Ohio Divorce Law: Ohio Laws

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

Grounds for Divorce. You must allege at least one of these grounds for divorce in your initial complaint.

The plaintiff in actions for divorce shall have been a resident of the state at least six months immediately before filing the complaint.

Residence of spouse. The defendant does not need to be a resident of Ohio.

If the residence of a defendant in an action for divorce is unknown, notice of the pendency of the action shall be given by publication as provided by the Rules of Civil Procedure. See the official form in the forms box.

Either party to the marriage may file a complaint for divorce and when filed the other may file a counterclaim for divorce The court of common pleas may grant divorces for the causes set forth in section 3105.01 of the Revised Code. Access the form for a counterclaim to a divorce in the forms box.

In divorce proceedings, the court shall determine what constitutes marital property and what constitutes separate property.

Awarding spousal support

Child Support Enforcement Agency to collect spousal support.

An appeal to the court of appeals may be had pursuant to the Rules of Appellate Procedure and, to the extent not in conflict with those rules, Chapter 2505 of the Revised Code.

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

Provision for temporary child custody order while divorce is pending.

Provisions for parenting time (visitation rights)

Court mediation of custody disputes

Court may require parenting classes during divorce.

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

Would institute a presumption in favor of 50-50 custody.

Ohio Capital Journal 11/29/23

Model Parenting Time Schedule

Form, based on the local rule.

Apply to civil litigation process issues in a divorce that are not covered by Rule 75 above.

These changes went into effect Jan. 1, 2016. They codify existing polices of the Franklin County Domestic and Juvenile Courts.

Secretary of State’s Address Confidentiality Program records are exempt from public records law.