Local Rule 25.3

ALLOCATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITY

PARENTING SESSIONS & CHILDREN’S WORKSHOPS – ATTENDANCE REQUIRED

All parents involved in new cases, pending cases, and post-decree motions filed in Crawford County Common Pleas Court, which involve the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities of minor children shall be required to attend parenting sessions. Their minor children between the ages of four and thirteen, inclusive, shall be required to attend children’s workshops.

25.3 (A)

After the filing of a complaint for divorce or a petition for dissolution of marriage in which minor children are involved, and before said action will be set for hearing, any party seeking allocation of parental rights and responsibilities, parenting time, and both parties seeking dissolution shall attend two (2) 1.5 hour sessions on parenting sponsored by the Court of Common Pleas of Crawford County, Ohio, Domestic Relations in cooperation with the Community Counseling Services, Inc. Each child of said parties shall be required to attend two (2) 1.5 hour sessions of a children’s workshop.

25.3 (B)

Before any motion for reallocation of parental rights and responsibilities will be set for hearing, the party who is seeking the change shall attend the above referenced parenting sessions if they have not done so in the past two years.

25.3 (C)

A certificate of attendance shall be issued to each participant and a copy of the same filed and docketed in each domestic relations case in which attendance is required. Until the certificate of attendance is issued and filed with the Clerk of Court, the Court will take no action.

25.3 (D)

The fee for attendance at said parenting sessions shall be established by the Judge of the Common Pleas Court, General Division, and said fee shall be paid to Community Counseling Services, Inc. prior to the date of the first session.

25.3 (E)

In the event that parties having previously attended such parenting sessions find it necessary to file a post-decree motion, said motion shall be set for hearing providing attendance at the parenting sessions has been completed within two years prior to the filing of said motion. Prior to setting said motion for hearing, the Assignment Commissioner shall verify attendance by checking the prior docket entries to ascertain whether a certificate of attendance is on file and if, in fact, it was within the two-year requirement. If more than two years have elapsed, it will be necessary that both parties attend the parenting sessions prior to the case being set for hearing.

25.3 (F)

In each case in which parents are required to attend parenting sessions, the parent designated as the temporary residential parent in a divorce or dissolution, or each parent in a shared parenting situation, shall enroll children between the ages of four and thirteen, inclusive, in the appropriate children’s workshop (Ages 4-8 or 9-13) at the time they register for parenting sessions. There is no cost for these workshops.

25.3 (G)

The Court may waive the above attendance requirements upon proper verification that attendance would not address the actual problem.

Updated: April 1, 2001

25.3 (D) Amended: September 22, 2006