Child Support in Clark County
Reviewed by Stephanie Green, Esq. · Managing Partner, Gavvl Law · 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.
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.
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, Springfield, OH 45502Phone: (937) 521-1753
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Website: www.clarkcountyohio.gov/
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.
Other Family-Law Topics in Clark County
- Clark County Dissolution — Cooperative path — $350 deposit, 30-90 days to final hearing.
- Clark County Divorce — Full filing guide with Ohio SC standardized forms and the 42-day waiting period.
- Clark County Legal Separation — Same forms as divorce — marriage stays legally intact at the end.
- Clark County Annulment — Limited grounds under R.C. 3105.31 — treats the marriage as if it never happened.
- Clark County Post-Decree Modifications — Change child support, custody, or parenting time after the decree.
- Clark County Post-Decree Contempt — Enforce an order the other party is violating.
- Clark County Custody — Allocation of parental rights — Adult Section or Juvenile Section, with the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest test.
- Clark County Child Support — Set, modify, or enforce support under the Ohio 2024 Income Shares Model.
- Clark County Paternity — Establish a father, custody, and support for never-married parents with Form 23.
- Clark County Shared Parenting — Both parents as residential parent under a notarized Form 20 plan.
- Clark County Civil Protection Orders — Same-day ex parte protection — no filing fee, filed at the Title Office.
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.
Keep exploring
- Ohio Child Support guide — Statewide overview of child support in Ohio.
- Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
- Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney 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.
