Filing for Divorce with Children in Summit County

File for divorce with minor children in the Summit County Domestic Relations Court. Step-by-step guidance, 11 required forms, ~$420 filing fee, parenting class requirements, and Ohio attorney help.

Summit County's Domestic Relations Court sits at 205 South High Street in downtown Akron and is one of the few Ohio DR courts that runs its own parenting-class learning management system — both parents complete it online at their own pace at lms1.drcourt.org. The court is split across two floors (Magistrate hearings on 3, Judge hearings on 4), and your fee deposit is $420 for a divorce with children.

Summit County Domestic Relations Court

205 S. High Street, Akron, OH 44308
Phone: (330) 643-2365
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: drcourt.org

Clerk's Office, 205 S. High Street, 1st Floor. Court main: (330) 643-2365 • Clerk: (330) 643-2202

Filing Fees

$420 divorce with children • $370 without • Dissolution: $400 with children, $370 without

Payment methods: Cash, certified check, money order, personal check, corporate/business check, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Amex).

Summit County Procedure Quirks

  • Two-floor court: Magistrate hearings and trials are on the 3rd floor; Judge hearings and trials are on the 4th floor. Check in at the security desk on the relevant floor.
  • All visitors clear a metal detector — arrive early.
  • Clerk's Office is on the 1st floor; hours are 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (earlier than the court itself).

Parenting Class

Summit DR Parenting Class (court-run) — Summit County DR Court — its own learning management system (https://lms1.drcourt.org)
Both parents complete the class online at their own pace through the court's LMS.

Judges

  • Administrative Judge Katarina Cook
  • Judge Kani Harvey Hightower

Summit County Court of Common Pleas — Juvenile Division

650 Dan Street, Akron, OH 44310
Phone: (330) 643-2900
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: juvenilecourt.summitoh.net

Two main divisions — Child Protection Unit and Delinquency Division — handling abuse/neglect/dependency, delinquency, unruly, juvenile traffic, parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support.

Domestic Relations vs. Juvenile

Summit splits the work geographically: DR Court at 205 S. High Street (downtown Akron) for divorces and dissolutions; Juvenile Court at 650 Dan Street (north Akron) for never-married-parent cases and juvenile matters.

Free Local Resources in Summit County

  • Summit Free Legal Clinic at Open M. Court-hosted community clinic offering free advice for self-represented parties.
  • Summit County DR Court website. drcourt.org — forms, Local Rules, judge bios, and the parenting LMS.

Related to your divorce

  • 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.

Call +1-844-694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.