Ohio Dissolution of Marriage Law: Ohio Laws

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Referrals for adjudication of civil actions or proceedings to retired judges.

The court of common pleas may grant a dissolution of marriage, including divisions of courts of domestic relations.

One of the spouses in an action for dissolution of marriage shall have been a resident of the state for at least six months immediately before filing the petition. Actions for dissolution of marriage shall be brought in the proper county for commencement of actions pursuant to the Rules of Civil Procedure. For purposes of service of process, both parties in an action for dissolution of marriage shall be considered as defendants and subject to service of process as defendants pursuant to the Rules of Civil Procedure.

Describes what must be included in a petition for dissolution and a separation agreement.

New version, goes into effect 9/30/25

At any time before a final judgment is entered in a divorce action, the spouses may convert the action for divorce into an action for dissolution of marriage by filing a motion with the court in which the divorce action is pending for conversion of the divorce action.

Allocating parental rights and responsibilities for care of children, including provisions for shared parenting

Provisions for parenting time (visitation rights)

Court mediation of custody disputes

Child support determinations

Calculation of Child Support Obligation

Collection and Disbursement of Child Support

Defaults under Child Support Orders

Duties of Child Support Enforcement Agency

Allocating parental rights and responsibilities for care of children - shared parenting.

Shared parenting order child support provisions.

Deviation from the child support schedule or worksheet.

Factors to be considered in granting a deviation from the child support schedule or worksheet.

Basic child support schedule.

Determining person responsible for health care of children. The court will make an order determining who will care health insurance for the child or children. When a child support order is issued or modified, and the obligor's gross income is one hundred fifty per cent or more of the federal poverty level for an individual, the order shall include the amount of cash medical support to be paid by the obligor that is either five per cent of the obligor's adjusted gross income or the obligor's share of the United States department of agriculture estimated annual health care expenditure per child as determined in accordance with federal law and regulation, whichever is the lower amount. The amount of cash medical support paid by the obligor shall be paid during any period after the court or child support enforcement agency issues or modifies the order in which the children are not covered by private health insurance.

From the Ohio Department of Child and Family Services. Please Note:
This calculator cannot be used to calculate a support obligation for circumstances where the parties have a combined annual gross income below $6,600 or above $150,000. If either of these circumstances apply, you should consider contacting an attorney and/or your local child support enforcement agency.

Applicable to civil litigation process issues in a dissolution. Ohio Rule of Civil Procedure 75 does not apply in dissolution actions.