Fairfield County Contempt & Enforcement Attorneys

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

Fairfield County, Ohio · Lancaster

If the other party isn't following the Fairfield County DR Court's order — not paying support, not following the parenting schedule, not transferring property as ordered — you can file a Motion for Contempt at the Clerk on the 4th Floor of the Hall of Justice in Lancaster. Fairfield uses Ohio SC Form 24 (Motion for Contempt) together with Form 25 (Show Cause Order), typically paired with Fairfield's General Motion form as a cover.

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

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How do I file a contempt motion in Fairfield County, Ohio?

File Ohio SC Form 24 (Motion for Contempt) together with Form 25 (Show Cause Order), paired with Fairfield's General Motion form as a cover, at the Clerk on the 4th Floor, Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, Lancaster. Attach a certified copy of the order being violated and a sworn affidavit of facts. Single-sided only. The motion for contempt filing fee is $200 — call the DR Clerk's filing line at (740) 652-7357 to confirm. Possible remedies include fines, jail (often suspended), purge conditions, attorney fees, and make-up parenting time. For never-married-parent cases, file in the Juvenile Court on the 3rd Floor.

Enforce a Fairfield County order with a Form 24 contempt motion

When the other party stops following a Fairfield County DR order — not paying support, ignoring the parenting schedule, or refusing to transfer property — you enforce it by filing a Motion for Contempt (Ohio SC Form 24) together with a Show Cause Order (Form 25), paired with Fairfield's General Motion cover, at the Clerk on the 4th floor of the Hall of Justice in Lancaster. The motion has to attach a certified copy of the order violated and a sworn affidavit of facts. Gavvl Law builds that record, files it single-sided, and represents you at the show-cause hearing.

Form 24 and Form 25 filed together. A Fairfield contempt filing needs both the Motion for Contempt (Form 24) and the Show Cause Order (Form 25) — the show-cause order is what the court signs to compel the other party to appear — under the local General Motion cover. We prepare all three and attach a certified copy of the order being violated so the filing is complete.
A violation of a clear, specific order. Fairfield will not hold anyone in contempt for breaking a vague order, so we quote the exact paragraph being violated and back it with a contemporaneous log of missed payments, denied parenting time, or unmet property transfers. If the decree language is fuzzy, we tell you whether a modification to clarify it has to come first.
Purge conditions and recoverable fees. Civil contempt is coercive: the court usually finds contempt but suspends the penalty if the violator meets purge conditions like paying arrears, restoring missed parenting time, or transferring the asset. Ohio law also lets the prevailing party recover reasonable attorney fees, so we keep the billing and timeline records that support that request.

For never-married parents, enforcement is filed in the Fairfield Juvenile Court on the 3rd floor rather than the DR Division, and we route your motion accordingly. We file single-sided through the DR Clerk's line at (740) 652-7357, pull CSEA payment histories for support violations, and offer a flat fee to bring the contempt action, with payment plans available.

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: Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division

Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, 4th Floor, Lancaster, OH 43130
Phone: (740) 652-7440
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (closed midday)
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Fairfield County Juvenile and Probate Court
Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Lancaster, OH 43130
Phone: (740) 652-7463
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

The other party isn't paying child support or spousal support as ordered.
The other party isn't following the parenting-time schedule in the decree.
The other party hasn't transferred property (house, vehicle, retirement, account) as ordered.
The other party let court-ordered health insurance lapse.
Any willful violation of any clear, specific provision in the court's order.

If circumstances have changed and you need a new order going forward, you may want a modification motion instead — or alongside. See post-decree modifications.

Filing Fees

Motion for contempt filing fee $200 — call the DR Clerk's filing line (740) 652-7357 · Civil contempt purge conditions can include payment plans, make-up parenting time, or property transfer · Criminal contempt carries fines and possible jail · Single-sided only

Forms & Filing Packets

Core contempt packet — $200 (motion for contempt)

Required in every Fairfield County contempt filing.

General Motion (Fairfield local) — Fairfield's local cover-page general motion — typically paired with the relevant Ohio SC standardized motion form.
Motion for Contempt (Ohio SC Form 24) — Asks the court to enforce an existing order against a party who willfully violated it. Tip: Attach a certified copy of the order being violated and a sworn affidavit of facts. Pair with Fairfield's General Motion form as a cover.
Show Cause Order and Notice (Ohio SC Form 25) — Court order directing the alleged contemnor to appear and show why they should not be held in contempt. Filed with the Motion for Contempt.

Support enforcement add-on

Attach when the violation is unpaid child support or spousal support. Include payment history from CSEA's case management system (or your own records if private-pay).

Financial Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign.

Parenting-time enforcement add-on

Attach when the violation is parenting-time interference or custody-exchange refusal. A contemporaneous log of denied parenting time helps the court enter make-up time.

Parenting Proceeding Affidavit / UCCJEA (Ohio SC Affidavit 3) — Required in any DR case with minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years.

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Fairfield County

Identify the specific order being violated. Quote the paragraph and page of the decree or post-decree order that the other party is not following. Vague allegations get dismissed.
Document the violations in writing. Keep a contemporaneous log: dates, missed payments, denied parenting time, missed exchanges. Save texts, emails, and CSEA payment histories.
Draft the forms. Fairfield General Motion (cover) + Form 24 (Motion for Contempt) + Form 25 (Show Cause Order). Attach a certified copy of the order being violated and a sworn affidavit of facts.
Print everything single-sided and file at the 4th Floor Clerk. Include the certified copy of the order being violated. Pay the cost deposit (or file an Affidavit of Indigency).
Attend the show-cause hearing. The other party will be served and ordered to appear. Bring your documentation. The court may find civil contempt, set purge conditions, impose fines or jail (often suspended), and order attorney fees.

