Enforcing Orders Through Contempt in Brown County

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

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Brown County Probate & Juvenile Court (Juvenile Division)
510 East State Street, Georgetown, OH 45121, Georgetown, OH 45121
Phone: (937) 378-6726
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• There is a clear Brown County court order the other party is violating.
• The other party is able to comply but is choosing not to.
• You can point to the exact decree or order provision being disobeyed.
• Earlier informal attempts to get compliance haven't worked.

Filing Fees

DR contempt rides the $100 post-decree motion deposit; Juvenile contempt is $90 to reactivate · objection to a magistrate's decision $150 · verify support arrears with CSEA first (Local Rule 31.2) — confirm with the Clerk at (937) 378-3100

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Brown County

1. Pinpoint the violation. Identify the exact decree or order provision the other party is disobeying — support, parenting time, property transfer, or medical-expense allocation.
2. Verify support arrears if applicable. For unpaid support, confirm the arrearage amount and date with the Brown County CSEA before filing (Local Rule 31.2).
3. Draft the motion and affidavit. Complete the Motion for Contempt (UDRF 24 / UJF 3) with a sworn affidavit and a proposed Show Cause Order and Notice (UDRF 25 / UJF 4).
4. File in the issuing court. File the DR contempt motion ($100) in the Domestic Relations Division or the Juvenile contempt motion in the Juvenile Division; the Clerk serves it and the court holds a show-cause hearing.

Brown County Practice Notes

• Same form, different court. Ohio's contempt motion is a dual form — Uniform Domestic Relations Form 24 / Uniform Juvenile Form 3 ('Motion for Contempt, Affidavit, and Instructions for Service'), filed with a Show Cause Order and Notice (UDRF 25 / UJF 4). The difference is the case and division it's filed in: DR contempt in the General & Domestic Relations Division, Juvenile contempt in the Juvenile Division.
• Verify support arrears with CSEA first. For a support-arrearage contempt, Local Rule 31.2 requires you to first verify the arrearage with the Brown County CSEA (510 E. State St., Georgetown; (937) 378-6414) and state that amount and date in your motion. The DR contempt motion covers interference with parenting time, support arrears, and failure to comply with property/debt orders; relief can include a contempt finding, reasonable attorney fees, and costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enforce a support or parenting-time order in Brown County?

File a Motion for Order to Show Cause (contempt) in the court that issued the order. In a Domestic Relations case use the court's hosted Motion for Contempt, Affidavit, and Instructions for Service (UDRF 24 / UJF 3) with a proposed Show Cause Order and Notice (UDRF 25 / UJF 4); the $100 post-decree deposit applies. In a Juvenile case use the Motion to Show Cause packet. For a support arrearage, Local Rule 31.2 requires you to first verify the amount and date with CSEA and state it in your motion.

Where do I file a post-decree motion in Brown County?

File in the court that issued the underlying order. Divorce, dissolution, and legal-separation decrees are modified or enforced in the General & Domestic Relations Division; orders entered between unmarried parents are modified or enforced in the Juvenile Division. A post-decree DR motion (modify, contempt, or relief from judgment) carries a $100 deposit; objections to a magistrate's decision are $150. In the Juvenile Division, reactivating a previous case is $90 (versus $120 for a new complaint).

Do I have to go through CSEA before filing a paternity or support case in Brown County?

For parentage, yes. Juvenile Local Rule 24 requires you to first request an administrative determination through the Brown County CSEA (R.C. 3111, with the R.C. 3111.381 exception) and attach a copy of that request to your complaint or motion. The advance cost of genetic testing is the requesting party's, recoverable from the non-prevailing party. CSEA is at 510 E. State St., Georgetown — (937) 378-6414.

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

If you are or were married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and support are decided in your divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General & Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas, 101 S. Main St., Georgetown ((937) 378-3233). If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are handled in the combined Probate & Juvenile Court at 510 E. State St., Georgetown ((937) 378-6726). Non-parent (grandparent/relative) custody is always filed in the Juvenile Division.

Free Local Resources in Brown County

• Brown County Clerk of Courts (Common Pleas / Domestic Relations). Court House Square, 101 S. Main St., Georgetown — Civil and Domestic filings on the 1st floor. Main (937) 378-3100; verified record line (937) 378-4740; fax/electronic-transmission filing (937) 378-1753. Payment by cash, money order, personal check, or certified check — no credit cards.
• Brown County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Director Deborah Forsythe. 510 E. State St., Georgetown, OH 45121. Phone (937) 378-6414; fax (937) 378-2552; hours Mon–Fri 7:30 AM–4:00 PM. Establishes, modifies, and enforces support and can establish paternity administratively (free genetic testing if ordered).
• Helping Children Cope with Family Separation (parenting program). Mandatory $60 online (Zoom) class for any divorce, dissolution, or legal separation with minor children (Local Rule 31.5), run with Lifespan Solutions. Register and pay by card at 513-324-3999, or mail a $60 money order to Lifespan Solutions, 7672 Montgomery Road #153, Cincinnati, OH 45236 at least two weeks before the class.
• Brown County Law Library / Georgetown Public Library. Public legal research at the Georgetown Public Library, 200 West Grant Ave., Georgetown (court staff cannot give legal advice). Ohio statewide child-abuse hotline (855) 642-4453 routes to the Brown County Public Children Services Agency.

Other Family-Law Topics in Brown County

• Statewide Custody Overview — How Ohio custody and parenting time work at a high level.
• Talk to a Family Law Attorney — Connect with a Brown 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.

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• Ohio Post-Decree Contempt guide — Statewide overview of post-decree contempt in Ohio.
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