Filing for Divorce with Children in Trumbull County

Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations (Trumbull County Family Court)

File divorce, dissolution, legal-separation, and annulment papers in person or by mail with the Trumbull County Family Court, Attn: Clerk of Courts, Domestic Relations Division, 220 Main Avenue SW, Warren, OH 44481, (330) 675-2627. Pay the deposit (effective May 1, 2025) at filing, or submit a Poverty Affidavit to request a waiver. There is no DR e-filing.

Trumbull County Procedure Quirks

• Trumbull runs ONE combined Trumbull County Family Court at 220 Main Avenue SW, Warren, with the same judges hearing both the Domestic Relations and Juvenile sides — only the clerk's office and filing rules differ between divisions.
• Domestic Relations filings are made in person or by mail — there is NO DR e-filing, fax, or email filing. By contrast, the Juvenile Division's e-filing is mandatory as of June 1, 2026 (DV civil protection order petitions are still accepted on paper at no cost).
• A mutual restraining order must be filed with the divorce, legal-separation, or annulment complaint (Family Court Local Rule 33.01(B)(2)) to freeze asset transfers and protect the status quo while the case is pending.
• There is no mandatory parenting-education seminar; the court applies the Trumbull County Parenting and Companionship Guidelines (eff. 1/1/2022) when parents don't agree on a schedule (Local Rule 36.04).
• Emergency (ex parte) custody requests are heard in person the same day they are filed when the supporting affidavit shows immediate harm, with a full hearing set within about 10 days (Local Rule 33.02).
• Court mediation is available at for the first four hours and per additional hour; request it by filing a Motion for Mediation, or call the Family Court at (330) 675-2600.

Parenting Class

No mandatory parenting seminar
Trumbull County does NOT impose a mandatory parenting-education seminar of the kind some Ohio counties require. Family Court Local Rule 36.04 references only the Trumbull County Parenting and Companionship Guidelines (effective January 1, 2022), which set the default parenting-time schedule the court applies when parents do not agree. A judge can still order a parenting class in a specific case; if one is ordered, confirm the approved provider with the Family Court at (330) 675-2600.

Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Department (Trumbull County Family Court)

Same building and judges as the Domestic Relations Division. Handles paternity and custody for never-married parents, grandparent / non-parent custody, child support outside a marriage, and abuse, neglect, and dependency. Juvenile e-filing is mandatory as of June 1, 2026, except DV civil protection order petitions, which remain on paper at no cost. No personal checks for Juvenile costs and fees.

Domestic Relations vs. Juvenile

Trumbull County runs ONE combined Trumbull County Family Court at 220 Main Avenue SW, Warren, with the same judges on both sides. The Domestic Relations Division (Clerk (330) 675-2627) handles divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and the custody and support that travel with them for married parents — filed in person or by mail with no e-filing. The Juvenile Division (Clerk (330) 675-2375) handles paternity and custody for never-married parents, grandparent / non-parent custody, and child support outside a marriage — with mandatory e-filing as of June 1, 2026.

Free Local Resources in Trumbull County

• Trumbull County Family Court. Local forms, the Local Rules (eff. 6/1/2026), and the Parenting and Companionship Guidelines at www.co.trumbull.oh.us/family-court. DR Clerk (330) 675-2627; Juvenile Clerk (330) 675-2375. Court staff cannot give legal advice or help complete forms.
• Trumbull County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Opens IV-D cases, runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, and collects and enforces support by wage withholding at 159 E. Market St., Suite 200, Warren, OH 44481, (330) 675-2732 (alternate (800) 720-2732).
• Someplace Safe — Domestic Violence Services. 24-hour crisis hotline at (330) 393-3005 with emergency shelter, safety planning, and court advocacy for civil protection orders.
• Ohio Child Support Calculator. The state's official 2024 Income Shares worksheet at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov — run, print, and sign it before any hearing that sets or changes support.

What it costs — two ways to hire us

Limited scope, flat fee — Flat fees from $1,250

You hire us for a defined piece of the work — drafting and filing your divorce with children paperwork, a single hearing, a specific motion — at a fixed, published price. The court's filing fee is paid to the Clerk of Courts separately. The number you see is the number you pay at checkout. What each flat fee covers.

Full representation — $3,500 retainer to start

An attorney manages the whole case — strategy, filings, hearings, negotiation. The retainer is known before you sign and is a deposit against work, not the total cost; the total depends on how contested your case becomes. You watch every dollar of it in real time. How full representation is billed.

Is there financing? Yes.

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. See every financing option.

Real people, — with direct lines

• Stephanie Green — Managing Partner
• Elizabeth Warren — Managing Partner
• Niva Elgin — Senior Case Manager · Licensed New Mexico Attorney

Your consultation

Stephanie Green or Elizabeth Warren, our managing partners — or Niva Elgin, our senior case manager and a licensed New Mexico attorney. They've heard hundreds of situations like yours and will tell you plainly what you need, and what you don't. Meet the firm.

Your attorney

One of our Of Counsel Ohio family-law attorneys is your attorney for the case — from the first strategy call to the final order in Trumbull County. You have their name and a direct line the day your file opens. Our attorneys.

