Enforcing Orders Through Contempt in Champaign County

Where to File: Champaign County Family Court (Domestic Relations–Juvenile–Probate Division)

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Champaign County Family Court (Juvenile side)
200 North Main Street, 3rd Floor, Urbana, OH 43078, Urbana, OH 43078
Phone: (937) 484-1027
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed holidays)

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• There is a clear Champaign 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.
• For unpaid child support, the obligor is more than $500 in arrears.

Filing Fees

$250 Juvenile Motion in Contempt · $250 DR reopen/issue-not-before-the-court · no support contempt/arrearage filing unless the obligor is more than $500 in arrears — confirm with the Clerk at (937) 484-1027

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Champaign County

1. Pinpoint the violation. Identify the exact decree or order provision the other party is disobeying — support, parenting time, property transfer, or expense allocation.
2. Draft the motion and affidavit. Prepare the Motion for Contempt and Affidavit naming the violated provision, plus the Show Cause Order, Notice, and Instructions to the Clerk.
3. File in the issuing side. File on the DR side (decree enforcement) or the Juvenile side (unmarried-parent orders) and pay the $250 deposit.
4. Attend the show-cause hearing. The court holds a hearing; outcomes include fines, fees, makeup parenting time, and jail subject to purge conditions. Unpaid support over $500 can also support the contempt.

Champaign County Practice Notes

• $500 arrears threshold for support. The court will not accept a contempt or arrearage filing for child support unless the obligor is more than $500.00 in arrears. Below that, pursue CSEA enforcement. Above it, the court issues a show-cause order, holds a hearing, and may impose penalties with a chance to purge by paying.
• Same forms, one court, two sides. Champaign County uses the same local Motion for Contempt and Affidavit and Show Cause Order for both DR and Juvenile enforcement — the difference is which side of the Family Court (and which underlying case) you file in. The assigned judge keeps the family.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the court accept a child-support contempt filing in Champaign County?

Under the CSEA rule, the court will not accept a contempt or arrearage filing for child support unless the obligor is more than $500.00 in arrears. For other order violations — denied parenting time, unpaid expenses — file a Motion for Contempt and Affidavit with a Show Cause Order; the Motion in Contempt fee on the Juvenile side is $250.

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

File in the same Family Court case that issued the order — the assigned judge keeps the family. DR decrees (divorce, dissolution, legal separation) are modified or enforced on the DR side using the local change motions; orders entered between unmarried parents are modified on the Juvenile side using Ohio Uniform Form 27 (custody), Form 26 (parenting time), or Form 28 (support). Reopening a DR case or filing an issue not currently before the court is $250.

What does it cost to file on the Juvenile side in Champaign County?

Most Juvenile complaints and motions are $250 — Complaint for Custody, Complaint for Support, Complaint for Paternity, Motion for Shared Parenting, Motion for Visitation, Motion in Contempt, and a non-CSEA Motion to Terminate Support. If the children all have the same mother and father and are filed at the same time, there is only one filing fee for all of them. A fee waiver is available through the Ohio Supreme Court poverty affidavit.

Where do I file a family-law case in Champaign County?

All Champaign County family-law cases — divorce, dissolution, custody, support, paternity, protection orders, and adoption — are filed at one combined court: the Champaign County Family Court (Domestic Relations–Juvenile–Probate Division), 200 North Main Street, 3rd Floor, Urbana, OH 43078, Clerk's Office (937) 484-1027. This is separate from the General Division of Common Pleas, which handles felonies and general civil cases and is not where family law is filed.

Free Local Resources in Champaign County

• Champaign County Family Court Clerk's Office. 200 North Main Street, 3rd Floor, Urbana, OH 43078. Phone (937) 484-1027 / (937) 484-1028; fax (937) 484-1026; email clerks@ccfamct.us. Hours Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Clerks can check that the right blanks are filled in but cannot give legal advice. Online records (eServices): https://eservices.champaigncountyfamilycourt.com.
• Champaign County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Champaign County Department of Job & Family Services / CSEA, 1512 S. US Hwy 68, Ste. N100, Urbana, OH 43078. Phone (937) 484-1500; website https://www.champaigndjfs.org. Establishes, collects, and enforces support and can establish paternity administratively.
• Champaign County Law Library. Located on the basement level of the Champaign County Court of Common Pleas, open Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Self-represented parties can research the law there.
• Children Services (abuse / neglect). Report concerns during business hours at (937) 484-1500 (ask for Children Services Intake); after hours/holidays call the Champaign County Dispatch Center at (937) 653-3409. Call 911 if a child is in immediate danger.

Other Family-Law Topics in Champaign County

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