Franklin County Contempt & Enforcement Attorneys

Hire Gavvl for your Franklin County contempt case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Franklin County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start (flat fees from $950).

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.

Hire Gavvl Law to enforce your Franklin County order

When the other side stops paying support, ignores the parenting schedule, or won't transfer property the decree awarded you, a Motion to Show Cause puts the court's power behind its own order. Franklin DR publishes no fill-in contempt form — the motion has to be drafted under Local Rule 11 with a sworn affidavit and a $175 enforcement deposit under Local Rule 2. Gavvl Law drafts it correctly, proves the violations, and works on a flat fee approved up front with payment plans and full representation through the show-cause hearing.

• Drafted under Local Rule 11 — no form to lean on. Because Franklin DR has no fill-in contempt form, the motion must be captioned in the required 'MOTION OF [Plaintiff/Defendant] [Name] for Contempt' form, name the exact order provision violated, attach a sworn affidavit of the facts, and request a show-cause hearing. We build that motion to the local rule so it isn't rejected on its face.
• Purge conditions and the follow-up motion. Civil contempt is coercive: the court usually finds the violator in contempt but suspends jail on purge conditions like paying arrears or restoring missed parenting time. If they still don't comply, we file the Motion to Enforce the Suspended Jail Sentence — which carries no deposit under Local Rule 2 — so the consequence finally lands.
• Evidence built for the Magistrate. Under Local Rule 8 a Magistrate hears contempt, issues a decision, and either party has 14 days to object. We assemble the CSEA payment history, a dated parenting-time log, or proof a transfer never happened, and — because Ohio lets the prevailing party recover reasonable attorney fees — keep the records that support a fee award.

We file in the court that issued your order — DR at 373 South High Street, 4th Floor, or the Juvenile Branch at 399 South Front Street — and pair the motion with the right enforcement track. For unpaid support, Franklin County CSEA at (614) 525-3275 can add wage withholding, license suspension, and tax intercept at no cost, and if the deposit is out of reach we can ask the Clerk about a poverty affidavit.

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.

Real people, — with direct lines

• Stephanie Green — Managing Partner
• Elizabeth Warren — Managing Partner
• Niva Elgin — Senior Case Manager · Licensed New Mexico Attorney

Your consultation

Stephanie Green or Elizabeth Warren, our managing partners — or Niva Elgin, our senior case manager and a licensed New Mexico attorney. They've heard hundreds of situations like yours and will tell you plainly what you need, and what you don't. Meet the firm.

Your attorney

One of our Of Counsel Ohio family-law attorneys is your attorney for the case — from the first strategy call to the final order in Franklin County. You have their name and a direct line the day your file opens. Our attorneys.

Your case team

Niva Elgin keeps your case moving as Senior Case Manager. Madeline Wampler, Certified Paralegal, handles documents and scheduling. Erin Schultz, Finance Manager, handles billing and payment plans. Real people who answer when you call.

• 95+ five-star Google reviews
• 60+ years of combined Ohio family-law experience
• Super Lawyers honorees on the team
• Every flat fee published before you call

From first call to retained, — and every step after

1. Consultation — A 30-minute phone call, $25. You talk with Stephanie Green, Elizabeth Warren, or Niva Elgin about what's happening and what Ohio law actually does with it. Before you hang up you'll know whether you need a lawyer at all — and if you do, you leave with a written quote: the service we recommend, the price, your financing options, and your next steps.
2. Choose — Pick the level of help. Pay, or set up financing. Limited-scope flat fee or full representation — you choose, with real numbers in front of you. Pay online, or secure a Gavvl Direct payment plan or third-party financing in a few minutes. Nothing is billed until you decide.
3. Sign — Your agreement arrives by email. Review the client agreement and sign it electronically — from your phone if you like. While you do, your attorney reviews your intake.
4. Get started — Your first attorney call goes on the calendar. Limited scope: your attorney's first call is scheduled from your intake. Full representation: a paralegal reaches out the same or next business day to open your file and gather what's needed, then schedules your first attorney call — and if something is urgent, you speak with the attorney first.

It's easier than ever to retain an excellent attorney.

How you'll stay updated — you never have to wonder

Every client gets GavvLink™, our client portal, on day one. Your whole case — messages, calendar, billing, status — lives in one place, and your team is a message away.

