Domestic Relations Court
Department Head
Honorable Judge Beth A. Smith
"It is my hope that through the extensive information available on this website, you will gain greater access to your Court and an increased understanding of the way the Court operates."
- Judge Beth A. Smith
About Judge Beth A. Smith
Judge Beth A. Smith was first elected Judge of the Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court in November of 1996. She was re-elected to the bench in November 2002 without opposition. In November of 1988, Judge Smith became the first woman elected as a Judge in the history of Mahoning County when she was elected as a Judge of the Mahoning County Area Court, initially assigned to Sebring. Judge Smith graduated from South Range High School in 1974 and she obtained her B.A. Degree from The Ohio State University in 1978. She obtained her Law Degree from Ohio Northern University in 1983. The protection of children from the stresses of divorce and the enforcement of child support remain Judge Smith's top priorities.
Mission Statement:
“The Mission of the Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court continues to be to serve the people of Mahoning County by minimizing the time, costs and stress of resolving Family Law Disputes with an emphasis on protecting the children of divorced parents from potential harm inherent in the divorce process and ensuring their support.”
What We Do:
Under O.R.C. 3105, the Domestic Relations Court has original and exclusive jurisdiction to hear and grant divorces, legal separations, annulments and dissolutions of marriage, and to grant broad equitable relief arising out of such actions in the form of spousal support and divisions of property. Under O.R.C. 3111.06, the Court also has original jurisdiction to determine the parentage of a child the issue of whose paternity arises during the course of a domestic relations case. Under O.R.C. 3109 and 3119, the Court's jurisdictional authority is extended to making allocations of parental rights and responsibilities that are in the best interests of children, and ordering child support and medical expense coverages for said children. O.R.C. 3109.052 specifically extends the Court's authority to ordering the mediation of differences as to the allocation or parental rights and responsibilities. Then Court is further vested with authority to enforce its orders. Under O.R.C. 3113.31, the Court is further vested with authority to issue and enforce Domestic Violence Civil Protection Orders. Under O.R.C. 3117, the Court is empowered to order conciliation of marital controversies.
Revenue Source:
The Domestic Relations Court is fully funded by the General Fund.
Current number of employees: 12
If fully staffed, the Number of Employees would be: 15
Court News
November 4, 2006: JUDGE SMITH RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD:
Judge Smith with Margaret Wuwert & Nancy Moore of the Children's Right's Council
Judge Smith was recently the proud recipient of the Chief Justice Warren E. Burger Healer Award in Washington, D.C. at the 20th annual Children's Rights Conference. The Children's Rights Council is an international nonprofit organization devoted to the healthy development of children. The award is presented to judges who promote mediation over litigation and promote healing after the breakup of a relationship.
October 1 , 2006: LOCAL COURT RULES AND FORMS AMENDED:
Following the period afforded for comments to the proposed amendments and revisions to the Local Rules of Court and many of the Court's standard forms, the same have been approved and are effective October 1, 2006. The principle goals of the changes have been to better protect the privacy of litigants and to improve the efficiency of the proceedings. As a result of the changes, the Social Security Numbers and Dates of Birth of parties will no longer appear on the captions of pleadings. Such information will only appear on the new "Family Information Sheet". To view or download the Amended Rules and Forms, click on the designated Links.
About Our Court
Full Time Magistrates and Staff Attorney: In 1997, Judge Smith became the first member of the Special Divisions of the Common Pleas Bench to employ Full Time Magistrates to expedite decision-making and to better serve the public. She also employed a Staff Attorney to insure that Court decisions are well supported and reflect the current state of the law. Click here to meet the Court's Magistrates and Staff Attorney.
Family Services Department: In March 1998, Judge Smith established a Family Services Department to make the Court family friendly.
Hope House Visitation Center: In January 1999, Judge Smith joined with the late Juvenile Judge James McNally to become an early planner and strong supporter of the Hope House Visitation Center Project. The Court continues to provide financial support for this important program.
For Our Children: In April 2001, Judge Smith secured a $2,500.00 Grant from the Ohio Supreme Court to establish an Educational Program for children of families going through divorce.
Mediation: In October 2001, Judge Smith made Mediation mandatory for most families with parenting disputes, a program that has experienced great success and which earned Judge Smith recognition from The Vindicator as one of the Mahoning Valley's "People Who Made a Difference."
Pro-Se Divorce Program: Judge Smith has worked cooperatively with Northeast Ohio Legal Services to make no cost divorces available to qualifying persons with limited financial resources.
Domestic Violence: Petitions for Domestic Violence are given special priority by the Court, which works cooperatively with the VALU program of Northeast Ohio Legal Services to assist victims of domestic violence.