Butler County Post-Decree Modification Attorneys
Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 4, 2026
Butler County, Ohio · Hamilton
Life changes — income, relocation, a child's needs. In Butler County, you change an existing order by motion in the court that issued it: the Domestic Relations Court (315 High Street) for divorce/dissolution orders, or the Juvenile Justice Center (280 N. Fair Ave.) for never-married custody and support orders. You must show a change in circumstances since the last order.
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How do I modify a custody or support order in Butler County, Ohio?
File a motion to modify in the court that issued the order. At the Butler County Domestic Relations Court, 315 High Street, Hamilton, use the DR726 Pro Se Motion with the DR722 motion codes (instructions Form C2); at the Juvenile Justice Center, 280 N. Fair Ave., use the Motion to Modify Court Order for $165 plus service. You must show a change of circumstances since the last order and that the change serves the children's best interest (R.C. 3109.04(E)). DR motions go through Case Management before filing.
Modify a Butler County order with Gavvl Law
When income, a move, or a child's needs change, you return to the court that issued the order: Domestic Relations for divorce and dissolution orders, or the Juvenile Justice Center for never-married custody and support. Butler County wants a specific change of circumstances since the last order, and DR filings still route through Case Management first. Gavvl Law files the DR726 motion with the DR722 codes, or the Juvenile Motion to Modify at $165 plus service, and quotes a flat fee for the motion.
- A real change of circumstances, proven. Butler County requires a specific change since the last order, and the moving party carries the burden. A child simply wanting to live with the other parent can draw dismissal without a hearing under DR Local Rule 39, so we build the motion on facts the court will act on.
- The correct motion codes and route. At Domestic Relations we file the DR726 Pro Se Motion with the DR722 motion codes and send it through Case Management before the Clerk; at the Juvenile Justice Center we use the Motion to Modify Court Order. The right form and route keep the case from stalling at the counter.
- No reconsideration — objections instead. Butler County DR does not accept motions for reconsideration, only a motion for clarification within fourteen days, and a magistrate's decision is challenged by objections under DR Local Rule 31. We preserve those deadlines so your right to review is not lost.
The first DR magistrate hearing is a thirty-minute telephone pretrial, and we come to it with the change-in-circumstances evidence and the best-interest argument under R.C. 3109.04(E) already framed. A flat fee for the motion keeps a modification affordable whether it lands at 315 High Street or 280 N. Fair Avenue.
Flat-fee options
Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the motion to modify an existing custody, parenting-time, or support order. You appear at any hearing.
- Modify custody or parenting time: $1,450
- Modify 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 modifications case or see payment plans & financing.
Ohio Custody by the Numbers
- Best interest The single standard that governs every Ohio custody decision Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04
- No set age There is no age a child can choose a parent — the judge weighs a mature child's wishes Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(B)
- Change in circumstances Required, plus a best-interest finding, before the residential parent can be changed Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(E)(1)
- Shared parenting Either parent may ask the court for a joint parenting plan Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(G)
Compare Types of Custody in Ohio
| Custody type | Who makes major decisions | Where the child lives | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared parenting | Both parents jointly, under a written plan | Time is split per the plan (not always 50/50) | Parents can communicate and cooperate on decisions |
| Sole legal & residential | One parent | Primarily with that parent | One parent is unable or unwilling to co-parent |
| Split custody | Each parent for the child in their care | Siblings are divided between the two homes | Rare — only when it serves each child's best interest |
| Legal custody to a non-parent | The relative or caregiver granted custody | With the non-parent caregiver | Neither parent can safely care for the child |
Where to File: Butler County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division
Gov't Services Center, 315 High Street, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, OH 45011Phone: (513) 887-3100
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (closed for lunch 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.)
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal
Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)
Butler County Juvenile Justice Center
280 N. Fair Ave., Hamilton, OH 45011
Phone: (513) 887-3317
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Clerk 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.)
Post-Decree Modifications is the right path if…
- There has been a significant change since your last order (income, relocation, schedule, or the child's needs).
- You already have a final custody, parenting time, or support order.
- You want to change parenting time, the residential parent, or the support amount.
- You can document the change in circumstances.
Filing Fees
DR motion: deposit set by the Clerk · Juvenile motion: $165 + service · Initial DR magistrate hearing is a 30-minute telephone pretrial
Forms & Filing Packets
Modify a DR order (divorce/dissolution) — Deposit set by the Butler County Clerk of Courts
Filed at the Domestic Relations Court that issued the divorce or dissolution decree. Submit through Case Management first.
- DR726 Pro Se Motion (Modify) — The general DR motion form used to ask the court to change custody, parenting time, or support. Pair with the DR722 motion codes.
- DR722 Motion Code List — Lists the motion codes Butler County requires in the caption of your DR726 motion.
- Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.
Modify a Juvenile order (never-married) — $165 + service
Filed at the Juvenile Justice Center that issued the custody or support order.
- Motion to Modify Court Order (Juvenile) — Asks the Butler County Juvenile Justice Center to change an existing custody, parenting time, or support order. Include the Face Sheet and relief codes.
- Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.
- IV-D Application for Child Support Services — Opens your case with Butler County CSEA so support can be collected, tracked, and enforced through wage withholding.
How to File Post-Decree Modifications in Butler County
- Identify the issuing court. File in the court that issued your order — Domestic Relations for divorce/dissolution orders, the Juvenile Justice Center for never-married custody/support orders.
