Filing for Custody in Warren County

Warren County, Ohio · Lebanon

In Ohio, 'custody' means the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities. In Warren County, where you file depends on whether the parents were married: the Domestic Relations Court at 500 Justice Drive for married/divorcing parents (or a Married Living Separately complaint), and the Juvenile Court at 900 Memorial Drive for never-married parents. The court decides using the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors.

How do I file for custody in Warren County, Ohio?

If you are married, custody is decided inside your divorce or dissolution at the Warren County Domestic Relations Court, 500 Justice Drive, Lebanon — or, if you and your spouse are living apart, by a Complaint for Residential Parent Status ($350 deposit). If you were never married, file a Complaint/Motion for Custody at the Warren County Juvenile Court, 900 Memorial Drive ($160 plus $50 per additional child). File the Information for Parenting Proceeding Affidavit, the Ohio child-support worksheet, and the IV-D Application. Ohio must be the children's home state under the UCCJEA.

Where to File: Warren County Domestic Relations Court

500 Justice Drive, Lebanon, OH 45036, Lebanon, OH 45036
Phone: (513) 695-1344
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (closed for lunch 12:30–1:00 p.m.)
Website: www.warrencountyohio.gov/Domestic_Relations_Court/
e-Filing: https://www.warrencountyohio.gov/Domestic_Relations_Court/Forms

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Warren County Juvenile Court (Probate/Juvenile Division)
900 Memorial Drive, Lebanon, OH 45036, Lebanon, OH 45036
Phone: (513) 695-1160
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Custody is the right path if…

  • You need a court order naming the residential parent and setting a parenting-time schedule.
  • You and the other parent can't agree on parenting time, school, or major decisions.
  • Ohio is the children's home state under the UCCJEA — they've lived in Ohio for the last 6 months.
  • You can complete a parenting class and file proof before the final hearing.

Filing Fees

DR custody (inside divorce): included in the $400 divorce deposit · Married Living Separately complaint: $350 · Juvenile custody: $160 + $50 per additional child

Forms & Filing Packets

Custody for married parents (inside divorce or living apart) — Included in the divorce deposit, or $350 for a Married Living Separately complaint

Married parents allocate custody inside a divorce/dissolution at the DR Court, or file a Complaint for Residential Parent Status when living separately ($350 deposit).

Shared parenting add-on (married parents)

Married parents asking for joint residential status file the proposed Shared Parenting Plan and the Decree of Shared Parenting with the case.

  • Shared Parenting Plan (UDRF Form 20) — Written plan meeting R.C. 3109.04(G): living arrangements, holidays, decision-making, transportation, school/health care, tax exemptions, and dispute resolution.
  • Decree of Shared Parenting — The proposed final shared-parenting order Warren requires filed with the case.

Custody packet — Juvenile Court (never-married parents) — $160 deposit (plus $50 per additional child)

Filed at the Warren County Juvenile Court, 900 Memorial Drive. Used when the parents were never married. Paternity must be established before the court can allocate custody.

How to File Custody in Warren County

  1. Pick the right court. Married/divorcing parents → DR Court at 500 Justice Drive (or a Married Living Separately complaint). Never-married parents → Juvenile Court at 900 Memorial Drive.
  2. Confirm Ohio is the children's home state. The children must have lived in Ohio for at least the prior 6 months. The Information for Parenting Proceeding Affidavit is how you swear to those facts.
  3. Assemble the forms packet. DR: Residential Parent complaint (or divorce packet) + DR Form 4 + CS Worksheet + IV-D Application, plus the Shared Parenting Plan and Decree if asking for shared parenting. Juvenile: Complaint/Motion for Custody + WCJC Form 3 + IV-D Application.
  4. File and complete any required parenting education. DR custody inside a divorce requires the H.O.P.E. seminar. File for pre-approval (DR) or in person/drop box (Juvenile) and pay the deposit.

