Ohio Divorce Forms: Every Document You Need to File

The Supreme Court of Ohio provides free, standardized domestic relations forms on its website. The forms themselves cost nothing. What costs people time and money is filing the wrong combination, skipping a county-specific addendum, or submitting them in the wrong order.

Here's exactly which forms you need, what each one does, and where people get tripped up.

The Core Affidavits (Required in Every Case)

Regardless of whether you're filing for divorce or dissolution, you'll need these sworn financial disclosures:

Affidavit 1 — Income and Expenses: Discloses all gross income sources, monthly expenses, and public benefits. The court uses this to calculate child support and spousal support. Both parties must file it.

Affidavit 2 — Property and Debt: Itemizes every marital and separate asset, every liability, retirement accounts, real estate, and their current values. This is the foundation of property division under Ohio's equitable distribution rules (R.C. 3105.171).

Affidavit 3 — Parenting Proceeding Affidavit: Required when minor children are involved. Discloses the children's residential history for the past five years and any prior or pending custody disputes (R.C. 3127.23).

Affidavit 4 — Health Insurance Affidavit: Details available health insurance coverage through either parent's employer. Also required only for cases with children.

Divorce-Specific Forms

Form 6 — Complaint for Divorce Without Children: The opening pleading that starts a unilateral divorce when no minor children are involved. States your grounds for divorce under R.C. 3105.01.

Form 7 — Complaint for Divorce With Children: Same as Form 6, but includes requests for custody, parenting time, and child support.

Form 5 — Motion for Temporary Orders: Optional but common. Requests temporary custody, parenting time, spousal support, or bill payments while the case is pending (Civil Rule 75(N)).

After service, the defendant uses Form 10 or 11 (Answer) and optionally Form 8 or 9 (Counterclaim) within 28 days.

Dissolution-Specific Forms

Form 17 — Petition for Dissolution: The joint petition both spouses file together. Since dissolution is cooperative, there is no defendant and no service of process.

Form 19 — Separation Agreement: The binding contract dividing all assets, debts, and support obligations. Must be signed by both spouses before filing the petition — incomplete agreements are a leading cause of dissolution dismissals.

Forms 20/21 — Parenting Plan: Required when children are involved. Spells out the custody schedule, holiday rotation, decision-making authority, and communication protocols.

The Fee Waiver Form

Form 20 (Civil): If you can't afford the filing fee, this sworn financial disclosure asks the court to waive the upfront deposit. Under R.C. 2323.311, if your income is at or below 187.5% of the federal poverty guidelines, the waiver must be granted. Note: this waives prepayment, not the final court costs assessed at the end of the case.

County-Specific Forms — Don't Skip These

The Supreme Court forms are statewide, but most counties require their own additional paperwork:

• Hamilton County: Questionnaire (CDR Form 1.1), Mandatory Disclosure Order (CDR Form 1.26), and Administrative Restraining Order (CDR Form 19.0) that freezes marital assets.
• Franklin County: Certificate of Assignment to route the case to the correct judge.
• Lorain County: Requires single-sided printing only — double-sided submissions are rejected at the counter.

Check your county clerk's website for local requirements. The clerk's office is legally barred from telling you which forms you're missing or how to fill them out — they can only accept or reject your submission.

Common Form Mistakes That Delay Cases

Missing notarization: Affidavits 1 through 4 must be notarized. An unsigned or un-notarized affidavit gets your entire filing rejected.

Incomplete Separation Agreements: Vague custody language, missing holiday schedules, or unaddressed retirement accounts are grounds for the court to reject a dissolution petition. If you're dividing a pension or 401(k), you'll also need a separate Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) — the Separation Agreement alone doesn't transfer retirement funds.

Wrong copy count: Hamilton County requires the original plus three or four sets. Other counties have different requirements. Show up with insufficient copies and you'll be sent home to reprint.

The Ohio Divorce Filing Process Guide includes a county-specific form checklist and assembly instructions that walk you through every document in the correct filing order — so your first trip to the courthouse is your last.

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