Enforcing Orders Through Contempt in Ashtabula County

Where to File: Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas — General & Domestic Relations Division

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas — Juvenile-Probate Court (Juvenile Division)
4717 Main Ave., Ashtabula, OH 44004, Ashtabula, OH 44004
Phone: (440) 994-6000
Hours: Monday–Friday (email filing at juvenile@ashtabulacounty.us; fax (440) 994-6020)

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• The other party is violating a clear, existing court order.
• You can point to the specific decree or order provision being disobeyed.
• You've documented the violations — missed payments, denied parenting time, unpaid medical expenses.
• You want the court to compel compliance and possibly award fees.

Filing Fees

DR contempt: filed in the DR Division (confirm the show-cause deposit with the Clerk) · Juvenile contempt: general motion $25 · contemnor can usually purge by complying · penalties include fines, fees, makeup time, and jail

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Ashtabula County

1. Pinpoint the violation. Identify the exact decree or order provision being disobeyed and gather proof — payment records, a parenting-time log, unpaid bills.
2. Choose the right court and form. Use the SCOA in a DR case or the Ohio uniform Motion for Contempt in a Juvenile case.
3. File and serve. File the show-cause motion; the court issues an order for the other party to appear and show cause why they shouldn't be held in contempt.
4. Attend the hearing. Present your evidence. The court can impose fines, fees, makeup parenting time, or jail, and usually sets purge conditions for compliance.

Ashtabula County Practice Notes

• Keep DR and Juvenile contempt separate. Enforce divorce/dissolution decree terms in the General & Domestic Relations Division (SCOA); enforce never-married/Juvenile orders in the Juvenile-Probate Court (Form 24). Filing in the wrong court delays enforcement.
• Medical-expense nonpayment has its own rule. Local Rule 7.8 specifically addresses a Motion to Show Cause for Nonpayment of Medical Expenses — useful when the other parent ignores their share of the children's uninsured/medical costs.
• The contemnor can purge. Under R.C. 2705.02 and 2705.031, the court typically gives the violating party a chance to purge the contempt by complying (paying the arrears, restoring parenting time). Document every violation with dates and records.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ashtabula County have a separate Domestic Relations Court?

No. Ashtabula County has no standalone Domestic Relations Court. Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, DR post-decree matters, and DVCPOs are all heard by the General & Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas — the same judges (Hon. David A. Schroeder and Hon. Marianne Sezon) who hear general civil and criminal cases, with a Domestic Relations Magistrate hearing many matters. You file at the Clerk of Courts, 25 West Jefferson Street, Jefferson.

Do I file custody in the DR Division or the Juvenile-Probate Court?

It depends on whether the parents were ever married. If you are (or were) married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside the divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General & Domestic Relations Division at 25 West Jefferson Street, Jefferson. If you were never married, parentage and custody are handled by the combined Juvenile-Probate Court at 4717 Main Ave., Ashtabula. Grandparent and other non-parent custody is always filed in the Juvenile-Probate Court.

How much does a Juvenile-Probate Court case cost in Ashtabula County?

The Juvenile Division's fee schedule (effective 07-10-2024) charges $130 for a new custody, visitation, parental-rights, or support case; $25 for general motions; $50 for objections or a motion to set aside a magistrate's order; and $25 to file a notice of relocation out of county. Court costs add on top — paternity $95, private custody $95, publication $80, certified mail $15. A Civil Fee Waiver / Financial Disclosure (CFW) is available. Confirm amounts before filing.

How do I change a child-support order in Ashtabula County?

Modify under R.C. 3119.79, which generally requires roughly a 10% change in the calculated amount or another qualifying basis. In a Common Pleas DR case, file the Post Decree Motion and Affidavit (PDMA) with an updated Ohio worksheet, a completed IV-D Application, and a Health Insurance Affidavit. In a Juvenile case, file the Motion to Modify Child Support (MMCS). The Ashtabula County CSEA (440-994-1212) can also conduct an administrative review of support.

Free Local Resources in Ashtabula County

• Ashtabula County Clerk of Courts (April Daniels). Common Pleas / DR filings, current fees, and local forms at 25 West Jefferson Street, Jefferson. Phone (440) 576-3637, fax (440) 576-2819. E-filing is not yet live — file by fax, mail, or in person.
• Ashtabula County court forms page. All county-local and Ohio Supreme Court forms for DR, Juvenile, and Probate cases: https://courts.ashtabulacounty.gov/courts_forms.htm
• Family Court Services / MCMS (parent education & mediation). Runs the three-hour "New Beginnings" parent-education class, domestic-relations and juvenile mediation, and court-ordered home studies for both courts (through the Juvenile Court). The "New Beginnings" class fee is $40 per person, paid to Family Court Services.
• Ashtabula County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Opens IV-D cases, orders genetic testing, runs wage withholding, and enforces orders. Call center 440-994-1212; https://www.ashtabulacounty.us/350/Child-Support
• Ohio Child Support Calculator. Run the official 2024 Income Shares worksheet and print it for filing: ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov
• Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Free civil legal help for low-income residents of Ashtabula and neighboring counties.

Other Family-Law Topics in Ashtabula County

• Statewide Custody Overview — How Ohio custody and parenting time work at a high level.
• Talk to a Family Law Attorney — Connect with a Ashtabula County custody attorney for help with your case.

Related to your contempt case

• Post-Decree Modification — Update custody, support, or parenting orders after your case ends.
• Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.
• Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.

Related guides

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

• Contempt Motions in Ohio Family Court: Enforcing Your Order — When the other parent ignores a court order — withholding the children or refusing to pay support — a contempt motion is how Ohio courts enforce it. Here's how the process works.
• Post-Decree Modifications in Ohio: Changing Your Order After Divorce — Your divorce decree isn't carved in stone. When life changes, Ohio lets you modify custody, parenting time, and support — but each requires meeting a specific legal standard. Here's how.

Keep exploring

• Ohio Post-Decree Contempt guide — Statewide overview of post-decree contempt in Ohio.
• Cleveland family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Cleveland metro.
• Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
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