Shared Parenting in Wyandot County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026

Wyandot County, Ohio · Upper Sandusky

Shared parenting lets both parents be designated residential parents and legal custodians under a written plan that meets R.C. 3109.04(G). In Wyandot County the plan is filed with the divorce or dissolution at the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas, or in the Juvenile Court for never-married parents. The court approves a plan only if it serves the children's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F); where parents can't agree on a schedule, the Local Rule 25 standard parenting-time order fills the gaps.

How do I get shared parenting in Wyandot County, Ohio?

File a Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio Form 20) with your divorce or dissolution at the Wyandot County Court of Common Pleas, or in the Wyandot County Juvenile Court if you were never married. The plan must address living arrangements, holiday and vacation schedules, decision-making, transportation, health, education, and dispute resolution, and must be notarized. The court approves it only if shared parenting is in the children's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F). Both parents must complete Children in Between Online before the final hearing.

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: Wyandot County Court of Common Pleas

109 S Sandusky Ave, Upper Sandusky, OH 43351, Upper Sandusky, OH 43351
Phone: (419) 294-1432
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Website: wyandotcountyclerk.org/

Shared Parenting is the right path if…

Both parents want to be designated residential parents and legal custodians.
You can cooperate on major decisions about health, education, and the children's welfare.
You have (or can build) a workable schedule for living arrangements, holidays, and vacations.
Shared parenting is realistically in the children's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F).

If cooperation isn't realistic, one parent can ask to be named sole residential parent instead. Compare custody.

Filing Fees

Part of the $350 DR deposit (married) or the $300 Juvenile new-case deposit (never-married) · plan must be notarized · confirm amounts with the Clerk (419) 294-1432 or Juvenile Court (419) 294-2545

Forms & Filing Packets

Shared parenting inside a divorce or dissolution — Part of the flat $350 DR deposit

File the Shared Parenting Plan with your DR case at the Court of Common Pleas, with the children's affidavits and support worksheet.

Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) — Required when both parents are asking to be designated residential parents under R.C. 3109.04(G). Must be notarized.
Parenting Proceeding / UCCJEA Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 3) — Required in any case with minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years, confirming Ohio's UCCJEA jurisdiction.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time the court sets or changes support.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.

Shared parenting for never-married parents — $300 new Juvenile case

File in the Wyandot County Juvenile Court with the custody complaint, UCCJEA affidavit, and support worksheet.

Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 20) — Required when both parents are asking to be designated residential parents under R.C. 3109.04(G). Must be notarized.
Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities (Ohio SC Form 23) — Asks the Juvenile Branch to name a residential parent and legal custodian and set a parenting-time schedule when the parents were never married.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA. Required in any case involving minor children.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask the court to set or change support.

How to File Shared Parenting in Wyandot County

Decide where to file. Married or divorcing parents file the plan with the divorce or dissolution at the Court of Common Pleas; never-married parents file in the Wyandot County Juvenile Court.
Draft a complete plan. Use Ohio Form 20 and address living arrangements, holidays and vacations, decision-making, transportation, health, education, and dispute resolution; the Local Rule 25 standard schedule is a useful default.
Add the supporting forms. Include the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit, the Health Insurance Affidavit, and the child-support worksheet.
Notarize and file. Sign the plan before a notary and file it with your case; pro se filers paper-file at the counter.
Complete the parenting class. Both parents finish Children in Between Online and file the certificate before the final hearing (Local Rule 25.1).

Wyandot County Practice Notes

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.
The plan must be complete and notarized. A shared parenting plan under R.C. 3109.04(G) must address physical living arrangements, the holiday and vacation schedule, decision-making, transportation, health and education, and dispute resolution — and must be signed before a notary. The court can reject a plan that doesn't serve the children's best interest.
Local Rule 25 standard parenting-time order. When parents can't agree, Wyandot applies a standard schedule: alternate weekends Friday 6 p.m.–Sunday 6 p.m., six alternating holidays, a two-segment Christmas split through January 1, Mother's/Father's Day 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m., and four summer weeks with vacation notice due by April 1. The children may not be removed from Ohio without a modified order.
Children in Between Online is mandatory with minor children. Each party in a divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or juvenile custody/companionship case with minor children must complete the 4-hour Children in Between Online course and test, then file the certificate before the final hearing (Local Rule 25.1). Base price $45.95 per person for 30-day access at online.divorce-education.com; in-person alternative via the Court at (419) 294-1727; prior completion within 24 months can support a waiver.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the standard parenting-time schedule in Wyandot County?: Under Local Rule 25, the standard order is alternate weekends Friday 6:00 p.m. to Sunday 6:00 p.m.; six holidays alternating by odd/even year (MLK Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving); Christmas split into two alternating segments running through January 1; Mother's Day / Father's Day with the honored parent 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; and four weeks of summer parenting time with vacation notice due by April 1. The order applies in divorce, paternity, and juvenile cases and bars removing the children from Ohio without a modified order.
What parenting class is required in Wyandot County, and what does it cost?: Children in Between Online — a 4-hour court-approved course with a test, required of each party in any divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or juvenile custody/companionship case with minor children (Local Rule 25.1). Complete the course and file the certificate with the Court before the final hearing. The base price is $45.95 per person for 30-day access at online.divorce-education.com (optional printed workbook and checkout fees are extra; a court-approved fee-waiver path exists). Prefer an in-person class? Contact the Court at (419) 294-1727. A certificate from completing the program within the past 24 months can support a waiver request.
Where do unmarried parents file for custody, paternity, or support in Wyandot County?: At the Wyandot County Juvenile Court — 109 S. Sandusky Ave., 3rd Floor, Room 33, Upper Sandusky, (419) 294-2545. The deposit is $300 for a new civil case, and the same standard parenting-time schedule and Children in Between Online class used in divorce cases apply. One judge hears all divisions in Wyandot, but the Juvenile Court keeps its own clerk and fee schedule — and by statute (R.C. 4705.01) its clerks cannot help you prepare your paperwork.
Can I e-file my own case in Wyandot County?: No. E-filing exists through the Henschen portal, but self-represented (pro se) litigants are not permitted to e-file under Local Rule 5.01, and an original divorce complaint cannot be faxed either (Local Rule 5.02). File on paper at the Clerk of Courts counter, with the Case Designation Sheet on top.

Free Local Resources in Wyandot County

Wyandot County Clerk of Courts. Clerk of Courts Eileen Walton, Legal Division, 109 S. Sandusky Ave., Room 31, Upper Sandusky, OH 43351. Provides current filing fees, local forms (Case Designation Sheet, Personal Identifiers form), and filing instructions for custody, divorce, and dissolution cases. Call (419) 294-1432 or visit https://wyandotcountyclerk.org/ before filing to confirm deposits and packet requirements.
Wyandot County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Wyandot County's IV-D agency opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. File a IV-D Application when establishing or modifying support.

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.

Keep exploring

Ohio Shared Parenting guide — Statewide overview of shared parenting in Ohio.
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