Your case team

Niva Elgin keeps your case moving as Senior Case Manager. Madeline Wampler, Certified Paralegal, handles documents and scheduling. Erin Schultz, Finance Manager, handles billing and payment plans. Real people who answer when you call.

• 95+ five-star Google reviews
• 60+ years of combined Ohio family-law experience
• Super Lawyers honorees on the team
• Every flat fee published before you call

From first call to retained, — and every step after

1. Consultation — A 30-minute phone call, $25. You talk with Stephanie Green, Elizabeth Warren, or Niva Elgin about what's happening and what Ohio law actually does with it. Before you hang up you'll know whether you need a lawyer at all — and if you do, you leave with a written quote: the service we recommend, the price, your financing options, and your next steps.
2. Choose — Pick the level of help. Pay, or set up financing. Limited-scope flat fee or full representation — you choose, with real numbers in front of you. Pay online, or secure a Gavvl Direct payment plan or third-party financing in a few minutes. Nothing is billed until you decide.
3. Sign — Your agreement arrives by email. Review the client agreement and sign it electronically — from your phone if you like. While you do, your attorney reviews your intake.
4. Get started — Your first attorney call goes on the calendar. Limited scope: your attorney's first call is scheduled from your intake. Full representation: a paralegal reaches out the same or next business day to open your file and gather what's needed, then schedules your first attorney call — and if something is urgent, you speak with the attorney first.

It's easier than ever to retain an excellent attorney.

How you'll stay updated — you never have to wonder

Every client gets GavvLink™, our client portal, on day one. Your whole case — messages, calendar, billing, status — lives in one place, and your team is a message away.

• Reach your attorney directly. Message, text, email, or call. Request a callback or book time on their calendar yourself — no waiting to hear back.
• Case calendar with reminders. Every hearing, deadline, and milestone, with a reminder before each one.
• Case status updates. See where your case stands and what happens next, updated as it moves.
• Payments and billing in real time. Every entry on your account as it posts, plus links to make a payment or add funds.
• Your case team, one message away. Full-representation clients message their paralegal and case manager the same way — and they answer.
• 24/7 receptionists and direct lines. Something urgent after hours? A live receptionist answers around the clock and reaches your team. You also have your attorney's direct line — and a way to reach the managing partners. We return calls and messages promptly.

Can I do this without an attorney?

sometimes, yes. Ohio lets you represent yourself, and for a genuinely agreed dissolution or a simple motion, some people do. Every Ohio county's forms and local rules are linked from our county pages, and our free tools will draft a parenting plan or estimate child support before you spend anything.

Here's what the online-divorce platforms leave out: most Ohio counties require their own forms and language on top of the statewide ones, and a rejected filing is the most common reason people call us after trying it alone. A $25, 30-minute call tells you whether you can do this yourself — and if you can, we'll say so.

• Free parenting plan builder
• Free child support estimate
• Attorney-written guides

Schedule Your $25 Consultation

Required divorce-with-children packet (6 forms)

• Complaint for Divorce with Children — The main document that starts your case. Ohio Supreme Court uniform Form 7.
• Parenting Proceeding Affidavit — The children's past 5-year address history. Required with any case involving minor children (UCCJEA, R.C. 3127.23).
• Affidavit of Basic Information, Income, and Expenses — Your income and monthly bills; file with a recent pay statement. Kept in the court's confidential file.
• Affidavit of Property and Debt — Lists what you own and owe — house, vehicles, accounts, retirement, debts.
• Health Insurance Affidavit — Confirms who provides the children's insurance and the cost. Required with minor children.
• Child Support Computation Worksheet — Ohio's statutory 2024 Income Shares worksheet. Complete it at the state calculator and file the signed worksheet with your support pleadings.

Temporary orders while your case is pending

Temporary orders in a Trumbull County divorce or legal separation are requested by motion and Affidavit 5 under Civ.R. 75(N). They cover the living situation, bills and debts, spousal support, and the children while the case is pending. For an emergency, Family Court Local Rule 33.02 allows a same-day in-person ex parte hearing when the affidavit shows immediate harm, with a full hearing set within about 10 days. Accurate facts and supporting statements are the most important part of a temporary-orders request.

• Motion and Affidavit for Temporary Orders Without Oral Hearing — Requests temporary parenting time, child or spousal support, and other orders while the case is pending. File only if you need temporary orders.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on divorce, custody, 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.
• What Happens If I Move Out Before the Divorce? (Ohio Myths vs. Reality) — Moving out of the marital home does not forfeit your share of the house, your retirement, or your right to parent your children. It can affect the date the court uses to divide property, and it can affect custody indirectly if you become less involved. This guide separates the myths from what Ohio law actually does, and explains why temporary orders solve most of it.
• 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.
• Dividing Property in an Ohio Divorce — Ohio divides marital property equitably — meaning fairly, not always equally. The first step is classifying every asset and debt. Here's how the process works.
• Who Gets the House in an Ohio Divorce? — The marital home is often a couple's biggest asset and most emotional decision. Ohio divides its equity equitably — through a buyout, a sale, or a deferred sale. Here's how.

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.