Domestic Relations Division

Division Overview

The Domestic Relations Division of the Meigs County Common Pleas Court has jurisdiction over matters involving marriage, divorce, legal separation, annulment, child custody (when the parents are or have been married), parenting time, child support, spousal support, and both domestic violence civil protection orders and dating violence civil protection orders.

The court’s role in these proceedings is to protect the best interests of children and to provide a fair and orderly process for families navigating some of life’s most difficult circumstances, treating all parties with dignity and keeping court processes as clear and accessible as possible.

Divorce Proceedings

Dissolution of Marriage

A dissolution is a form of divorce by complete agreement of the parties. Both spouses sign a separation agreement addressing all property, debt, support, and parenting issues, and jointly file the documents with the court.

Because an agreement is reached prior to filing, a dissolution is generally faster and less adversarial than a contested divorce. The court holds a hearing to confirm that the agreement is fair and equitable to both parties, is in the best interest of any minor children, and was entered into voluntarily.

Legal Separation

A legal separation does not dissolve the marriage but allows the court to formally address property division, support, and parenting matters while the parties remain legally married. Some individuals choose legal separation for religious reasons, to preserve health insurance benefits, or as a step toward divorce.

Annulment

An annulment is a court order declaring that a marriage was never legally valid. Grounds for annulment in Ohio include fraud, bigamy, underage marriage, or a lack of mental capacity at the time of the marriage.

Parenting, Custody & Child Support

When minor children are involved, their welfare is the court’s paramount concern. Ohio law directs the court to determine all parenting matters based on the best interest of the child, considering a broad range of factors related to each child’s physical, emotional, and developmental needs. The Division has jurisdiction over matters involving the minor children of parties who are or were married — including allocation of parental rights and responsibilities and child-support-only matters — even without a divorce pending.

Allocation of parental rights & responsibilities

Ohio law uses the term “allocation of parental rights and responsibilities” rather than “custody” to emphasize the shared obligations of both parents. The court may allocate parental rights in a variety of ways, including:

• Shared parenting — both parents share legal decision-making authority and physical time with the child pursuant to a court-approved shared parenting plan. Shared parenting does not necessarily mean equal time; the schedule is tailored to the family’s circumstances.
• Sole residential parent — one parent is designated the residential parent and legal custodian, responsible for primary day-to-day decisions. The other parent typically receives parenting time on a court-ordered schedule.
• Split parenting — each parent is the primary residential parent of at least one of the children, with parenting time divided so the children spend time together as often as possible while equitably dividing time among the children and parents.

Parenting time

Even when one parent is designated the residential parent, the other parent generally has the right to regular and meaningful parenting time unless there is a demonstrated risk to the child’s safety or wellbeing. The court encourages parents to develop their own written parenting schedules; where they cannot agree, the court will establish one.

A full revision of these guidelines is expected to take effect in fall 2026. Check back before relying on the current version for a hearing, or ask the court office which version applies to your case.

Child support

Both parents have a legal obligation to financially support their children. Child support in Ohio is calculated using a statutory formula based on each parent’s income, the number of children, whether the parties have other children with other partners, parenting time, and the cost of health insurance and childcare. Each case involving children must have an accurate child support worksheet prepared, signed, and filed.

The court enters a child support order in all cases involving minor children where the parents do not reside together — even where the parties agree that no support should be paid. Because the amount is set by law, an accurate, sworn child support worksheet must be prepared, signed, and filed in every case, including when the parties agree to deviate to $0.00 per month. Ohio law allows deviation from guideline support only for certain statutorily permitted reasons.

All child support orders are enforceable by the Meigs County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Failure to pay court-ordered support can result in wage garnishment, license suspension, tax offset, and other enforcement actions, as well as a finding of contempt of court — which can include incarceration and fines.

