Child Support in Adams County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026

Adams County, Ohio · West Union

Adams County calculates child support using Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares Model — there is no county-specific formula. Where you file depends on the parents' relationship: married or divorcing parents resolve support inside the Domestic Relations case, while never-married parents file in the Adams County Juvenile Court (a separate case per child) after paternity is established. The Adams County CSEA — (937) 544-5155 or toll-free (800) 840-5711, at 482 Rice Drive, West Union — establishes, collects, distributes, and enforces orders, and an AC-202 account setup is required in every case involving children.

How is child support established in Adams County, Ohio?

Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov, print, and sign the worksheet — Adams County uses the statewide 2024 Income Shares Model. Married or divorcing parents file the worksheet, SC Affidavit 1, SC Affidavit 4, an AC-202 CSEA Account Setup Sheet, and JFS 07076 inside their divorce or dissolution. Never-married parents open a Juvenile case (Complaint for Parentage, Allocation & Parenting Time, Juvenile SC Form 23) with the same financial documents — the Juvenile filing runs about $125 plus a $105 parentage cost and a $50 mediation fee, far less than the DR schedule. To change an existing order, file the SC Form 28 motion or ask the Adams County CSEA for an administrative review.

Ohio Child Support by the Numbers

2024 Year Ohio's updated Income Shares support schedule took effect Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3119.021
10% Change in the calculated amount that justifies a modification Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3119.79
3 years How often either parent can request an administrative review Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3119.60
Age 18 When support normally ends — or high-school graduation, whichever is later Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3119.86

What Counts in an Ohio Child Support Calculation

What the worksheet counts	Counts toward support?	Notes
Both parents' gross income	Yes	Wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, and self-employment earnings
Health insurance for the children	Yes	Credited to the parent who pays the premium
Work-related childcare	Yes	Daycare and after-school costs are added in
Parenting time	Yes	Adjustments apply for substantial or equal parenting time
Imputed income	Sometimes	Added when a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed
A new spouse's income	No	Only the two parents' incomes are counted

Where to File: Adams County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division

110 West Main Street, West Union, OH 45693, West Union, OH 45693
Phone: (937) 544-2921
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed legal holidays)
Website: www.adamscountycourts.com/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Adams County Juvenile Court
110 West Main Street, West Union, OH 45693, West Union, OH 45693
Phone: (937) 544-2921
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed legal holidays)

Child Support is the right path if…

You need a first child-support order, or your circumstances have changed enough to revisit one.
You and the other parent were never married and need to open a Juvenile support case.
Income, parenting time, health-insurance, or child-care costs have shifted since the last order.
You want the Adams County CSEA to collect and enforce support through wage withholding.

Filing Fees

Juvenile new filing ~$125 + ~$105 parentage cost + $50 Mediation Fund fee · DR support is part of the divorce/dissolution deposit ($350 with children) · DR post-decree change $100 · Pay Juvenile costs by cash, money order, or card (no personal checks) — confirm with the Clerk.

Forms & Filing Packets

New support case — never-married parents (Juvenile Court) — ~$125 new filing + ~$105 parentage cost + $50 Mediation Fund fee

Open a Juvenile case for each child. Paternity must be established before support can be ordered.

Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities and Parenting Time (Juvenile SC Form 23) — Opens a new Juvenile case for never-married parents — establishing parentage and asking the court to allocate custody, parenting time, and support. A separate case is filed for each child.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA. Required in any case involving minor children.
Affidavit of Income & Expenses (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own. Must be notarized.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask the court to set or change support.
Adams County CSEA Account Setup Sheet (AC-202) — Opens the support account with the Adams County Child Support Enforcement Agency. Required in every case involving children — even if no child support is requested.
Application for Child Support Services (JFS 07076) — The Ohio child-support services application that opens a IV-D case with the Adams County CSEA. Brought to the final hearing in a dissolution; filed with the packet in contested cases.
Authorization for Background Search (AC-007) — Required for each household resident over 18 in a Juvenile parentage/custody case. Paired with Sheriff-run FBI and Ohio BCI background checks submitted to the court.
Notice of Appearance (AC-001) — Filed by attorneys and any unrepresented spouse/party to enter the case. Required on every Adams County family-law filing.
Praecipe (Request) for Service (AC-005) — Tells the Clerk how to serve the other party (certified mail, Sheriff, or publication). Required when service is needed.

