Tools for Columbus Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Columbus families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Custody cases in Columbus move through the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch, and many of the parents in them handle at least part of the case without a lawyer. For guardians ad litem, family therapists, and mediators, that usually means sorting fact from feeling before any real work can start. This page shows what the parents you work with can use on FamilyCourtHelp.com to come to you organized.

Area covered: Franklin County.

Court for custody cases: Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch.

Appointed for the child: Guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Depends on the county or judge.

Parenting coordinators: Set by state law or court rule (Sup.R. 90 through 90.12).

Parenting class: Depends on the county or judge.

State family law: Ohio Revised Code Title 31 - Domestic Relations.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For guardians ad litem in Columbus

In Ohio, the court can appoint a guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

The parents decide what you see. One of them can add you to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, and once you accept with a free account you can read the thread, post in it, and follow schedule requests on the shared calendar. A shared parenting plan opens to you for reading and comments.

For therapists and counselors in Columbus

For court-involved therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Columbus, the site stays on the parents' side of the line: there is no therapist seat and no access to a family's account. What it changes is what walks into the room. Parents write to each other in one time-stamped thread, and the Tone Meter in the free messenger offers a calmer version of a message before it goes out.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Columbus

In Ohio, custody mediation is set county by county. Parenting coordinators are set by state law or court rule (Sup.R. 90 through 90.12). The details are in the FAQ below.

A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link and share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on, so you see the draft and the open issues before the first session in Columbus. Between sessions, agreements stay in writing in the one thread, and schedule changes go through the shared calendar as requests the other parent approves or declines.

Parenting coordinators can be added to a shared plan as a viewer who reads and comments.

Family court programs in Columbus

Custody cases in Columbus are heard in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

The clerk e-filing system covers Domestic Relations and Juvenile cases.

Dispute Resolution Department mediation: When the court orders mediation, parents contact the court's Dispute Resolution Department for intake, screening, and scheduling.

Parenting coordination: The court publishes parenting coordination information and an application through its dispute resolution services.

Seminar for separating parents (Local Rule 26): Parents in divorce, legal separation, or dissolution cases with minor children must attend a court-sponsored seminar within 45 days before or after filing or service. The case cannot go to final hearing until this is done, unless the court waives it for good cause.

If you searched for a guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Columbus, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Columbus: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Franklin: Self-Represented Resource Center, (614) 525-7531. Walk-in center where staff help low-income people without a lawyer prepare divorce, custody, and child support paperwork.

Franklin legal aid: Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, (888) 246-4420.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Columbus?

This court hears divorce, dissolution, legal separation, parentage, custody, and support cases for Columbus and Franklin County.

Is there a court mediation program in Columbus?

Yes. Families with a case in the local court can use the Dispute Resolution Department mediation. What it offers, and the official link, are in the family court programs section above.

Where can parents in Columbus get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Self-Represented Resource Center. Free legal aid: Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Columbus?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session. Families with a case in the local court can ask about the Dispute Resolution Department mediation.

What does a guardian ad litem do in a Columbus custody case?

Ohio courts appoint a guardian ad litem to help the court decide what is in a child's best interest. Statewide court rules set GAL training and report duties in domestic relations and juvenile cases. You may also see "GAL". The rule is in Sup.R. 48 through 48.07. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Ohio?

When parents do not agree on parenting, an Ohio court may order them to mediate under that court's local rules. The court must first consider any history of domestic violence or child abuse. Many county domestic relations courts run their own mediation office.

Does Ohio use parenting coordinators?

Ohio has statewide court rules for parenting coordination. A court can order it to help parents carry out an existing parenting order. It is not the same as mediation.

Do parents in Ohio have to take a parenting class?

State law lets a court require parents to attend parenting classes or counseling before it decides parenting issues. Many county courts, including Franklin and Cuyahoga, require a seminar for separating parents by local rule.