Residency Requirement

• To obtain a divorce in Ohio the person that files the petition must have lived in Ohio for the six months preceding the filing.
  
  

No Fault Divorce

• Ohio recognizes no fault divorces, which means that the parties are dissolving the marriage though neither party is being blamed for the divorce. The only requirement for a no fault divorce is that the parties live apart without cohabitation for one year.
  
  

Fault - Grounds for Divorce

• The other grounds for divorce in Ohio are bigamy, voluntary abscense of one year, adultery, extreme cruelty (abuse), fraudulent contract, gross neglect of duty, habitual drunkenness and incarceration.
  
  

Name Change

• In Ohio, the court must give you your original name if you request the change and you are not changing your name to defraud creditors.
  
  

Equitable Distribution

• Ohio practices equitable distribution when dividing marital property. Among the factors the court will consider in determining a fair distribution of the property are each party's contribution to the property, the salaries of the parties and the length of the marriage.
  
  

Spousal Support

• What is commonly referred to as alimony is called spousal support in Ohio. Spousal support will be awarded when the resources of the parties are substantially unequal and it is determined to be necessary for the support of one of the parties.