- Document the change in circumstances. Gather proof of the change — new income, a move, a schedule change, or the child's changed needs since the last order.
- Prepare and submit the motion. DR: DR726 motion with DR722 codes through Case Management. Juvenile: Motion to Modify Court Order with the Face Sheet and relief codes.
- Attend the hearing. Butler County DR starts most motions with a 30-minute telephone pretrial; bring updated financials and a current child-support worksheet if support is at issue.
Butler County Practice Notes
- Show a real change in circumstances. Butler County requires a specific change in circumstances since the last order; the moving party bears the burden. A child's desire alone to live with the other parent can result in dismissal without a hearing (DR Local Rule 39).
- No motions for reconsideration in DR. Butler County DR does not accept motions for reconsideration — only a motion for clarification within 14 days. To challenge a magistrate's decision, file objections under DR Local Rule 31.
- Best-interest standard governs. R.C. 3109.04(F)(1) lists 10+ factors: each parent's wishes, the child's wishes (when of sufficient age), the child's interaction with parents/siblings, adjustment to home/school/community, mental and physical health of all involved, the parent more likely to facilitate court-approved parenting time, child support compliance, criminal history, residence outside Ohio, and any history of abuse.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why does my filing have to go through Case Management first?
- Butler County DR is Case-Management-driven. Almost every filing — complaints, answers, counterclaims, motions, agreed entries, decrees, separation agreements, and shared parenting plans — must be submitted to the Case Management Office and approved for Local Rules compliance before you file it with the Clerk of Courts. Filing directly with the Clerk without approval can get your case dismissed. Submit non-DV documents through the E-Submission portal at drcsubmit.bcohio.gov.
- Do I file in Domestic Relations or the Juvenile Justice Center?
- If you are married to the other parent (or were married when the children were born), custody, parenting time, and child support travel with your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment at the Domestic Relations Court, 315 High Street, Hamilton. If you were never married, paternity and custody go to the Butler County Juvenile Justice Center at 280 N. Fair Ave., a separate building. Grandparent and non-parent custody is always Juvenile.
- How much does it cost to file in Butler County?
- Domestic Relations filing deposits are set by the Butler County Clerk of Courts and posted at clerkofcourts.bcohio.gov; you pay them after the Case Management Office approves your packet. Juvenile Justice Center filings are $165 plus $50 clerk service for a custody, support, allocation, or visitation complaint ($165 plus service for paternity; $45 for a relocation notice). If you cannot pay, file Form DR824 to proceed in forma pauperis at DR, or an indigency affidavit at Juvenile.
- How long does a case take in Butler County?
- Dissolution: about 30–90 days — Butler County requires the final hearing within 90 days of filing or the petition is dismissed. Uncontested (default) divorce: roughly 4–6 months once the 28-day answer window passes with no Answer filed. Contested divorce: 6–18 months depending on temporary-orders activity and the trial calendar. Civil Protection Orders: an ex parte order can issue the same day, with the full hearing in 7–10 business days.
- What does Butler County CSEA do?
- The Butler County Child Support Enforcement Agency at the Gov't Services Center, 315 High Street, 7th Floor, Hamilton (health-insurance line (513) 887-3362) opens IV-D cases, runs the Ohio child-support calculation, collects support by wage withholding, distributes it, and enforces orders. Pay in person by Visa, MasterCard, ATM, or cash (no personal checks), by mail through Ohio Child Support Payment Central in Columbus, or online via ExpertPay.
Free Local Resources in Butler County
- Butler County DR Court Forms & E-Submission. All Domestic Relations forms, instructions, and completed packets are posted at drcourt.bcohio.gov/forms. Non-DV documents are submitted through the E-Submission portal at drcsubmit.bcohio.gov; DV/CPO documents use the Document Submission portal.
- Butler County Juvenile Justice Center Forms. Custody, visitation, support, contempt, and emergency-custody complaints and motions (PDF and DOC) are at juvenilejusticecenter.bcohio.gov/forms___downloads. CSEA e-filing is at bcjjcefile.bcohio.gov/EFile.
- Butler County Bar Association. Attorney referral and general legal information at (513) 896-6671 / butlercountybar.org. Court staff cannot give legal advice.
- Women Helping Women (24-hour DV hotline). Confidential domestic-violence support and victim advocacy at (513) 381-5610. The Butler County Sheriff's Victim Assistance Program is at (513) 887-3430.
Other Family-Law Topics in Butler County
- Butler County Divorce — Contested and uncontested divorce filing at the Domestic Relations Court.
- Butler County Dissolution — The both-parties-agree path — faster and cheaper than divorce.
- Butler County Custody — Married parents file at DR; never-married parents at the Juvenile Justice Center.
- Butler County Civil Protection Orders — Walk-in DV/CPO filing with same-day ex parte review.
Related to your modifications case
- Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.
- Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
- Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.
Related guides
In-depth, attorney-written guides on modifications and related Ohio family law topics.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
More Butler County family-law resources
- Ohio Post-Decree Modifications guide — Statewide overview of post-decree modifications in Ohio.
- Cincinnati family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Cincinnati metro.
- Butler County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Butler County guide.
- Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
- Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.
Call (513) 643-1969 or email support@gavvl.com.
