How is personal property divided in an Ohio divorce?
Equally by default. R.C. 3105.171 directs courts to divide marital property equally unless an equal split would be inequitable, after first classifying each item as marital or separate. Property owned before the marriage or received as a gift or inheritance generally stays separate.
Do Ohio courts require a licensed appraiser for marital property?
No. Judges may rely on a formal appraisal, expert testimony, or values the spouses agree on; the statute prescribes no method. If neither spouse submits value evidence, the court can order an appraisal, which is where a documented, disinterested report becomes the deciding input.
What are household items actually worth in an Ohio divorce?
Fair market value, not what you paid or what replacement would cost. Ohio practitioners note a $2,000 couch might carry a $200 court value, and if spouses cannot agree on division, courts may order items sold and the proceeds split. Vehicles are commonly supported with published guide values.
Is there a deadline to request an independent appraisal in an Ohio divorce?
Local rules can set one. Columbiana County's domestic relations rules, for example, require written notice to the court and opposing party within 30 days after the status conference for any independent appraisal of real, personal, or intangible property. Each spouse also files a sworn inventory valuing assets with the domestic relations court, so appraisal timing should track those court-specific deadlines.