Clark County Post-Decree Modification Attorneys

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

Clark County, Ohio · Springfield

After a Clark County divorce or dissolution is final, the court keeps continuing jurisdiction over child support, custody, parenting time, and (sometimes) spousal support. To change any of those, you file a post-decree motion at the Clark County DR at 101 N. Limestone Street — usually one of the Ohio Supreme Court Forms 26, 27, or 28, paired with the local Notice of Hearing.

Hire Gavvl for your Clark County post-decree modifications 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 do I modify a Clark County divorce or dissolution decree?

File the right Ohio Supreme Court motion at the Clark County DR, 101 North Limestone Street, Springfield. Use Form 27 to change custody (residential parent / legal custodian), Form 28 to change child support, or Form 26 to change the parenting-time schedule. Pair the motion with the Clark DR Notice of Hearing local form. Custody changes require a change of circumstances of the child or residential parent plus best interest under R.C. 3109.04(E). Child support can also be reviewed administratively by CSEA every 36 months or on a 10%+ change. Property division is final and cannot be modified.

Change a Clark County order the right way

After a Clark County decree, the Domestic Relations Court keeps jurisdiction over child support, custody, and parenting time — but not the property division, which is final. To change an order you file the matching Ohio Supreme Court motion — Form 27 for custody, Form 28 for support, or Form 26 for parenting time — paired with Clark's local Notice of Hearing form and served on the other side. Gavvl Law files the right motion on the right standard and offers a flat fee approved up front for straightforward changes or full representation for contested ones.

Matching the motion to the legal test. A Form 27 custody change demands a change of circumstances of the child or residential parent plus best interest and a harm-versus-benefit finding under R.C. 3109.04(E)(1)(a) — a far higher bar than a Form 26 parenting-time tweak. We file the form whose standard your facts can actually meet.
The free CSEA review before you pay to litigate. For support, Clark parents can request a free CSEA administrative review every 36 months or on a 10-percent change, and it runs in about 60 to 90 days with an enforceable result. We tell you when that route beats a Form 28 court motion and when to go straight to the judge.
Clark's local Notice of Hearing, served correctly. Once the court sets a date, Clark requires its local Notice of Hearing served on the other party — letters and emails do not count, and a continuance needs the local Motion to Continue. We use the county's own templates so your hearing is not stripped for a service defect.

Magistrates Ann Ringler and Patrick Phillips hear most Clark post-decree motions at the A.B. Graham Building on 31 N. Limestone Street, and either party has 14 days to file objections to the judge after a magistrate's decision. We calendar that objection window and prepare your evidence for the right room, with payment plans on a flat fee.

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 post-decree 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: 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

Post-Decree Modifications is the right path if…

Your income or the other parent's income has changed by 10% or more since the support order was entered.
It has been 36 months or longer since the last child-support review.
There has been a change of circumstances of the child or residential parent affecting custody.
The parenting-time schedule is no longer working — a job, school, relocation, or the child's needs have changed.
The decree expressly reserved jurisdiction to modify spousal support and a change has occurred.

If the other party is violating the existing order, you may want a contempt motion instead — or alongside. See Clark County post-decree contempt.

Filing Fees

Filing fee set by Clerk · CSEA administrative review is free · Mediation referral available for parenting-time disputes

Forms & Filing Packets

Change of custody / parental rights — Form 27

Requires a change of circumstances of the child or residential parent since the prior decree AND that modification is in the child's best interest AND that the harm of changing is outweighed by the benefits (R.C. 3109.04(E)(1)(a)).

Motion for Change of Parental Rights (Supreme Court Form 27) — Asks the court to reallocate parental rights and responsibilities. Requires a showing of change of circumstances and best interest under R.C. 3109.04(E).
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3 — UCCJEA, R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom. Confirms Ohio's UCCJEA jurisdiction.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
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.
Clark DR Notice of Hearing (local form) — Local DOCX template the moving party uses to notify the other side of any scheduled hearing date on a post-decree motion.

Change of child support — Form 28

Free administrative CSEA review is available every 36 months or earlier on a 10%+ change. You can also file the court motion below at any time.

