What is a IV-D Application and why do I need one?

A IV-D Application opens a child-support case with the Allen County CSEA. Allen County requires a completed, signed IV-D Application before any support order — temporary or final — can issue (DR Loc.R. 20.01(C), 20.04(B)). Once open, CSEA collects support through automatic wage withholding, distributes it, and can enforce through license suspension, tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals.

What does it cost to file in the Allen County Juvenile Court?

Under Juvenile Local Rule 3.1, a civil petition, complaint, counterclaim, or cross-claim (including custody, parenting-time, and parentage actions) carries a $125.00 deposit, and a motion to vacate, revive, or modify a former Juvenile judgment is $75.00 plus any unpaid costs the moving party was ordered to pay. No support order — temporary or final — issues without a completed IV-D Application. Confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Court at (419) 227-5531.

Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Allen County?

If you are or were married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and support are decided in your divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division (filed through the Clerk of Courts, 301 N. Main St., Lima). If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are handled in the Allen County Juvenile Court at 1000 Wardhill Ave, Lima, (419) 227-5531. Non-parent (grandparent/relative) custody is always filed in Juvenile Court.

Allen County Child Support Attorneys

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

Allen County, Ohio · Lima

Allen County child support runs on Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares guidelines — there is no county formula. Support travels with a divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division for married parents, and with a parentage or custody case in the Juvenile Division for never-married parents. Either way, the Allen County CSEA (200 W. Market St., Lima; (419) 224-7133) collects and enforces the order, and no order issues without a completed IV-D Application (DR Loc.R. 20.01(C)).

Hire Gavvl for your Allen County child support case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Allen County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start (flat fees from $950).

Start with a $25 consultation and talk through your options with an Ohio family-law attorney before you commit to anything. Get started online or see payment plans & financing.

How do I get a child-support order in Allen County, Ohio?

Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator with both parents' gross incomes, parenting-time, health-insurance, and child-care figures, then print and sign the worksheet. File it with the Health Insurance Affidavit and a signed IV-D Application in the right court — the Domestic Relations Division (married parents, $375 case deposit) or the Juvenile Division (never-married parents, $125 deposit). The Allen County CSEA then collects support by automatic wage withholding and enforces the order. To change an existing order, file a motion with an updated Uniform Affidavit of Income and Expenses or request a CSEA administrative review (DR Loc.R. 20.09).

Hire Gavvl Law for Allen County child support

Allen County support runs on Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares worksheet, but the order does not issue until a signed IV-D Application opens a case with the Allen County CSEA at 200 W. Market St., Lima — a requirement under DR Loc.R. 20.01(C) and 20.04(B) that self-filers routinely miss. Gavvl Law runs the worksheet accurately, files the IV-D Application with it, and pursues either a first order or a modification, with a flat fee set up front and financing available.

No IV-D Application, no order. Allen County will not journalize a support order — temporary or final — without a completed, signed IV-D Application (DR Loc.R. 20.01(C), 20.04(B)). We prepare and file it with your worksheet so CSEA can collect by wage withholding the moment the order is signed, rather than after a rejected filing sends you back to the counter.
Filed in the court that fits your family. Support travels with a divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division ($375 case deposit) for married parents, or with a parentage case in the Juvenile Division ($125 deposit) for never-married parents. We put your worksheet and Health Insurance Affidavit in the correct court so the numbers hold up.
Two routes to change an existing order. When incomes or parenting time shift, you can file a motion to modify with a fresh Ohio worksheet and updated Uniform Affidavit of Income and Expenses ($275 in DR, $75 in Juvenile), or request a CSEA administrative review. We pick the faster path for your facts instead of defaulting to a court motion.

We know how the Allen County CSEA at (419) 224-7133 collects, distributes, and enforces support — wage withholding, license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals — and we build orders that survive those mechanics. Every child-support engagement is quoted as one flat fee approved up front, with payment plans available, and full representation ready if the other parent contests income or parenting time.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the support motion (establish, modify, or terminate). The court filing fee is billed separately and this does not include in-court representation.

Establish child support: $950
Modify child support: $950
Terminate child support: $950

Prefer full representation? An Ohio attorney can carry the entire case on a $3,500 retainer.

Split any flat fee with Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan at 19% APR, $500 minimum — on a 60%-down schedule of 18 weekly, 8 bi-weekly, or 4 monthly payments, or full financing where work begins once 60% is paid. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay.

Start your child support case or see payment plans & financing.

