Ohio calls custody the “allocation of parental rights and responsibilities.” A court either names one parent the “residential parent and legal custodian” (sole custody) or approves a “shared parenting” plan that a parent proposes. There’s no 50/50 default and no single statewide standard schedule — everything turns on the child’s best interest. This guide covers the two custody paths, how parenting time and child support work, and how relocation is handled.
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Ohio uses “allocation of parental rights and responsibilities,” not “custody.” The two outcomes are sole custody — one “residential parent and legal custodian” — or “shared parenting,” where both parents are residential parents under a filed plan. Time with the child is “parenting time,” not “visitation.”
Ohio has no equal-time presumption and no statewide standard schedule. Instead, each county’s domestic-relations court adopts its own “standard parenting time” guidelines by local rule, so the fallback schedule depends on the county. The court decides between sole custody and shared parenting — and sets the schedule — based on the child’s best interest.
Sole custody (one “residential parent and legal custodian”) or shared parenting (both parents residential under a filed plan).
Ohio Rev. Code § 3109.04(A)Not a default — a parent must request it and the court must approve the plan as in the child’s best interest.
Ohio Rev. Code § 3109.04(A)(2), (D)(1)None. There’s no equal-time presumption and no statewide standard schedule; the standard comes from county local rules.
Ohio Rev. Code § 3109.04(F); § 3109.051(F)Income-shares — a combined-income basic support schedule, with an automatic 10% reduction once the obligor has 90 or more overnights per year.
Ohio Rev. Code §§ 3119.021, 3119.051A residential parent who intends to move must file a notice of intent to relocate; the court notifies the other parent, who can request a hearing to modify parenting time.
Ohio Rev. Code § 3109.051(G)No notary. The court reviews the plan for the child’s best interest and journalizes it as a decree of shared parenting or an order allocating parental rights.
Ohio Rev. Code § 3109.04(D)(1)The parenting schedule is the foundation of any custody arrangement. Explore the common rotations and build your calendar with Kidtime’s free wizard.
Compare 50/50, 60/40, 70/30 and 80/20 rotations and build the calendar before you commit.
Week-on / week-off — a common equal-time option for an Ohio shared-parenting plan.
An equal-time rotation that keeps the same weekly rhythm — easier for school-age kids.
No. Ohio has no equal-time presumption and no statewide standard schedule. Courts decide between sole custody and shared parenting — and set the parenting-time schedule — on the child’s best interest. An equal schedule is possible under a shared-parenting plan, but it isn’t what the law presumes.
Shared parenting means both parents are “residential parents and legal custodians” under a plan they file with the court. A parent has to request it, and the court must find the plan is in the child’s best interest before approving it. The alternative is sole custody, where one parent is the residential parent and legal custodian.
Ohio uses an income-shares model — both parents’ incomes go on a combined-income basic support schedule (overhauled in 2019). When the paying parent has 90 or more court-ordered overnights per year, the obligation is automatically reduced by 10%, with room for further adjustment at higher overnight counts.
Yes, if you’re the residential parent. You file a notice of intent to relocate with the court, which forwards it to the other parent. The other parent can then ask the court for a hearing to modify parenting time. Ohio governs moves through this notice-and-review process rather than a fixed geographic restriction.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and family law changes. For the controlling text, see Ohio Revised Code Chapters 3109 & 3119, and consult a licensed Ohio family-law attorney about your situation. Last reviewed 2026-07-27.
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