Clark County Child Support Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated May 27, 2026

Clark County, Ohio · Springfield

Child support in Ohio is calculated under the 2024 Income Shares Model. In Clark County, support is set inside a divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Adult Section for married parents, or in the Juvenile Section for never-married parents. Either way, you run the Ohio Child Support Worksheet and file it with your case.

Hire Gavvl for your Clark County child support case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Clark County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start.

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 does child support work in Clark County, Ohio?

A new child-support order is set by filing in the Domestic Relations Adult Section (if you are married or divorcing) at 101 N. Limestone Street, or in the Clark County Juvenile Section (if you were never married) — usually in the same Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Form 23). The amount is calculated on the Ohio Child Support Worksheet under the 2024 Income Shares Model; run it on the Ohio Child Support Calculator, then print and sign it. File the Application for Child Support Services so the order can be collected and enforced. To change an existing order, file a Motion for Change of Child Support (Form 28) — support can be modified on a change of circumstances or after 36 months.

Set or change Clark County child support with Gavvl Law

Child support in Ohio runs on the 2024 Income Shares Model, and in Clark County the number comes off the Ohio Child Support Worksheet you run on the state calculator, print, and sign. A new order is set in the Domestic Relations Adult Section for married parents or the Juvenile Section for never-married parents; an existing order changes on a Motion for Change of Child Support (Form 28). Gavvl Law runs both parents' numbers correctly, files in the court that issued the order, and quotes one flat fee approved up front with payment plans.

A worksheet that holds up under review. The 2024 Income Shares worksheet weighs both parents' incomes plus health-insurance and other adjustments, and a sloppy figure follows you for years. We prepare the calculation from real income records so the order the magistrate signs reflects what the statute actually requires.
36 months or a 10-percent change — the modification triggers. An existing Clark order can be reviewed on a change of circumstances or after at least 36 months since the last order or review. We file the Form 28 motion with an updated worksheet, or point you to the free CSEA administrative review when that is the faster route to the same result.
Filing where the order lives. Support for married or divorcing parents is handled in the Adult Section; for never-married parents it rides inside the Juvenile Section's Form 23 case that also establishes parentage. We file the modification or enforcement in whichever court entered the order so it is not kicked for wrong venue.

The Ohio Child Support Calculator at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov is free, and the Application for Child Support Services opens a CSEA case so the order can be collected and enforced. We handle both, ground every figure in the 2024 Income Shares Model, and offer a flat fee approved up front with financing available.

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: Clark County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations (Adult Section)

101 North Limestone Street, Springfield, OH 45502
Phone: (937) 521-1753
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Website: Court website

Child Support is the right path if…

You need a new child-support order set inside a divorce, dissolution, or a Juvenile Section case.
Your circumstances have changed since the last order, or it has been at least 36 months since the last review.
The other parent is not paying as ordered and you need the order enforced.
You need health-insurance coverage for the children allocated in the order.

Filing Fees

Ohio Child Support Calculator: free · Adult Section motions: deposit set by the Clerk at (937) 521-1753 · Juvenile filings: contact the Juvenile Section · Court-appointed counsel (Juvenile): $25 non-refundable application fee.

Forms & Filing Packets

New support order — Adult Section (married/divorcing)

Set inside your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the Domestic Relations Adult Section.

Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, sign. Required any time the court is being asked to set support.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.

New support order — Juvenile Section (never-married)

Set in the Clark County Juvenile Section, typically inside the Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Form 23).

Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Supreme Court Form 23) — Opens a custody, parenting-time, and support case for never-married parents in the Clark County Juvenile Section. Establishes parentage and allocates parental rights in one filing.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, sign. Required any time the court is being asked to set support.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
Affidavit of Income, Expenses & Financial Disclosure (Affidavit 1) — Must be notarized. Required at filing in every Clark DR case. Both parties file their own.

Modify an existing support order

File a Motion for Change of Child Support (Form 28) in the court that issued the order. Support can be modified on a change of circumstances or after at least 36 months.