Fairfield County Practice Notes

Form 24 + Form 25 together. Fairfield contempt filings need both the OSC Motion for Contempt (Form 24) and the Show Cause Order and Notice (Form 25). The Show Cause Order is what the court signs to direct the other party to appear.
Pair with Fairfield's General Motion cover. Fairfield's General Motion form serves as the local cover sheet for post-decree motions including contempt.
The order must be clear and specific. Fairfield will not hold a party in contempt for violating a vague or ambiguous order. If the decree language is fuzzy, you may need a modification motion to clarify it first.
Purge conditions are the heart of civil contempt. Civil contempt is coercive — the court usually finds the violator in contempt but stays the penalty if they comply with specific purge conditions (pay the arrears, restore missed parenting time, transfer the asset). Failure to purge triggers the suspended sentence.
Attorney fees are recoverable. Ohio law allows the prevailing party in a successful family-law contempt action to recover reasonable attorney fees. Keep contemporaneous billing records and a clear timeline of the violations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to file in Fairfield County?: Fairfield's Domestic Relations filing fees depend on the case type (Clerk of Courts schedule, rev. 2/2026): divorce is $350 without children or $400 with children; dissolution is $300 without children or $350 with children; annulment or legal separation is $300 without children or $350 with children; a complaint for custody and/or support is $300; a post-decree motion or a motion for contempt is $200; and registering a foreign order is $150. Call the DR Clerk's filing line at (740) 652-7357 to confirm, or view the official fee schedule at fairfieldcountyclerk.com/filing-fees-costs.html. Ohio's Civil Fee Waiver (Affidavit of Indigency) is available for filers who cannot afford the deposit. New cases and other fee-bearing pleadings cannot be filed by fax or email — file in person, by mail, or through the e-filing portal at eservices.fairfieldcountycpcourt.org.
Why won't the Clerk accept my paperwork?: Fairfield County Clerk will NOT accept forms printed on both sides of the paper. Every page must be single-sided. This is one of the most common reasons filings get rejected at the counter — reprint anything that's double-sided before you go in.
What are the DR Court hours in Fairfield County?: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. AND 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. — the Clerk closes for one hour in the middle of the day. Plan your visit for the morning (8:00–12:00) or afternoon (1:00–4:00) session.
When do I file in Fairfield Juvenile Court instead of DR?: If the parents were never married, custody, parenting time, child support, and paternity are filed in the Fairfield County Juvenile Court on the 3rd Floor of the same Hall of Justice in front of Hon. Terre L. Vandervoort. If you were married, those issues travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the DR Division on the 4th Floor (Hon. Laura B. Smith). Judge Vandervoort uniquely serves as both Judge and Clerk of the Juvenile/Probate Courts.

Free Local Resources in Fairfield County

Fairfield County DR Division. Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, 4th Floor, Lancaster, OH 43130. DR Division (740) 652-7440 · Clerk filing line (740) 652-7357 · Fax (740) 652-7399. Hon. Laura B. Smith presides; Magistrates Lora H. Cleary and Sandra S. Miller. Clerk of Courts: Branden C. Meyer.
Fairfield County e-Filing Portal. eservices.fairfieldcountycpcourt.org — the Common Pleas e-filing system for Domestic Relations cases.
Fairfield County Clerk Fee Schedule. fairfieldcountyclerk.com/filing-fees-costs.html — the official, current Clerk of Courts filing-fee schedule by case type.
Fairfield County DR Forms Hub (HTML + PDF). co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/DR-Court-Forms-FC.html — accessible HTML and printable PDF versions of every local DR form.
Fairfield County DR Local Rules. co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/FC-Local-Rules-of-Court-DR.html — including Local Rule 17 Standard Parenting Time Order.
Local Rule 17 — Standard Parenting Time Order (rev. 2023). co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/pdf/Local-Rule-17-rev-2023.03.01.pdf — current standard order.
Children In Between® (online, $25). divorce-education.com/OH/fairfield — required parent-education for parents with minor children. 24/7 online; 30-day account.
Dissolution & Divorce Document Checklist. co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/documents/Dissolution-and-Divorce-Document-Checklist.pdf — work through it before filing.
Standard Mutual Restraining Order (auto-effective on filing). co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/documents/restraining_order.pdf
Fairfield County Visitation Center. 407 East Main Street, Lancaster — supervised visitation and exchange services.
Fairfield County Juvenile & Probate Court. Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Lancaster. Juvenile (740) 652-7463 · Probate (740) 652-7485. Hon. Terre L. Vandervoort (also serves as Clerk). Magistrates Michelle L. Edgar and Troy M. Sitzmann.
Juvenile Resource Center (Connexion West). 625 Garfield Avenue, Lancaster · (740) 652-7374 — diversion services, behavioral health, and youth programming.
The Lighthouse, Inc. (CPO advocacy). 136 West Main Street, 2nd Floor, Lancaster · (740) 687-6778 ext. 3027 — free CPO advocacy (not legal advice).
SEOLS Virtual Legal Clinics. 4th Tuesday of every month, 5:00–7:00 p.m. Call 844-302-1800 Mon–Fri to register.
Court Appointed Counsel Application (Ohio OPD). opd.ohio.gov/appointed-counsel/reimbursement/05-financial-disclosure-form-opd-206r
Ohio Supreme Court Standardized Forms. supremecourt.ohio.gov — Fairfield DR uses Ohio SC standardized forms alongside Fairfield locals.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov — run the worksheet and print it for filing.
Ohio Legal Help. ohiolegalhelp.org — plain-language guides and interactive court forms.

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.