Delaware County Contempt & Enforcement Attorneys

Hire Gavvl for your Delaware County contempt case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Delaware 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.

Enforce your Delaware County order with Gavvl Law

When the other party ignores a Delaware County order — withholding the children, skipping support, or defying the decree — a contempt motion asks the Domestic Relations Division to enforce it. Local Rule 13 requires a Form 24 motion with an affidavit of specific facts, a Form 25 show-cause order, a $200 reactivation deposit, and personal service on the alleged contemnor, since serving only their attorney is not enough. Gavvl Law drafts the affidavit, obtains the show-cause order, and gets the respondent properly served.

• An affidavit specific enough to survive. Local Rule 13.01 requires the contempt affidavit to state specific facts — each violation with dates — or the motion fails. We build a dated, documented record of every denied parenting exchange or missed payment so the court makes the preliminary finding that issues the show-cause order.
• Personal service done properly. Delaware requires the contempt motion to be personally served on the alleged contemnor under Civ.R. 4 through 4.6 (Local Rule 13.03); service on their lawyer alone will not support a finding. We arrange proper personal service so the contempt hearing goes forward instead of getting continued.
• The right notices when parenting time is denied. Contempt for interference with parenting time requires the R.C. 3109.051(K) penalty language and the R.C. 2705.031(C) notices in the show-cause order. We include the statutory warnings so an interference finding carries the enforcement powers — up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine — the law allows.

Because CSEA support-enforcement charges are exempt from the affidavit requirement, some support violations move faster through the agency while parenting-time and property violations belong in a Form 24 motion — and we route each to the path that gets results. Full representation through the show-cause hearing comes on one flat fee approved up front, with payment plans, so holding the other side accountable does not depend on what you can pay today.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the motion for contempt / show cause to enforce an order the other party is violating. You appear at any hearing.

• Contempt (single issue): $950
• Contempt (multiple issues): $1,450

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 contempt case or see payment plans & financing.

Where to File: Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Delaware County Juvenile Court
145 N. Union Street, Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2600
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• The other party is violating a custody, parenting-time, or support order.
• You have specific dates and facts showing the violations.
• Informal requests to comply have failed.
• You can serve the other party personally under Civ.R. 4.

Filing Fees

$200 post-decree reactivation deposit · Civil contempt up to 90 days jail and $1,000 fine

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Delaware County

1. Document every violation. List specific dates and facts showing the other party disobeyed the order — denied parenting time, missed payments, or ignored the decree.
2. Prepare the motion and affidavit. Complete Form 24 with a detailed affidavit and the show-cause order (Form 25).
3. File and pay the reactivation deposit. File in the original DR case at 117 N. Union Street and pay the $200 deposit.
4. Serve the other party personally. Arrange personal service under Civ.R. 4–4.6 — service on counsel alone will not support a contempt finding.

Delaware County Practice Notes

• Personal service is mandatory. In the Delaware County Domestic Relations Court, Local Rule 13.03 requires service on the alleged contemnor under Civ.R. 4–4.6. Serving only their attorney is not proper service in a contempt action.
• Be specific in the affidavit. Local Rule 13.01 requires an affidavit with specific facts — list each violation with dates. CSEA support-enforcement charges are exempt from the affidavit requirement.
• 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

How much does it cost to file in the Delaware County DR Court?

Clerk of Courts deposits are: divorce $385 without children / $485 with children; dissolution $355 without children / $455 with children; parentage complaint $200; post-decree reactivation $200. Counterclaims and amended complaints are $150 each. If you cannot afford the deposit, file the Fee Waiver Affidavit (Local Rule 4.03).

How long does a Delaware County case usually take?

Dissolution: 30–90 days — Local Rule 7.03 sets the final hearing between 30 and 90 days after filing. Uncontested (default) divorce: roughly 4–6 months, with the uncontested final hearing held at least 42 days after service is completed (Local Rule 8.01). Contested divorce: 6–18 months depending on discovery, custody disputes, and trial scheduling.

How do temporary orders work in Delaware County?

Under Local Rule 9, temporary-orders motions are considered 14 days after service and are generally decided on the filed affidavits (capped at 10 pages without prior approval). If a Civ.R. 75 oral hearing is held, each party is allotted 20 minutes and initial discovery must be exchanged first. File the Affidavit for Temporary Orders Without Oral Hearing (Uniform DR Affidavit 5) to request support, parenting time, or use of the home now.

How is child support handled in Delaware County?

Support is set with the legislatively adopted Ohio Child Support Worksheet and collected through the Delaware County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA); direct payments to the other parent are treated as gifts, not support. File the JFS 07076 Application for Child Support Services when a support order is established. CSEA generally reviews orders every 36 months, and a court will modify when a recalculation differs by more than 10%. A standard parenting-time schedule triggers an automatic 10% support reduction (Local Rule 17.01(E), R.C. 3119.051).

Free Local Resources in Delaware County

• Delaware County DR Court Forms Page. Every Domestic Relations form, the case-type ZIP packets (divorce, dissolution, parentage, modification, CPO), and the filing checklists are posted free at domestic.co.delaware.oh.us/forms.
• Delaware County DR Virtual Resource Center. The DR Division's self-help hub links the general-information pages, FAQs, common-terms glossary, the For the Children parenting seminar, and the Co-Parenting Program at domestic.co.delaware.oh.us/virtual-resource-center.
• Delaware County eAccess / E-Services Portal. Self-represented and represented parties can e-file and check dockets at court.co.delaware.oh.us/eservices. Payment is processed through LexisNexis — confirm the amount before authorizing.

Other Family-Law Topics in Delaware County

• Delaware County Divorce — Contested and default divorce filing guide for the DR Division.
• Delaware County Dissolution — Both-parties-agree route — faster and cheaper than divorce.
• Delaware County Custody — Married parents file inside divorce; never-married parents file parentage in the DR Division.

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.

Other Delaware family-law topics & tools

• Ohio Post-Decree Contempt guide — Statewide overview of post-decree contempt in Ohio.
• Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
• Delaware County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Delaware 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.