	Optional	You need court orders but must stay married (religion, insurance, or benefits)
Annulment	Treated as never valid	No	The marriage was never legally valid (fraud, bigamy, underage, or incapacity)

Where to File: Stark County Family Court (Domestic Relations & Juvenile Divisions)

110 Central Plaza South, Suite 670, Canton, OH 44702
Phone: (330) 451-7415
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Website: Court website

Divorce is the right path if…

You and your spouse don't agree on everything (custody, money, property, debt, or support).
Your spouse won't sign paperwork, won't communicate, or you can't safely reach an agreement.
You need temporary orders now (support, exclusive use of the home, parenting time).
You or your spouse have been an Ohio resident for 6+ months and a Stark County resident for 90+ days.

If you and your spouse already agree on every term in writing, a dissolution is usually faster and cheaper than a divorce. See Stark dissolution options.

Filing Fees

$391 deposit (add $50 per 5 defendants beyond the first 4) · No deposit for a DVCPO · Pay the Stark County Clerk of Courts

Forms & Filing Packets

Core divorce filing packet (no children) — $391 deposit

Divorce without Children (Stark assembled packet) — Stark County Family Court's assembled divorce packet for cases with no minor children, incorporating the Ohio uniform domestic-relations pleadings and the required financial statements.

Core divorce filing packet (with minor children) — $391 deposit

Divorce with Children (Stark assembled packet) — Stark County's assembled divorce packet for cases with minor children, which incorporates the parenting and support pleadings; the UCCJEA affidavit and child-support worksheet are required.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom. Confirms Ohio's jurisdiction over custody.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.
Child Support Worksheet (Ohio statutory worksheet) — The Ohio statutory child-support worksheet, county-hosted by Stark, required with any divorce involving minor children (Rule 12.02).

Temporary orders while the case is pending

File these when you need support or parenting time while the divorce is pending. A temporary-orders hearing can be set within 1-21 days (Rule 13).

Child Support Worksheet (Ohio statutory worksheet) — A temporary child-support request must be supported by a completed worksheet at the hearing (Rule 15.03).
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.

How to File Divorce in Stark County

Confirm Ohio residency and Stark County venue. Ohio 6+ months and Stark County 90+ days before filing for divorce.
Complete the assembled divorce packet. Use the Stark Divorce with/without Children packet and the required sworn financial statements (and UCCJEA affidavit + worksheet with children).
File with the Clerk's DR Division and pay the deposit. File at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 690, Canton. The deposit is $391.
Complete the parent-education program with children. Any case with minor children requires the court-approved parent-education program before the final entry.

Stark County Practice Notes

Parent-education program is required with children. Under Rule 12.04, parents filing a divorce involving minor children must complete a court-approved parent-education program. Noncompliance won't delay the final entry but can bring contempt, suspension of parenting time, dismissal, jail, fines, or costs.
Mutual restraining order issues at filing. Under Rule 12.07, the Clerk issues the court's standard mutual restraining order when a divorce or legal-separation complaint, counterclaim, or answer is filed — restraining asset dissipation, debt creation, insurance changes, and moving the children's residence without consent.
Financial statements are mandatory at filing. Under Rule 12.02, the Clerk will not accept a divorce filing without signed, sworn, current financial statements. With unemancipated children, a signed UCCJEA form and IV-D application are also required, and you must update the statements before hearings if information changes (Rule 12.03).

