Ohio divorce at a glance
Residency requirement
6 months in Ohio (90 days in county for venue)
No-fault ground
Dissolution (joint petition, everything agreed): no fault ground needed; hearing 30-90 days after filing, both spouses must appear. Divorce no-fault grounds: incompatibility (unless denied) or living separate 1 year. Residency: 6 months in Ohio; county venue…
Filing fee
$200-$420, varies by county (dissolution often slightly cheaper than divorce). Fee waiver: poverty affidavit, county-specific form.
Child support
Income shares (ORC 3119) — JFS 07767 Basic Child Support Schedule, JFS 07768 Sole/Shared Parenting Child Support Computation Worksheet, JFS 07769 Split Parenting Worksheet; official calculator at…
E-filing (self-represented)
NO statewide system — county-by-county. Cuyahoga DR court has optional e-filing open to pro se; Franklin County Clerk has its own system; many counties paper-only for SRLs. Must be handled per-county.
County differences
HIGH — 88 counties, each DR court has local rules + supplemental local forms (local affidavits, IV-D forms, parenting-class certificates, judgment-entry formatting) on top of the uniform forms. Biggest engineering pain…
Official statewide forms
YES — Supreme Court of Ohio Uniform Domestic Relations Forms (mandated; courts must accept them). Dissolution track (Ohio's joint no-fault vehicle): Form 17 Petition for Dissolution + Waiver of Service, Form 18…
Official source: Ohio court forms & self-help. Always confirm current forms and fees with the court before filing.
Coming soon
Ohio document generation is on the way
LawCat already prepares complete divorce packets free in New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, and is expanding to Ohio. In the meantime, the official Ohio court forms are linked below.
Official Ohio forms →
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Why LawCat is free
Most “online divorce” sites charge $137–$499 for the same public court forms, and some add monthly fees. LawCat gives document preparation away because it is built by a law firm that helps people who later decide they want an attorney. You keep the free documents either way.
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Ohio divorce FAQ
Do I need a lawyer to get divorced in Ohio?
No. Ohio allows you to file for divorce yourself (pro se). LawCat prepares your Ohio divorce documents free, and you pay only the court’s filing fee. You can hire an attorney at any point if your case becomes complicated.
How long do I have to live in Ohio to file for divorce?
6 months in Ohio (90 days in county for venue)
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Ohio?
$200-$420, varies by county (dissolution often slightly cheaper than divorce). Fee waiver: poverty affidavit, county-specific form. With LawCat your documents are free, so the filing fee is typically your only unavoidable cost — and it can often be waived if you can’t afford it.
This page is general information about Ohio’s court process, not legal advice for your situation, and LawCat is not a law firm. Forms and fees change — verify with the official court source above. Reviewed 2026.