Family courts continue to reconsider how parenting time should be divided after separation while preserving meaningful involvement from both parents. In Harrison County, Ohio, a recently adopted local rule moves the county away from the traditional every-other-weekend model and toward a schedule that can provide children with nearly equal time with each parent.
According to the 2023 National Parents Organization Ohio Parenting Time Rules Report, 45 of Ohio’s 88 counties still use local rules that default to versions of the older schedule, typically giving one parent alternating weekends and limited weekday time. Harrison County was among those counties in 2020, but the approach changed the following year when Judge T. Shawn Hervey adopted a revised parenting time rule for the Harrison County Court of Common Pleas.
Nearly equal parenting time
Under the updated rule, children can spend nearly equal time and nearly equal numbers of overnight stays with both parents, provided that both parents are able to handle transportation to and from school. The practical difference is significant because the schedule gives both parents more involvement in ordinary daily responsibilities. That can include preparing meals, helping children get ready for school, providing clothing, supervising homework and taking part in the routines that make up everyday family life.
The National Parents Organization article supporting the change points to research indicating that children whose separated parents remain substantially involved in their upbringing generally experience stronger outcomes than children raised under arrangements where one parent has much more limited time. The article argues that the long-term effects associated with divorce are often connected less to separation itself than to the loss of regular contact with one parent.
The Harrison County rule does not mean that an equal schedule will work for every family. School transportation, work schedules and individual circumstances can all affect whether such an arrangement is practical. The updated framework instead makes a more balanced schedule an option that families can consider from the beginning rather than automatically starting with a highly limited arrangement for one parent.
Part of a broader shift in Ohio
The Harrison County change is part of a wider discussion taking place across Ohio about how local courts structure parenting time after divorce.
National Parents Organization previously reviewed county parenting rules in 2018 and 2020, and its 2023 report identifies continued movement toward schedules that maintain active participation from both parents. Harrison County stands out because it shifted from the older alternating-weekend structure to a much more balanced arrangement within a relatively short period.
Ohio still does not have a statewide statutory presumption in favor of shared parenting, which means local court rules continue to play an important role in the framework families encounter.
For Harrison County families, the revised rule gives greater weight to shared responsibility for school days, evenings, and other routine parts of childhood. The change represents a significant adjustment in the county’s approach to post-separation parenting, with the central aim of keeping both parents involved in the practical work of raising their children.