Summit County Shared Parenting Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated May 26, 2026

Summit County, Ohio · Akron

Shared parenting is Ohio's version of joint custody: both parents are named residential parents and legal custodians under a written plan that spells out the schedule, decision-making, and finances. In Summit County you submit a Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) with your divorce, dissolution, or parentage case, and the court approves it only if it serves the children's best interest.

Hire Gavvl for your Summit County shared parenting case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Summit 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 get a shared parenting plan approved in Summit County, Ohio?

Prepare a Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) that addresses the R.C. 3109.04(G) factors — the living and parenting-time schedule, holidays and vacations, decision-making for school and health care, transportation and exchanges, child support and the tax exemption, and how you'll resolve future disputes — and file it with your divorce, dissolution, or parentage case at the Summit DR Court, 205 South High Street, Akron. For a dissolution the plan must be notarized. The court reviews the plan against the children's best interest and can approve it, ask for changes, or reject it and decide custody itself. Either parent may also propose shared parenting; the court is not required to adopt it.

Put a flat-fee attorney on your Summit County shared parenting plan

A Summit County Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) makes both parents residential parents and legal custodians, and the Domestic Relations Court will approve it only if it serves the children's best interest and covers every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor — the schedule, holidays and vacations, school and health-care decisions, transportation and exchanges, child support and the tax exemption, and how future disputes get resolved. Gavvl Law drafts a plan built to be approved, with a flat fee agreed up front and payment plans available.

Every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor answered concretely. A plan that skips holidays, exchange logistics, or the dispute-resolution clause invites a rejection or a fight later. We draft the Form 20 so each statutory factor is addressed in plain terms, which is what the Akron court looks for before it signs off.
Notarized where a dissolution requires it. In a Summit dissolution the shared parenting plan must be notarized and filed with the petition, and the parenting class has to be done first. We prepare the notarized plan and the child-support worksheet together so the agreed case never stalls on a missing signature.
Sole-custody Form 21 when shared isn't the fit. Shared parenting is not right for every family; where one parent should be the residential parent and legal custodian, Summit uses the Parenting Plan (Form 21) instead. We help you pick the right instrument and quote one flat fee up front, with payment plans available.

Shared parenting is decided at the Domestic Relations Court, 205 South High Street in Akron, on the county's own Form 20, and married parents of minor children must also complete the "Remember the Children" program (Local Rule 32) online. We align the plan, the parenting class, and the support worksheet so the court has everything it needs to approve your schedule.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the complaint to establish custody and parenting time, or prepare your shared parenting plan for filing. You appear at any hearing.

Establish custody & parenting time: $1,250
Shared parenting plan (drafting): $1,650

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.

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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: Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

205 South High Street, Akron, OH 44308
Phone: (330) 643-2365
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Summit County Juvenile Court
650 Dan Street, Akron, OH 44310
Phone: (330) 643-2900
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Both parents want to share residential and legal-custody responsibilities.
You can cooperate on schedules and major decisions.
You have or are opening a divorce, dissolution, or parentage case.
You want the plan tailored to your children's routine and best interest.

Filing Fees

Shared parenting makes both parents residential parents and legal custodians · Filed with your divorce, dissolution, or parentage case · Form 20 plan must address R.C. 3109.04(G) factors · Notarized for a dissolution · Approved only if it serves the children's best interest

Forms & Filing Packets

Jointly agreed shared parenting plan — Filed within the case deposit

Both parents submit a single Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) with the parenting affidavit and a child-support worksheet. For a dissolution it must be notarized.

Shared Parenting Plan (Summit Form 20) — The written plan making both parents residential parents and legal custodians, addressing schedule, decision-making, and the R.C. 3109.04(G) factors. Must be notarized for a dissolution.
Parenting Proceeding / UCCJEA Affidavit (Summit Affidavit 3) — Lists each child's address history for the last 5 years and any other custody cases, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction. Required whenever minor children are involved.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask a Summit court to set or change support.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Summit Affidavit 4) — States what health coverage is available for the children and at what cost — used to set the medical-support part of a child-support order.

One parent proposing a plan — Filed within the case deposit

A single parent files a proposed Shared Parenting Plan; if the other parent objects or proposes sole custody, file a Parenting Plan (Form 21) alternative and let the court decide by best interest.

Shared Parenting Plan (Summit Form 20) — The written plan making both parents residential parents and legal custodians, addressing schedule, decision-making, and the R.C. 3109.04(G) factors. Must be notarized for a dissolution.
Parenting Plan (Summit Form 21) — Used when one parent is named residential parent and legal custodian, setting the other parent's parenting time and the decision-making framework.
Parenting Proceeding / UCCJEA Affidavit (Summit Affidavit 3) — Lists each child's address history for the last 5 years and any other custody cases, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction. Required whenever minor children are involved.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask a Summit court to set or change support.