Support inside a divorce or dissolution (married parents) — Part of the divorce/dissolution deposit ($350 with children)

When parents are married, support is decided inside the Domestic Relations case. File the worksheet and financial affidavits with that packet.

Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time the court sets or changes support.
Affidavit of Income & Expenses (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own. Must be notarized.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.
Adams County CSEA Account Setup Sheet (AC-202) — Opens the support account with the Adams County Child Support Enforcement Agency. Required in every case involving children — even if no child support is requested.
Application for Child Support Services (JFS 07076) — The Ohio child-support services application that opens a IV-D case with the Adams County CSEA. Brought to the final hearing in a dissolution; filed with the packet in contested cases.

Change an existing support order — $100 DR post-decree deposit (lower Juvenile schedule in Juvenile cases)

File a motion to change child support, medical support, or the tax exemption after a change of circumstances. File in the division that issued the order.

Motion for Change of Child Support (Ohio SC Form 28) — The Ohio uniform motion to change child support, medical support, or the tax exemption after a change of circumstances. File in the division that issued the order.
Affidavit of Income & Expenses (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own. Must be notarized.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time the court sets or changes support.

Open or enforce a case through CSEA — No court deposit — CSEA application

Apply for IV-D services so the Adams County CSEA can collect, distribute, and enforce support through wage withholding, tax intercept, and license actions.

Application for Child Support Services (JFS 07076) — The Ohio child-support services application that opens a IV-D case with the Adams County CSEA. Brought to the final hearing in a dissolution; filed with the packet in contested cases.
Adams County CSEA Account Setup Sheet (AC-202) — Opens the support account with the Adams County Child Support Enforcement Agency. Required in every case involving children — even if no child support is requested.

How to File Child Support in Adams County

Run the Ohio worksheet. Use ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov with both parents' gross incomes, parenting time, health-insurance, and child-care numbers; print and sign it.
Pick the right court. Married/divorcing parents file inside the Domestic Relations case; never-married parents open a Juvenile case for each child after paternity is established.
Assemble the financial packet. Include the signed worksheet, SC Affidavit 1 (Income & Expenses), SC Affidavit 4 (Health Insurance), AC-202 CSEA setup, and JFS 07076.
File and set up CSEA. File with the Clerk and pay the applicable deposit; the Adams County CSEA opens the account and arranges wage withholding once the order is journalized.
To change support, file a motion. Use the SC Form 28 motion with updated income proof, or request a CSEA administrative review when income or circumstances have changed.

