OPINION: Ohio needs change in equal shared parenting

May 8, 2026 - 23:49

Mahatma Gandhi famously said, "If the people will lead, the leaders will follow." On many issues, the people are ahead of their leaders. So it is with family law reform in Ohio. For years, mothers and fathers who have gone through divorce or separation have watched the court system favor one parent over the other. The default arrangement often grants one parent sole custody while the other gets limited visitation. That outdated model hurts children.

Research consistently shows that kids thrive when they have meaningful, equal time with both parents. Yet Ohio law still does not presume equal shared parenting as the starting point. Instead, parents must fight expensive legal battles to prove they deserve more than every other weekend. This system drains family finances and deepens conflict between parents who should be cooperating.

The people of Ohio understand this. Poll after poll shows that a majority of voters, regardless of political party, support a legal presumption of equal parenting time. They know that a child needs both a mother and a father actively involved in daily life. The legislature has stalled on this issue for too long, bowing to special interests that profit from family breakdown.

It is time for lawmakers to catch up with the public. Ohio needs a clear law that puts the best interest of the child first. That means starting from a place of equal shared parenting unless there is evidence of abuse or neglect. The people have already led on this issue. Now the leaders need to follow.