How to File Shared Parenting in Summit County

Decide if shared parenting fits. Shared parenting works best when both parents can cooperate on schedules and major decisions for the children.
Draft the plan. Complete the Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) covering schedule, holidays, decision-making, transportation, support, and dispute resolution.
Add the supporting forms. Include the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3) and a child-support worksheet. Notarize the plan if you're filing a dissolution.
File with your case. Submit the plan with your divorce, dissolution, or parentage case at the Summit DR Court, 205 South High Street, Akron.
Attend review and finalize. The court reviews the plan against the children's best interest, may order changes or mediation, and then incorporates the approved plan into the decree.

Summit County Practice Notes

Shared parenting is a legal status, not just a schedule. Under a shared parenting plan both parents are residential parents and legal custodians. It can still set a primary home for school purposes, but both parents share decision-making authority unless the plan says otherwise.
The plan must cover the statutory factors. R.C. 3109.04(G) requires the plan to address the schedule, holidays, decision-making for school and medical care, transportation and exchanges, child support and the tax exemption, and dispute resolution. A vague plan invites rejection.
The court can reject a plan. Even if both parents agree, the court must find shared parenting in the children's best interest. If it does not, the judge can require changes or order sole custody to one parent with parenting time to the other.
Best-interest factors apply. The R.C. 3109.04(F)(1) factors — wishes, relationships, adjustment, health, support for the other parent's time, and any abuse history — guide whether shared parenting is approved and how the plan is shaped.

Frequently Asked Questions

What has to be in a shared parenting plan in Summit County?: A Summit County Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) makes both parents residential parents and legal custodians and must address the R.C. 3109.04(G) factors: the living/parenting-time schedule, holidays and vacations, decision-making for school and health care, transportation and exchanges, child support and the tax exemption, and how the parents will resolve future disputes. For a dissolution the plan must be notarized. The court approves it only if it serves the children's best interest.
What standard does a Summit County court use to decide custody?: Ohio courts decide custody by the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F)(1). The factors include each parent's wishes, the child's wishes (when the court interviews the child), the child's relationships with parents and siblings, adjustment to home, school, and community, the mental and physical health of everyone involved, which parent is more likely to honor parenting time, child-support compliance, any history of abuse or neglect, and whether a parent plans to move out of state.
Do I have to take a parenting class in Summit County?: Yes. Married parents of minor children who file for divorce or dissolution must complete the court's "Remember the Children" program (Local Rule 32). It is delivered online through the court's Learning Management System at lms1.drcourt.org and can be done in increments. For a dissolution, the court will not set a final hearing until both parents complete it. Family Court Services at (330) 643-2355 can help with access.
Where do I file a divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in Summit County?: All of these are filed at the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, 205 South High Street, Akron, OH 44308. The Clerk of Courts handles filing — in person, or by e-filing 24/7 at clerkefile.summitoh.net. Summit hosts its own versions of the Ohio forms on drcourt.org, so use the Summit-hosted form rather than the generic Supreme Court PDF, and remember to flatten any fillable PDF before you file.
Is there an automatic restraining order when I file in Summit County?: Yes. Under Local Rule 2.04, filing a divorce, legal separation, or annulment in Summit County automatically issues a Mutual Restraining Order against both spouses. It restrains harassment, hiding or wasting assets, running up debt, removing household goods, changing insurance, and moving a child's residence out of the area — and tells both parties to keep filing taxes as they have. It takes effect for each party on service.

Free Local Resources in Summit County

Summit Free Legal Clinic at Open M. Court-hosted community clinic in Akron offering free legal advice for self-represented parties.
Summit County DR Court. drcourt.org — CPO forms, Local Rules, judge bios, and the parenting-class LMS. Clerk's Office (1st floor) opens at 7:30 a.m.
Summit County Juvenile Court. juvenilecourt.summitoh.net · (330) 643-2900. Custody, visitation, support, and Grandparent Power of Attorney forms at 650 Dan Street.
Summit County CSEA (Child Support Enforcement Agency). Opens IV-D cases and collects/distributes child support through wage withholding once a support order is in place.
Victim Assistance Program of Summit County. Free advocates who help domestic-violence survivors complete CPO petitions and prepare for hearings.

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.

More Summit County family-law resources

Ohio Shared Parenting guide — Statewide overview of shared parenting in Ohio.
Akron family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Akron metro.
Summit County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Summit County guide.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
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