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.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
Clark DR Notice of Hearing (local form) — Local DOCX template the moving party uses to notify the other side of any scheduled hearing date on a post-decree motion.

Change of parenting time — Form 26

Lower bar than a custody change. Best-interest standard applies; no "change of circumstances" required for parenting-time-only modifications under R.C. 3109.051.

Motion for Change of Parenting Time (Supreme Court Form 26) — Asks the court to change the parenting-time schedule. Best-interest standard applies; no "change of circumstances" required for parenting-time-only modifications.
Clark DR Notice of Hearing (local form) — Local DOCX template the moving party uses to notify the other side of any scheduled hearing date on a post-decree motion.

If you need a continuance

Clark County requires the local Motion to Continue for any DR hearing continuance — letters and emails are not enough.

Clark DR Motion to Continue (local form) — Clark County local form. Required to formally request continuance of any DR hearing. Include opposing counsel's position if known.

How to File Post-Decree Modifications in Clark County

Identify what you need to change. Custody (Form 27), child support (Form 28), or parenting time only (Form 26). You can combine them in one filing — bring all three forms if multiple issues apply.
Document the change of circumstances. For custody, the change must be of the child or residential parent — not the moving parent. For support, document the income change with paystubs, tax returns, and the new Affidavit 1.
Run a current child-support worksheet. Use ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov. Required for any Form 28 motion and recommended for Form 27.
File at 101 N. Limestone Street with the Notice of Hearing. Pay the filing fee set by the Clerk at (937) 521-1753. Once the court sets a hearing date, complete the Clark DR Notice of Hearing local form and serve it on the other party.
Attend the hearing in front of the Judge or Magistrate. Magistrate hearings are usually held in the A.B. Graham Building at 31 N. Limestone Street. The Magistrate issues a decision; either party has 14 days to file Objections, which go to the Judge.

Clark County Practice Notes

Property division is final. Clark County DR will not modify the property/debt allocation in a final decree. Once divided, it stays divided. Only support, custody, parenting time, and (if expressly reserved) spousal support are modifiable.
Custody change has a high bar. R.C. 3109.04(E)(1)(a) requires a change of circumstances of the child or residential parent (not the moving parent) AND best interest AND harm-vs-benefit. "I want more time" is not enough — file a Form 26 parenting-time motion instead.
Use the local Notice of Hearing. Clark DR has a local DOCX Notice of Hearing template the moving party must serve on the other side once a hearing date is set. Letters or emails are not a substitute.
CSEA review is free. Before filing a Form 28 in court, consider requesting a CSEA administrative review — it's free, takes about 60-90 days, and the result is enforceable like a court order. Either party can object and trigger a court hearing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Modification versus contempt — which one do I file?: File a modification motion (Forms 26, 27, or 28) when circumstances have changed and you want a new order going forward. File a Motion for Contempt when the existing order is being violated and you want the court to enforce it — possible remedies include fines, jail, purge conditions, attorney fees, and make-up parenting time. The two motions can be filed together when both apply.
Can I modify the property division from my Clark County decree?: No. Once a Clark County DR judge divides marital property and debts in the final decree, that allocation is final and not subject to post-decree modification. You can still go back to court on child support, custody, parenting time, and (if the decree expressly reserved jurisdiction) spousal support.
Where do hearings actually take place?: Cases are assigned to Hon. Thomas J. Capper at 101 N. Limestone Street, but Magistrates Ann Ringler and Patrick Phillips hold most hearings in the A.B. Graham Building at 31 N. Limestone Street (a separate building one block away). Confirm your location on the hearing notice before you arrive.
Is mediation available in Clark County?: Yes. Clark County offers court-connected mediation for custody, parenting time, and other family-law disputes — including post-decree motions. Either party can request a referral using the Clark County Mediation Referral Form, or the Magistrate can refer sua sponte. Mediation is generally not used in CPO cases involving domestic violence.
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 guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on post-decree 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.

Keep exploring Clark County family law

Ohio Post-Decree Modifications guide — Statewide overview of post-decree modifications in Ohio.
Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
Clark County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Clark County guide.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
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