Civil Protection Orders

The Division has jurisdiction to issue civil protection orders (CPOs) in cases involving domestic violence, including situations where the parties are spouses or intimate partners, former spouses or partners, persons who share a child, or individuals in a current or past dating relationship.

Emergency / ex parte orders

When an individual is in immediate danger, the court may issue an ex parte domestic violence civil protection order on an emergency basis without prior notice to the alleged abuser. (In a criminal case, the comparable emergency order is called a temporary protection order.) This order takes effect immediately and remains in place until a full hearing can be held, typically within a short number of days. The court may issue a comparable ex parte order in dating violence cases.

Full hearing and final order

Both parties are given the opportunity to present evidence and testimony at a full hearing. If the court finds that domestic violence has occurred or is likely to occur, it may issue a final civil protection order lasting up to five years, which may be renewed. In dating-violence cases, the court may issue a protection order with some of the same protections.

A civil protection order may

• Prohibit the respondent from contacting, threatening, or following the protected party or their family — including staying a set distance away from their home, workplace, school, or daycare
• Order the respondent to vacate a shared residence or vehicle
• Grant temporary custody or parenting time arrangements
• Address temporary support obligations

Filing a petition

To request a civil protection order you must:

• Complete the appropriate petition in full, including your own name as petitioner, the names of anyone else you are asking to have protected, and the full name of the respondent
• Give as much identifying information about the respondent as you can. Their full legal name and current address are required; if you know them, also include date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, and any distinguishing features such as birthmarks, tattoos, or piercings
• Complete the Instructions for Service, which tell the Clerk how you want the respondent served. You may list more than one address — home, work, and anywhere else the respondent is often found. Leaving this incomplete may delay your case
• Complete all required affidavits if you are requesting protection for a child, and sign every required form

Forms are available from the Supreme Court of Ohio (below), the Law Library, the public library, and the Clerk of Courts. Court and Clerk personnel are not attorneys and cannot give you legal advice or tell you which form to use. Victim advocates with the Meigs County Victim Assistance Program can explain the process and connect you with support, though they also cannot give legal advice.

The Ohio Supreme Court publishes the standardized forms for all civil protection orders. Some types are filed on the Domestic Relations side and others on the General Division civil side. View the Ohio Supreme Court civil protection order formsopen_in_new(opens in a new tab).

Spousal Support

Spousal support (alimony) is a payment ordered by the court from one spouse to the other during or after a divorce or legal separation. Ohio courts do not apply a formula for spousal support; instead, the court considers a broad range of factors — including the length of the marriage, each spouse’s earning ability and education, the standard of living established during the marriage, and the contributions of each spouse to the marriage, including homemaking and caring for children.

Spousal support orders may be temporary (during the pendency of the case) or long-term, and may be subject to modification where the court retains jurisdiction to modify the order.

Representing Yourself in Domestic Relations Court

Some individuals choose to represent themselves in domestic relations proceedings. The court recognizes that not everyone has the resources to hire an attorney and strives to make the process as understandable as possible for self-represented parties.

While court staff can provide general information about procedures and forms, court employees are not permitted to give legal advice, tell you how to fill out your forms, or advise you on what arguments to make. If your case involves children, significant property (such as vehicles, real estate, or retirement), or a protection order, you are strongly encouraged to consult with an attorney before proceeding.

Free or low-cost legal help may be available through Ohio Legal Helpopen_in_new(opens in a new tab) and the Legal Aid Society of Southeastern and Central Ohio (LASCO)open_in_new(opens in a new tab).

Communicating with the Court

Courtroom & Staff

The following court staff support the Domestic Relations Division. Each person’s full duties and contact details are in the staff directory.

• Jeremy Fisherchevron_right

  Magistrate — child support matters

• Amanda Reed-Faulkchevron_right

  Assignment Commissioner; Financial Clerk

• Andrea VanInwagenchevron_right

  Official Court Reporter

• Jim Heaterchevron_right

  Court Bailiff; Courthouse Security Director

Contact & Hours