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the residency requirements to file in Stark County?: For divorce, legal separation, or annulment, you or your spouse must have been an Ohio resident for at least 6 months before filing and a Stark County resident for at least 90 days. For dissolution, only the 6-month Ohio residency applies. For Juvenile Division cases (paternity, never-married custody, child support), UCCJEA compliance is mandatory — Ohio must be the children's home state, generally meaning they've lived here for the last 6 months (Family Court Rule 16.01). The Stark County Family Court is at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 670, Canton.
How much does it cost to file in Stark County?: Stark County Family Court deposits (effective March 17, 2025): Complaint for Divorce or Annulment $391 (add $50 for every 5 defendants beyond the first 4); Dissolution $371; Legal Separation $359; a counterclaim or cross-claim $251; reopening a closed case $273; a Custody Register Petition $313; a garnishment $50; and a new Juvenile complaint $307. A Domestic Violence Civil Protection Order takes no deposit. These are minimum deposits — total case costs vary. Pay the Stark County Clerk of Courts (checks payable to 'Stark County Clerk of Courts'); for a total-cost quote call (330) 451-7801.
How long does a Stark County case usually take?: Dissolution: the hearing is set about 6 weeks after filing and must occur 30-90 days after filing (Rule 13.02). Uncontested (default) divorce: if no answer, motion, or leave to plead is filed within 28 days after service, the case is uncontested, but no divorce, annulment, or legal separation is heard until 42 days after service (Rule 13.01). Contested divorce: trial roughly 4-12 months without children or 4-18 months with children. A temporary-orders hearing can be set within 1-21 days.
How and where do I file my case in Stark County?: Family Court cases are filed with and maintained by the Stark County Clerk of Courts. The Clerk's Domestic Relations Division — which files divorces, dissolutions, legal separations, annulments, and civil protection orders — is in the Stark County Office Building at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 690 (6th floor), Canton, (330) 451-7792. The main Clerk's office is at 115 Central Plaza North, Suite 101, (330) 451-7801. Attorneys must include their Ohio Supreme Court registration number on every filing (Rule 12).
Does Stark County issue a restraining order at filing?: Yes. Under Rule 12.07, when a divorce or legal-separation complaint, counterclaim, or answer is filed, the Clerk issues the court's standard mutual restraining order. It restrains threats, abuse, or interference; creating debt or dissipating assets; removing household goods; changing insurance or beneficiaries; and changing the children's residence without written consent or court permission. It binds both parties during the case.
Is a parenting class required in Stark County?: Yes. Under Rule 12.04, parents filing a divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or custody action involving minor children must complete a court-approved parent-education program. Separately, under Rule 16.06, unmarried parents filing an initial parental-rights action must complete the online 'Working Together for Kids' seminar — and the moving party must finish it before the initial hearing or the matter is dismissed. The initial filing must include the order to complete the seminar, the registration/instruction sheet, and the mediation flyer.

Free Local Resources in Stark County

Stark County Family Court Help Desk. Free help for self-represented parties completing and reviewing divorce and custody forms, plus questions on court procedure and notary services. Mondays 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., first come first served; check in with the reception bailiff in the lobby, (330) 451-7415. Help Desk attorneys do not represent you or give legal advice.
Stark County Family Court — Court Filing Forms & Brochures. The court's assembled filing packets for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, custody, support, contempt, and protection orders, hosted in the county Document Center at starkcountyohio.gov. The court notes the forms are a resource only and not a substitute for legal advice.
Stark County Law Library. Public legal-research help at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 401, Canton, (330) 451-7380, Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Domestic Violence Project, Inc. (DVPI). Shelter, advocacy, and support for those experiencing domestic violence in Stark County. Learn more at dvpi.org.

Related to your divorce case

Divorce & Dissolution — End your marriage through a contested divorce or an amicable dissolution.
Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.
Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.

Related guides

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

How to File for Divorce in Ohio: A Step-by-Step Guide — Filing for divorce in Ohio follows a defined path: confirm residency, choose your grounds, file the complaint, serve your spouse, and work toward temporary orders and a final decree. Here is how each step works.
Divorce vs. Dissolution in Ohio: Which Path Is Right for You? — Divorce and dissolution both end an Ohio marriage, but they work very differently. Dissolution is a no-fault, agreed process; divorce is a lawsuit for couples who can't agree. Here's how to choose.
How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Ohio? — The cost of an Ohio divorce ranges widely depending on conflict and complexity. Here's what drives the price — court fees, attorney fees, experts — and how to keep it manageable.
How Long Does a Divorce Take in Ohio? — There is no single answer to how long an Ohio divorce takes — an agreed dissolution can finish in a couple of months, while a contested divorce may run a year or more. Here's what drives the timeline.

Understand the cost

Divorce vs. Dissolution in Ohio — How the two paths compare on agreement, timeline, and cost.
Ohio Divorce Cost & Timeline by Path — Compare cost and timeline across every path to ending a marriage.
Uncontested vs. Contested Divorce in Ohio — What each path means for your timeline and total cost.

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