How to Make a Parenting Plan in Ohio
What Ohio Courts Actually Require in a Parenting Plan
Whenever parents ask an Ohio court to approve shared parenting, they must file a written parenting plan. In any custody case, the final order sets out where your child lives, who makes major decisions, and how holidays and school breaks are divided for years to come.
Ohio uses two standardized Supreme Court forms depending on your custody arrangement. If both parents share legal custody (called "shared parenting" in Ohio), you'll file Uniform Domestic Relations Form 20. If one parent is designated as the sole residential parent, the plan goes on Form 21. Both forms require the same core components, but Form 20 demands more detail because it governs joint decision-making.
The stakes are real. Vague language — like "reasonable parenting time as agreed" — is the single biggest driver of post-decree conflict in Ohio custody cases. Courts know this, and many county judges will reject plans that lack specific exchange times, holiday rotations, and communication protocols.
Core Components of an Ohio Parenting Plan
Whether you're drafting Form 20 or Form 21, address these core elements, along with child support and medical or dental care:
1. Physical parenting-time schedule. This includes the regular weekly rotation (which nights the child spends with each parent), weekend arrangements, and summer break allocations. Specify exact days and times — "Friday at 6:00 PM to Sunday at 6:00 PM" rather than "every other weekend."
2. Holiday and school-break rotation. Ohio's Planning for Parenting Time guide published by the Supreme Court provides a standard holiday list (Thanksgiving, Christmas/winter break, spring break, summer, and each parent's birthday and Mother's/Father's Day). Most county courts expect you to address every holiday on this list, alternating yearly.
3. Legal decision-making authority. Under shared parenting, both parents must consult and agree on major decisions — medical treatment, educational placement, extracurricular activities, and religious upbringing. Your plan should specify a tie-breaking mechanism when parents disagree (many plans designate one parent as the final decision-maker for a specific category, like education).
4. Residential parent for school purposes. R.C. 3109.04 requires every plan to designate one parent's address as the child's school-enrollment residence. This is an administrative designation — it determines the school district, not decision-making power.
5. Transportation and exchange logistics. Who drives the child to exchanges? Where do exchanges happen? For high-conflict situations, many plans specify a neutral public location (school parking lot, police station, library) rather than either parent's home.
Custom Provisions That Prevent Future Conflict
The core components make your plan workable. The custom provisions are what keep you out of court two years later.
Right of First Refusal. This clause requires the on-duty parent to offer the other parent care before hiring a babysitter or using daycare for extended periods. For this to be enforceable in Ohio, your plan must specify the trigger duration (e.g., "care exceeding 4 hours"), the notice method (text message or a co-parenting app), the response window (e.g., "must reply within 2 hours"), and who handles transportation.
Communication protocols. Specify how parents communicate about the child — co-parenting apps like OurFamilyWizard or AppClose are increasingly common in Ohio courts, especially in high-conflict cases. Some county judges now mandate these apps and restrict direct texting and phone calls between parents.
Expense-splitting formulas. Medical copays, extracurricular fees, school supplies, and travel costs add up. Your plan should specify the split ratio (often proportional to income) and a reimbursement timeline (e.g., "submit receipts within 30 days; reimburse within 14 days").
Relocation notice. Under R.C. 3109.051(G), a parent who intends to move must file a Notice of Intent to Relocate with the court. Your plan can add stricter requirements — many specify a 60-day advance written notice to the other parent, rather than the statutory minimum.
Free Download
Get the Ohio — Parenting Plan Starter Checklist
Everything in this article as a printable checklist — plus action plans and reference guides you can start using today.
County-Specific Rules That Affect Your Plan
Ohio's 88 counties each set their own local rules for parenting plans, and the differences matter. If you're filing in Franklin County, the court has four model schedule options under Local Rule 27.1 — ranging from equal alternating weeks to traditional alternating weekends with midweek visits. Cuyahoga County's Local Rule 18 sets specific return times based on the child's grade level (7:30 PM for preschool, 8:00 PM for K-8, 9:00 PM for high school).
Before drafting your plan, look up your county's domestic relations local rules on the court's website. Many counties publish a standard parenting-time schedule that judges expect you to follow unless you have a compelling reason to deviate.
If parents live more than 90 miles apart (Franklin County's threshold) or 150 miles apart (Hancock County's threshold), the default schedule shifts to long-distance provisions — fewer weekend exchanges, longer summer blocks, and alternating school breaks.
Filing Your Plan: Dissolution vs. Divorce
In a dissolution (uncontested), both parents submit the completed parenting plan along with their joint petition and separation agreement. The court schedules a final hearing between 30 and 90 days after filing under R.C. 3105.64, and both parents must appear to confirm the agreement under oath.
In a divorce (contested), one parent typically proposes a parenting plan in their complaint. The other parent can file a counter-proposal. If the parents can't agree, the court may order mediation or another intervention. If no agreement is reached, the judge decides — and the judge's version often looks nothing like either parent's proposal.
The Ohio Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide walks through every component of Forms 20 and 21 with fill-in worksheets, so you can draft a court-ready plan before your first attorney consultation or mediation session. It covers all the custom provisions discussed here, along with county-specific schedule examples.
Get Your Free Ohio — Parenting Plan Starter Checklist
Download the Ohio — Parenting Plan Starter Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.