Adams County Practice Notes

Statewide formula, county agency. Support is computed on Ohio's 2024 Income Shares Model using the official calculator — there is no Adams County formula. The Adams County CSEA (937) 544-5155 / (800) 840-5711 then sets up the account, collects, and enforces.
AC-202 is required in every case with children. Adams County requires the AC-202 CSEA Account Setup Sheet in all cases involving children — even when no child support is requested — so the agency can administer any future order.
Never-married cases run through Juvenile Court — and cost less. For unmarried parents, support is set in the Juvenile Court on its lower schedule (~$125 + ~$105 + $50 mediation), not the $350 Domestic Relations figure. A separate case is filed for each child and paternity must be established first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Adams County CSEA do and how do I reach it?: The Adams County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) locates absent parents, establishes and modifies support orders, helps establish paternity, distributes payments, and enforces orders through wage withholding. Director Angie Malott; phone (937) 544-5155 or toll-free (800) 840-5711; 482 Rice Drive, P.O. Box 386, West Union, OH 45693. Set up a court account with Form AC-202 and apply for services using JFS 07076.
I was never married to my child's other parent — where do I file for custody or child support?: In the Adams County Juvenile Court. File a separate case for each child — a complaint if no case exists yet, or a motion if one does. Paternity must be established before custody or support can be ordered, and you'll need the AC-007 Authorization for Background Search plus FBI and Ohio BCI background checks for each household member over 18, and a certified copy of the child's birth certificate.
How much does a Juvenile (never-married) custody or support case cost in Adams County?: The Juvenile Court uses a separate, lower schedule than Domestic Relations: a new filing is about $125, with Custody/Visitation/Parentage court costs of about $105, and an Unmarried-Mother Custody Order about $50 — plus a $50 Mediation Fund fee on each filing. (The $350 "new custody/support/visitation" figure applies on the Common Pleas/Domestic Relations schedule, not in Juvenile Court.) Pay by cash, money order, or credit/debit — no personal checks. Deposits must be paid before pleadings are accepted; ask about a payment plan or fee waiver.
What is a IV-D application and why do I need one?: A IV-D Application (JFS 07076) opens a child-support case with the Adams County CSEA. Once open, CSEA collects support through automatic wage withholding, distributes it to the receiving parent, and can enforce the order through license suspension, tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals. In Adams County, an AC-202 CSEA Account Setup Sheet is required in every case involving children, even if no support is currently requested.
Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Adams County?: If you are (or were) married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division. If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are handled by the Adams County Juvenile Court (R.C. 2151.23) — a separate case is filed for each child. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are always filed in Juvenile Court.

Free Local Resources in Adams County

Adams County Clerk of Courts (Larry Heller). Legal division on the top floor of the Courthouse, 110 West Main Street, Room 207, West Union, OH 45693. Accepts filings and provides current fees and instructions. Call (937) 544-2344 (lheller@adamscountycourts.com) before filing to confirm deposits and packet requirements.
Adams County Common Pleas forms & local rules portal. sites.google.com/view/adamscountycommonpleas/home — county AC-### forms, Ohio Supreme Court SC forms, checklists, the local rules (dated 2/3/2026), and pro-se/indigency pages.
Adams County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Director Angie Malott. 482 Rice Drive, P.O. Box 386, West Union, OH 45693. Phone (937) 544-5155 or toll-free (800) 840-5711 — establishes/modifies support, paternity, wage withholding, and payment distribution. Set up a court account with Form AC-202.
Adams County Children Services. 300 North Wilson Drive, West Union, OH 45693. Phone (937) 544-2511 for abuse/neglect concerns and emergency child-safety. Call 911 in an emergency.
Adams County CASA / GAL program. Volunteer and contact line (937) 618-0189. Court Appointed Special Advocates carry only 1–2 cases at a time and advocate for a child's best interest in contested and abuse/neglect matters.
Fee waiver (indigency). File the AC-012 Financial Disclosure / Fee-Waiver Affidavit & Order with a motion to waive the court-cost deposit if you meet federal poverty guidelines. See sites.google.com/view/adamscountycommonpleas/indigency.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov — run the 2024 Income Shares worksheet, print, and sign it for filing.

Related to your child support case

Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
Post-Decree Modification — Update custody, support, or parenting orders after your case ends.
Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on child support and related Ohio family law topics.

Child Support Calculation in Ohio: How the Formula Works — Ohio calculates child support with the income shares model, combining both parents' incomes to set a shared obligation. Here's how the formula works and what changes the bottom line.
How to Modify Child Support in Ohio — Child support orders aren't permanent. When income or circumstances change substantially, Ohio lets you modify support — through a CSEA review or a court motion. Here's how.

Keep exploring

Ohio Child Support guide — Statewide overview of child support in Ohio.
Cincinnati family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Cincinnati metro.
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Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.