Trumbull County Shared Parenting Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 8, 2026

Trumbull County, Ohio · Warren

Shared parenting makes both parents residential parents and legal custodians under one written plan. In Trumbull County, the plan is filed with your divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division, or in a Juvenile case for never-married parents — both in the combined Trumbull County Family Court at 220 Main Avenue SW, Warren.

Hire Gavvl for your Trumbull County shared parenting case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Trumbull 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 shared parenting in Trumbull County, Ohio?

Submit a proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) that addresses every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor — physical living arrangements, holidays and vacations, decision-making, child support, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. File it with your divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division, or in a Juvenile case if you were never married, at the Trumbull County Family Court, 220 Main Avenue SW, Warren. The court approves the plan only if it serves the children's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F); if a parent doesn't specify a schedule, the county Parenting and Companionship Guidelines apply.

Hire Gavvl Law to build your Trumbull County shared parenting plan

Shared parenting makes both parents residential parents and legal custodians under one written plan, and in Trumbull County the proposed Shared Parenting Plan (Form 20) is filed with your divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division or in a Juvenile case for never-married parents, all at the Family Court, 220 Main Avenue SW, Warren. Gavvl Law drafts a plan that survives review, sets a flat fee approved before drafting, offers payment plans, and gives full representation if the other parent objects.

Every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor, or it comes back. A Shared Parenting Plan must address physical living arrangements, holidays and vacations, decision-making, child support, transportation, school and health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. Trumbull County routinely returns plans that skip a factor, so we draft to all of them the first time.
Best interest still controls approval. Shared parenting is not automatic in Trumbull County — even an agreed plan is approved only if the court finds it serves the children's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F). We present the plan against that standard so the judge has a clear basis to adopt it.
Where the plan is silent, the Guidelines fill in. The Trumbull County Parenting and Companionship Guidelines supply the default schedule wherever a plan does not specify one, including separate local and long-distance schedules based on travel time. We reconcile your plan with those guidelines so there are no gaps to fight over later.

For married parents the plan rides inside the $301 DR case; for never-married parents it follows paternity and a $186 Juvenile new action — different tracks in the same Trumbull County Family Court. We file the plan in the correct division so the court reviews it on the first hearing rather than kicking it for a filing defect.

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.

Start your shared parenting case or see payment plans & financing.

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

220 Main Avenue SW, Warren, OH 44481
Phone: (330) 675-2627
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Website: Court website

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Department (Trumbull County Family Court)
220 Main Avenue SW, Warren, OH 44481
Phone: (330) 675-2375
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Both parents want to be residential parents and legal custodians under one plan.
You can cooperate enough to share decision-making and a detailed schedule.
You can submit a plan covering every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor.
Shared parenting serves the children's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F).

Filing Fees

Inside a divorce: part of the $301 deposit · Juvenile case: $186 new action · No mandatory parenting class · County Parenting and Companionship Guidelines apply by default.

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting inside a divorce/dissolution (married parents)

Filed in the Domestic Relations Division with your divorce or dissolution.

Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio uniform Form 20) — A written plan addressing every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor when both parents will share legal custody and significant parenting time.
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.

Shared parenting in the Juvenile Division (never-married parents) — $186 new Juvenile action

Filed in the Juvenile Division after paternity is established. Juvenile e-filing is mandatory as of June 1, 2026.

Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities (Ohio uniform Form 23) — Asks the Trumbull County Juvenile Division to designate a residential parent and legal custodian and set a parenting-time schedule when parents were never married.
Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio uniform Form 20) — A written plan addressing every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor when both parents will share legal custody and significant parenting time.
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.

How to File Shared Parenting in Trumbull County

Draft a complete Shared Parenting Plan. Use Ohio SC Form 20 and address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor in writing.
Pick the right division. Married/divorcing parents file the plan with the DR case; never-married parents establish paternity and file in the Juvenile Division.
File the plan and supporting forms. Attach the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and a child-support worksheet, and file with the correct Clerk.
Attend the hearing for approval. The court reviews the plan against the best-interest factors and approves it (or sends it back for revision) at the hearing.

Trumbull County Practice Notes

The plan must address every R.C. 3109.04(G) factor. A Shared Parenting Plan must cover physical living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, child support, decision-making authority, transportation, school and health-care decisions, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution. Plans that skip a factor are routinely sent back for revision.
Best interest still controls. Shared parenting is not automatic. Even with an agreed plan, the court must find that shared parenting serves the children's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F) before approving it.
Guidelines fill the gaps. Where a plan doesn't specify a schedule, the Trumbull County Parenting and Companionship Guidelines (eff. 1/1/2022) provide the default, including separate local and long-distance schedules based on travel time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I file for custody in Trumbull County?: If you and the other parent were married, custody and parenting time are decided inside your divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the Domestic Relations Division of the Trumbull County Family Court, 220 Main Avenue SW, Warren, (330) 675-2627. If you were never married, file a Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities in the Juvenile Division at the same address, (330) 675-2375; paternity must be established first. Either side decides custody under the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors.
Do I file in the Domestic Relations or Juvenile Division in Trumbull County?: Trumbull County runs ONE combined Trumbull County Family Court at 220 Main Avenue SW, Warren, with the same judges hearing both sides. The Domestic Relations Division (Clerk (330) 675-2627) handles divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and the custody, parenting time, and support that travel with them for married or divorcing parents. 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.
Is a parenting class required in Trumbull County?: No. Unlike some Ohio counties, the Trumbull County Family Court does not impose a mandatory parenting-education seminar. Its Local Rules (effective June 1, 2026), Rule 36.04, reference 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.
How is child support calculated in Trumbull County?: Trumbull 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 Trumbull County Child Support Enforcement Agency (159 E. Market St., Suite 200, Warren, OH 44481, (330) 675-2732) collects and enforces the order through wage withholding once it is journalized.
What does it mean for Ohio to be my child's 'home state' under the UCCJEA?: Under the UCCJEA (R.C. 3127), Ohio is the children's home state when they have lived in Ohio with a parent for at least 6 consecutive months immediately before the filing. If the children recently moved, the prior state may still have jurisdiction. Ohio courts can also decline jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum under R.C. 3127.21 even when home-state requirements are met.

Free Local Resources in Trumbull County

Trumbull County Family Court. Local forms, local rules, the Parenting and Companionship Guidelines, and filing information for divorce, dissolution, custody, support, and protection orders 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). Trumbull County's IV-D agency opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders at 159 E. Market St., Suite 200, Warren, OH 44481, (330) 675-2732. File a IV-D Application when establishing or modifying support.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. The state's official 2024 Income Shares worksheet at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov. Run it, print, and sign it before any hearing that sets or changes support.
Someplace Safe — Domestic Violence Services. Trumbull County's domestic-violence program runs a 24-hour crisis hotline at (330) 393-3005 with emergency shelter, safety planning, and court advocacy for civil protection orders.

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.