Source: https://www.womenslaw.org/laws/oh/divorce
Timestamp: 2020-07-10 06:13:49
Document Index: 403826646

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3105', '§ 3105', '§ 3105', '§ 3105', '§ 3105', '§ 3105', '§ 3105', '§ 3105']

Ohio Divorce | WomensLaw.org
This section has basic information about divorce in Ohio. You will find more information about divorce, including the risks of taking your children out of state while a divorce is pending, on our general Divorce page. To watch brief videos about divorce in Spanish with English sub-titles, go to our Videos page. Lastly, learn more about the court process on our Preparing for Court – By Yourself page.
What are the residency requirements for divorce in Ohio?
Where can I find additional information about divorce in Ohio?
The judge can grant you a divorce in Ohio if you have been a resident of Ohio for at least six months before filing for divorce. The judge can also grant a divorce if your spouse files for divorce, and s/he has been a resident of Ohio for at least six months. It does not matter if your marriage or the cause of your divorce happened in Ohio or outside of Ohio.1
1 OH ST § 3105.03
Grounds are legally acceptable reasons for divorce. A judge can grant you a divorce if your spouse:
was already married when s/he married you;
abandons you for one year;
cheats on you (adultery);
treats you with extreme cruelty;1
enters into marriage with you under fraudulent circumstances;2
“grossly neglects” his/her duties within the marriage;
is imprisoned in a state or federal correctional institution at the time you file for divorce;
gets divorced outside the state without your involvement;3
lives separate and apart from you for a year; or
agrees with you that you are not a compatible couple.1
1 OH ST § 3105.01
2 OH ST § 3105.01; see also Basickas v. Basickas, 114 N.E.2d 270 (OH App. 1953)
3 OH ST § 3105.01; see also Rousculp v. Rousculp, 244 N.E.2d 512 (OH App. 1968)
Alimony (also called spousal support or maintenance) is financial support paid by or to your spouse and can be awarded on a temporary basis during the divorce and on a more permanent basis once a divorce is granted.1 Alimony will stop if either party dies, unless the alimony order says otherwise. To decide the amount of alimony and for how long alimony will be paid, a judge will consider your and your spouse’s:
age, physical, mental, and emotional condition;
ability to have a job outside of the home due to custody of a minor child from the marriage;
assets and liabilities, including any court-ordered payments;
contribution to the education, training, or increased earning capacity of the other spouse, including any contribution to helping the other get a professional degree;
education, training, or job experience to get an appropriate job and the amount of time and money you (the spouse asking for support) would need to get the necessary education, training, or experience;
lost income or earning capacity because of marital responsibilities, such as staying at home or caring for minor children.2
Note: The judge can also consider any other factors that the judge thinks are important to make a decision.2
The judge will assume that both you and your spouse contributed the same amount to any marital income.3
1 OH ST § 3105.18(B)
2 OH ST § 3105.18(C)(1)
3 OH ST § 3105.18(C)(2)
The judge can change your alimony payments if there is:
a change of circumstances for either you or your spouse; and
your divorce decree or separation agreement has a portion that allows a future judge to modify (change) your alimony payments.
A change of circumstances could mean an increase or an involuntary decrease in you or your spouse’s wages, salary, bonuses, living expenses, or medical expenses. The change in circumstances must be:
make the alimony award unreasonable or inappropriate; and
something that wasn’t considered by you and your spouse or by the judge when the original alimony award was issued.
The judge will enforce any voluntary agreement between you and your spouse about modifying spousal support.1
1 OH ST § 3105.18(D)-(F)
Community Legal Aid Services has a brochure about that discusses annulment and legal separation in Ohio.
The Supreme Court of Ohio & Ohio Judicial System provides the following resources:
court forms you may need if you are seeking divorce and do not have children; and
court forms you may need if you are seeking divorce and have children.