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: Allen County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

301 N. Main St., Lima, OH 45801
Phone: (419) 223-8513
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Clerk of Courts)
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Allen County Juvenile & Probate Court (Juvenile Division)
1000 Wardhill Ave, Lima, OH 45805
Phone: (419) 227-5531
Hours: Clerk's office 8:30 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00 PM–4:30 PM

Child Support is the right path if…

You need a first child-support order as part of a divorce, dissolution, or parentage case.
Your income, the other parent's income, or parenting time has changed and the order is now wrong.
Health-insurance or child-care costs for the children have changed significantly.
You need CSEA to collect and enforce support through wage withholding.

Filing Fees

Support set inside a divorce/dissolution rides the $375 DR deposit; a Juvenile support case is $125. Modifications: $275 (DR) / $75 (Juvenile), plus unpaid costs — confirm with the Clerk or CSEA at (419) 224-7133

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish a new child-support order — Part of the underlying case deposit ($375 DR / $125 Juvenile)

Run the Ohio worksheet and file it with the Health Insurance Affidavit and a IV-D Application. No support order issues without the IV-D Application (DR Loc.R. 20.01(C)).

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.
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.
Allen County CSEA IV-D Application for Child Support Services — Required before any support order issues in Allen County (DR Loc.R. 20.01(C)). Opens a IV-D case so CSEA can collect and enforce support through wage withholding.

Modify an existing child-support order — $275 DR modification motion · $75 Juvenile modification motion

File a motion to modify with a fresh Ohio worksheet and an updated Uniform Affidavit of Income and Expenses, or request a CSEA administrative review (DR Loc.R. 20.09).

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.
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.

How to File Child Support in Allen County

Run the Ohio worksheet. Use the official Ohio Child Support Calculator with both parents' gross incomes, parenting time, health-insurance, and child-care costs; print and sign the worksheet.
Complete the IV-D Application. Fill out and sign the Allen County CSEA IV-D Application — required before any support order issues.
File in the right court. File with your divorce/dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division (married parents) or with a parentage/custody case in the Juvenile Division (never-married parents).
Let CSEA collect and enforce. Once journalized, the Allen County CSEA collects support by wage withholding and can enforce through license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals.

Allen County Practice Notes

IV-D Application is mandatory. Allen County will not issue a support order — temporary or final — without a completed, signed IV-D Application for Child Support Services (DR Loc.R. 20.01(C), 20.04(B)). The application opens the case with the Allen County CSEA, which then collects and enforces.
Two ways to change support. You can file a motion to modify with the Clerk (with a Uniform Affidavit of Income and Expenses) or ask CSEA for an administrative review (DR Loc.R. 20.09). A modification generally needs a substantial change of circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is child support calculated in Allen County?: Allen County uses Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares guidelines — there is no county-specific formula. Run the official worksheet at the Ohio Child Support Calculator using both parents' gross incomes, parenting-time, health-insurance, and child-care figures, then print and sign it. The Allen County CSEA (200 W. Market St., Lima; (419) 224-7133) collects and enforces the order through wage withholding once it is journalized.
What is a IV-D Application and why do I need one?: A IV-D Application opens a child-support case with the Allen County CSEA. Allen County requires a completed, signed IV-D Application before any support order — temporary or final — can issue (DR Loc.R. 20.01(C), 20.04(B)). Once open, CSEA collects support through automatic wage withholding, distributes it, and can enforce through license suspension, tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals.
What does it cost to file in the Allen County Juvenile Court?: Under Juvenile Local Rule 3.1, a civil petition, complaint, counterclaim, or cross-claim (including custody, parenting-time, and parentage actions) carries a $125.00 deposit, and a motion to vacate, revive, or modify a former Juvenile judgment is $75.00 plus any unpaid costs the moving party was ordered to pay. No support order — temporary or final — issues without a completed IV-D Application. Confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Court at (419) 227-5531.
Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Allen County?: If you are or were married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and support are decided in your divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division (filed through the Clerk of Courts, 301 N. Main St., Lima). If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are handled in the Allen County Juvenile Court at 1000 Wardhill Ave, Lima, (419) 227-5531. Non-parent (grandparent/relative) custody is always filed in Juvenile Court.

Free Local Resources in Allen County

Allen County Clerk of Courts. Provides current filing fees, local forms, and filing instructions for custody, divorce, and dissolution cases. Call (419) 223-8513 or visit https://clerkofcourts.allencountyohio.com before filing to confirm deposits and packet requirements.
Allen County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Allen County's IV-D agency opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. File a IV-D Application when establishing or modifying support.

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.