Delaware County Domestic Relations Judge Randall Fuller, who was reelected earlier this month, said Monday he’s thankful for the support as he heads into his second term with the court.

The Delaware County Board of Elections’ unofficial results report Fuller received 69,142 votes during the Nov. 8 election. He ran unopposed. His next six-year term begins Jan. 1.

“I am very thankful and blessed to be reelected as judge of the Delaware County Common Pleas Court, Domestic Relations Division,” Fuller said. “As a lifelong Delaware County resident, it is extra special and a great honor to be reelected as a judge. I am also thankful for the support of my family and especially my wife, Jennifer, for all she has done and continues to do to support me. Without the support of my family, I would not be where I am today.”

Fuller has been the domestic relations judge since 2017. He said the court has gone through “tremendous change and improvements” in the last six years.

“We started by moving into the new courthouse in November of 2017,” Fuller said. “At that time, we were able to bring all of the Domestic Relations staff together and create a unified Domestic Relations Court system. We have experienced change in just about everything that we do.”

Fuller said the court has created several programs to help families resolve their disputes.

“These court programs provide families the tools to reduce conflict and focus on what is best for their minor children,” he said.

Fuller said the court created the Settlement Week Program for domestic relations courts in Ohio. The program brings parties together with mediators at a reduced fee and allows for certain cases to be resolved quickly or advanced to their next step depending on circumstances.

Fuller reported earlier this year that during a settlement week in May, 46% of cases reached full agreements and 31% of cases reached a partial agreement.

“The program has been very successful, and we have helped other counties duplicate our successful Settlement Week Program,” Fuller said.

“Next, we created a Neutral Evaluation Program that gives families the opportunity to tell their side of a case to a neutral two-person panel,” Fuller continued. “The panel then gives a recommendation of the possible court outcomes and then assists the family to achieve agreement and resolution of their case.”

Fuller said another new initiative is the only Co-Parent Coaching court program in Ohio.

“This new and evolving program assists families to reduce conflict and increase effective communication, thus creating a better long-term environment for the minor children,” Fuller said.

Looking ahead, Fuller said he has several goals for his next term.

“I plan to continue to improve and expand our court programs, helping families while they are going through one of the most difficult times in their lives,” he said. “Not only do these court programs help resolve disagreements, they also prevent future disagreements and create a better environment for the minor children. This is very beneficial to the families but also to the court and Delaware County, as it saves resources needed to have trials and further litigation.”

Fuller said he plans to continue his involvement with judicial and domestic relations organizations.

Currently, he is the president-elect of the Ohio Association of Domestic Relations Judges, and he serves on the Executive Committee of the Ohio Judicial Conference (OJC) and on several OJC committees. Fuller said he was recently appointed to the Ohio Judicial College Board of Trustees and is the immediate past president of the Ohio Chapter of Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

“I have learned a great deal from my involvement in these organizations,” Fuller said. “I have also developed many professional connections that assist us to continually improve the Delaware County Domestic Relations Court, while always focusing on what is in the best interest of the minor children.”

Fuller added the court wouldn’t be where it is today without the dedication of the staff and willingness of attorneys to adapt to the changes instituted over the years.

“I am thankful to be working with a great team that has risen to every challenge that we have faced in our first six years as a newly unified Domestic Relations Division,” he said. “I am also grateful to all of the attorneys that practice in the Domestic Relations Court. There have been many changes and improvements over the last six years. The domestic relations attorneys have done a great job adapting to the improvements and have been a meaningful part of our progress.”

More information about Fuller and the court can be found at https://www.co.delaware.oh.us/court/domestic/.