Post-Decree Modifications in Fairfield County

Fairfield County, Ohio · Lancaster

After a Fairfield County divorce or dissolution is final, the DR Division keeps continuing jurisdiction over child support, custody, parenting time, and (sometimes) spousal support. To change any of those, file a post-decree motion at the Clerk on the 4th Floor of the Hall of Justice in Lancaster. Fairfield uses the Ohio SC standardized post-decree forms — Form 27 to change custody, Form 28 to change child support, Form 26 to change parenting time — typically paired with Fairfield's General Motion form as a cover.

How do I modify a Fairfield County divorce or dissolution decree?

Use Ohio SC Form 27 to change custody (residential parent / legal custodian), Form 28 to change child support, or Form 26 to change the parenting-time schedule, paired with Fairfield's General Motion 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. File at the Clerk on the 4th Floor, Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, Lancaster. Single-sided only. Filing fee set by the Clerk — call (740) 652-7440. Property division is final and cannot be modified.

Where to File: Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division

Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, 4th Floor, Lancaster, OH 43130, 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: www.co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

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

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 Fairfield County post-decree contempt.

Filing Fees

Filing fee set by Clerk · CSEA administrative review is free · Pair Ohio SC Forms 26/27/28 with Fairfield's General Motion cover · Single-sided only

Forms & Filing Packets

Change of custody / parental rights — Form 27 — Contact Clerk for current amount

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)).

General Motion (Fairfield local) — Fairfield's local cover-page general motion — typically paired with the relevant Ohio SC standardized motion form.
Motion for Change of Parental Rights (Ohio SC Form 27) — Asks the court to reallocate parental rights and responsibilities. Requires change of circumstances and best interest under R.C. 3109.04(E).
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.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC 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, and sign.

Change of child support — Form 28 — Contact Clerk for current amount

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.

General Motion (Fairfield local) — Fairfield's local cover-page general motion — typically paired with the relevant Ohio SC standardized motion form.
Motion for Change of Child Support (Ohio SC Form 28) — Asks the court to modify an existing child-support order.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign.
Financial Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
SETS Child Support Information Form (Fairfield local) — Required SETS intake form for any case involving a child-support order.

Change of parenting time — Form 26 — Contact Clerk for current amount

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.

General Motion (Fairfield local) — Fairfield's local cover-page general motion — typically paired with the relevant Ohio SC standardized motion form.
Motion for Change of Parenting Time (Ohio SC Form 26) — Asks the court to change the parenting-time schedule.

How to File Post-Decree Modifications in Fairfield 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 a current Affidavit 1.
Run a current child-support worksheet. Use ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov. Required for any Form 28 motion and recommended for Form 27.
Pair with Fairfield's General Motion form. The General Motion is Fairfield's local cover sheet for post-decree filings.
Print everything single-sided and file at the 4th Floor Clerk. Pay the cost deposit. The case is heard by the DR Division.

Fairfield County Practice Notes

Property division is final. Fairfield 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.
CSEA review is free. Before filing a Form 28, 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.
Use the General Motion as your cover. Fairfield's General Motion form is the local cover-sheet for post-decree motions. Pair it with the relevant Ohio SC standardized form (26, 27, or 28).
Juvenile Court for never-married parents. If the parties were never married, modifications go to the Fairfield Juvenile Court on the 3rd Floor (Hon. Terre L. Vandervoort) — fees published at fairfieldcountyprobate.com/jcosts.pdf.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to file in Fairfield County?: Filing fees are approximately $300, though the exact amount may vary by case type (with or without children). Call the Clerk of Courts at (740) 652-7440 for the current fee. An Affidavit of Indigency is available to waive fees for qualifying low-income filers. Fax filings are accepted at (740) 652-7399.
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. Phone (740) 652-7440 · Fax (740) 652-7399. Hon. Laura B. Smith presides.
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.

Keep exploring

Ohio Post-Decree Modifications guide — Statewide overview of post-decree modifications in Ohio.
Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
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