Motion for Change of Child Support (Supreme Court Form 28) — Asks the court to modify an existing child-support order. CSEA also offers free administrative reviews every 36 months or on a 10%+ change.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, sign. Required any time the court is being asked to set support.
Affidavit of Income, Expenses & Financial Disclosure (Affidavit 1) — Must be notarized. Required at filing in every Clark DR case. Both parties file their own.

How to File Child Support in Clark County

Pick the right court. Married or divorcing parents file in the Domestic Relations Adult Section. Never-married parents file in the Juvenile Section. Already have an order? File the change in whichever court issued it.
Run the Ohio 2024 Income Shares worksheet. Use ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov. Include both parents' incomes and health-insurance information, then print and sign the worksheet.
File the worksheet and the Application for Child Support Services. The Application for Child Support Services opens your case so the order can be collected and enforced. It is available from the Clerk's office.
Attend the hearing. The Magistrate or Judge reviews the worksheet and enters the support order. Either party can object to a Magistrate's decision within the time allowed.
Modify as life changes. File a Motion for Change of Child Support (Form 28) with an updated worksheet on a change of circumstances or after 36 months.

Clark County Practice Notes

Ohio 2024 Income Shares Model. Both parents' incomes go on the Ohio Child Support Worksheet, which determines each parent's share of support. Health insurance and other relevant factors are built into the calculation. Run it on the Ohio Child Support Calculator at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov.
Modification trigger: change of circumstances or 36 months. An existing order can be reviewed and modified when there has been a change of circumstances, or after at least 36 months since the last order or review. File a Motion for Change of Child Support (Form 28) with an updated worksheet.
Married vs. never-married routes. Married or divorcing parents handle support in the Adult Section as part of the divorce or dissolution. Never-married parents handle support in the Juvenile Section, usually in the same Form 23 complaint that establishes parentage and custody.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is child support calculated in Clark County?: Clark County uses the Ohio Child Support Worksheet under the 2024 Income Shares Model — run it on the Ohio Child Support Calculator (ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov), then print and sign it. It is required any time the court is asked to set support, whether inside a divorce or dissolution in the Adult Section or in a Juvenile Section case for never-married parents.
How do I modify child support in Clark County?: File a Motion for Change of Child Support (Supreme Court Form 28, also called Juvenile Form 7) in the court that issued the order — the Adult Section for married or divorced parents, or the Juvenile Section for never-married parents. Support can be modified if there has been a change of circumstances, or it has been at least 36 months since the last order or review. File an updated Child Support Worksheet with the motion.
When do I file in the Juvenile Section instead of DR?: If you were never married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are filed in the Clark County Juvenile Section (clarkohiojuvcourt.us), not in DR. If you were married, those issues travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in DR at 101 N. Limestone Street.
How much does it cost to file in Clark County DR?: Dissolution is a $350 deposit (not a flat fee — the balance is refunded after costs). For divorce, legal separation, annulment, and post-decree motions, deposits are set by the Clerk — call (937) 521-1753 for the current amount before filing. CPO petitions are free. Juvenile court charges a $25 non-refundable application fee for court-appointed counsel.

Free Local Resources in Clark County

Clark County DR Clerk. 101 N. Limestone Street, Springfield, OH 45502. Phone (937) 521-1753 for filing-fee deposits, copy requirements, and procedural questions.
Ohio Supreme Court Standardized Forms. Clark County uses these forms for every DR case type — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and post-decree modifications. Available at supremecourt.ohio.gov.
Clark County Public Library (Main Branch, S. Fountain Ave.). LawPak Ohio Dissolution forms at the Reference Desk and access to the Cengage Legal Forms Database (library card required).
Clark County Mediation Referral. Court-connected mediation for custody, parenting time, and post-decree disputes. Referral form linked from clarkcountyohio.gov DR forms page.
Legal Aid of Western Ohio. Free civil legal assistance for income-qualifying Clark County residents. Call (877) 894-4599.
Clark County Bar Association. Lawyer referral service. clarkcobar.com.
United Way 2-1-1 (Clark, Champaign & Madison Counties). Free 24/7 referral line for local shelter, advocacy, and social services.

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.