Warren County Practice Notes

  • Two courts, two campuses. Married-parent custody goes to the Domestic Relations Court at 500 Justice Drive; never-married-parent custody goes to the Juvenile Court at 900 Memorial Drive. Filing in the wrong court delays your case. Under R.C. 2151.233, the Juvenile Court generally won't decide private custody when the parents are married or a DR case is pending.
  • Warren's two parenting schedules. Warren County uses a DR Basic Parenting Schedule and a separate Juvenile Model Parenting Schedule (which adds Model III equal-time and phase-in options). The default for children over 2 is Basic Schedule II unless the filing parent explains why less time is appropriate (Local Rule 2.3).
  • Best-interest standard governs. R.C. 3109.04(F)(1) lists 10+ factors: each parent's wishes, the child's wishes (when of sufficient age), the child's interaction with parents/siblings, adjustment to home/school/community, mental and physical health of all involved, the parent more likely to facilitate court-approved parenting time, child support compliance, criminal history, residence outside Ohio, and any history of abuse.
  • Guardian ad Litem in contested cases. In a contested custody case, the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem — a court-appointed attorney — to investigate and recommend a parenting plan in the child's best interest. The GAL does not represent the child's wishes; the GAL represents what is best for the child. GAL fees are typically allocated between the parents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Warren County?
Warren County splits the two courts onto different campuses. The Domestic Relations Court at 500 Justice Drive hears married-parent matters — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and the custody/support that travels with them. The Juvenile Court at 900 Memorial Drive hears never-married-parent matters — paternity, custody, parenting time, child support, and grandparent/non-parent custody. Under Rees v. Rees (2026-Ohio-1235, 12th Dist.), grandparent and relative visitation goes to DR when the parents are or ever were married or a parent is deceased.
How much does it cost to file in Warren County?
Domestic Relations deposits (Clerk Breighton Smith, eff. 7/1/2025): a divorce or dissolution case is $400 with children and $300 without children; a case served by publication is $500; a married-living-apart custody/support complaint is $350; a post-decree motion is $75; and personal service by the Sheriff is $50 per party. An Affidavit of Indigency reduces the deposit to $15. Juvenile Court complaints (custody, parentage, support, visitation, shared parenting) are $160 plus $50 per additional child, and Juvenile motions are $75. Civil Protection Orders have no filing fee.
What are the residency requirements to file in Warren County?
For divorce, legal separation, or annulment, you or your spouse must have lived in Ohio for at least 6 months immediately before filing and in Warren County for at least 90 days. For dissolution, only the 6-month Ohio residency applies. For Juvenile Court cases (never-married custody, paternity, child support), Ohio must be the children's 'home state' under the UCCJEA — generally, they've lived in Ohio for the last 6 months.
When does Warren County appoint a Guardian ad Litem?
In a contested custody case the Domestic Relations Court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem on motion after a hearing (Local Rule 4.5), using forms GAL1 (Order), GAL2 (Application), and GAL3 (Background Disclosure). The GAL's report is served 14 days before trial and accepted as direct testimony; to cross-examine the GAL you must subpoena them at least 7 days before trial. In Juvenile abuse/neglect/dependency cases a GAL is mandatory and files a report 7 days before the final hearing.
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 Warren County

  • Warren County DR Help Center & Document Center. The DR Help Center at 500 Justice Drive helps self-represented parties fill out printed Document Center forms on Tuesdays 1–3 p.m. and Thursdays 9–11 a.m. All Domestic Relations forms and case-type filing packets are posted at warrencountyohio.gov/Domestic_Relations_Court/Forms.
  • Warren County Probate/Juvenile Legal Help Center. Walk-in help at 900 Memorial Drive on Thursdays 8 a.m.–noon, where an attorney answers legal questions and provides filing packets regardless of financial situation (no attorney-client relationship is formed).
  • Warren County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Warren County's IV-D agency at (513) 695-1580, csea.warrencountyohio.gov, opens and enforces support cases, runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, and processes payments through OCSPC.
  • Warren County CASA Program. More than 50 trained CASA volunteers, directed by Melissa Perduk, advocate for abused and neglected children in the child-welfare system. Details at warrencountyohio.gov/Probate_Juvenile/CASA/CASA/Index.

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