New Time Standards Address Timely Resolution of Cases

The Supreme Court of Ohio has approved updated time standards for trial courts to process cases. The new standards are based on evaluation and assessment of the current caseload and performance measures in consultation with judicial officers, court administrators, and other local court staff.

Amendments to the time standards under Rule 39 of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio for domestic relations, general division, juvenile, and municipal and county courts will take effect Jan. 1, 2026. See the forms and FAQs here. The probate court time standards were adopted but the effective date will be determined at a later date pending completion of the ongoing work of the Advisory Committee on Case Management to develop a modified caseload reporting structure. See summary of all changes here.

The current time standards establish that 100% of cases should be resolved within a specified time period. The updated standards change that performance target to 95%, recognizing there will be a small number of cases that will require more time to resolve. The cases will still be monitored to ensure they proceed without unnecessary delay. In addition, the case types with statutory time standards will remain at 100%. Those cases are ones involving abuse, neglect, and dependency, permanent custody, and dissolutions of marriages with and without children.

The time standards haven’t been adjusted since their adoption in 1973. These revisions developed by the advisory committee set a reasonable expectation for when a case should be resolved. The change to the 95% performance target for most case types reflects the real challenges courts face throughout the state for timely case processing. Holding parties and attorneys to these time standards ensures cases don’t linger in the courts and helps build public trust and confidence in the judicial system.

For questions about the time standard changes for 2026, attend our webinar on June 10, 2025, by registering here.  For additional questions, please contact Chris Geocaris, manager of the Supreme Court Case Management Section at casemgmt@sc.ohio.gov.