• Reach your attorney directly. Message, text, email, or call. Request a callback or book time on their calendar yourself — no waiting to hear back.
• Case calendar with reminders. Every hearing, deadline, and milestone, with a reminder before each one.
• Case status updates. See where your case stands and what happens next, updated as it moves.
• Payments and billing in real time. Every entry on your account as it posts, plus links to make a payment or add funds.
• Your case team, one message away. Full-representation clients message their paralegal and case manager the same way — and they answer.
• 24/7 receptionists and direct lines. Something urgent after hours? A live receptionist answers around the clock and reaches your team. You also have your attorney's direct line — and a way to reach the managing partners. We return calls and messages promptly.

Can I do this without an attorney?

sometimes, yes. Ohio lets you represent yourself, and for a genuinely agreed dissolution or a simple motion, some people do. The Franklin County forms and local rules are linked in the questions below, and our free tools will draft a parenting plan or estimate child support before you spend anything.

Here's what the online-divorce platforms leave out: most Ohio counties require their own forms and language on top of the statewide ones, and a rejected filing is the most common reason people call us after trying it alone. A $25, 30-minute call tells you whether you can do this yourself — and if you can, we'll say so.

• Free parenting plan builder
• Free child support estimate
• Attorney-written guides
• See the Franklin County forms & local rules

Schedule Your $25 Consultation

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

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas — Juvenile Branch
399 South Front Street, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525-4411
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• The other party isn't paying child support or spousal support as the order requires.
• The other party isn't following the parenting-time schedule in the decree or order.
• The other party hasn't transferred property (house, vehicle, retirement, account) the decree awarded you.
• The other party let court-ordered health insurance for the children lapse.
• The other party is violating a Civil Protection Order issued by the Franklin DR Court.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Which forms do I need to file for contempt in Franklin County?

Enforcing a Domestic Relations decree or order

Use when the order you're enforcing came out of a divorce, dissolution, or legal separation. Franklin DR has no fill-in contempt form — draft it under Local Rule 11 with a sworn affidavit of the facts.

• Motion to Show Cause / Motion for Contempt (DR) — Franklin DR does not publish a fill-in contempt form. Draft the motion under Local Rule 11 — caption it "MOTION OF [Plaintiff/Defendant] [Name] for Contempt" — identify the exact decree or order provision being violated, attach a sworn affidavit of the facts, and request a show-cause hearing. The enforcement deposit applies (Local Rule 2).
• Affidavit of Income and Expenses — Snapshot of gross income, take-home pay the filing fee, and monthly household expenses. Required at filing.

Enforcing a Juvenile Branch order (never-married parents)

Use when the parenting or support order came from the Juvenile Branch because the parents were never married. File the Motion to Show Cause / Contempt at 399 South Front Street.

• Motion to Show Cause / Contempt — Asks the court to enforce an existing parenting or support order against a party who is in violation. Possible penalties include fines, attorney fees, makeup parenting time, and jail.
• Affidavit of Income and Expenses — Snapshot of gross income, take-home pay the filing fee, and monthly household expenses. Required at filing.

Support-violation add-on

When the violation is unpaid support, attach the CSEA payment history (or your own ledger if private-pay) and a current Affidavit of Income and Expenses. Franklin County CSEA at (614) 525-3275 can also enforce administratively through wage withholding, license suspension, and tax intercept.

• Affidavit of Income and Expenses — Snapshot of gross income, take-home pay the filing fee, and monthly household expenses. Required at filing.
• Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.

If the violator already failed to purge

When a party was previously found in contempt and the court suspended a jail sentence on purge conditions they didn't meet, file the Motion to Enforce Suspended Jail Sentence. Local Rule 2 charges no deposit for this motion.

• Motion to Enforce Suspended Jail Sentence — Filed when a party who was previously found in contempt fails to meet the purge conditions and the court suspended a jail sentence on those conditions. Under Local Rule 2, no deposit is required for this motion.

Violation of a Civil Protection Order

When the respondent violates a Franklin DR Civil Protection Order, file the Motion for Contempt of a Protection Order. A CPO violation is also a separate criminal offense you can report to law enforcement.

• Motion for Contempt of a Protection Order — Asks the court to hold the respondent in contempt for violating the terms of a Civil Protection Order. A CPO violation is also a separate criminal offense reportable to law enforcement.

How to file post-decree contempt in Franklin County

1. Pull the exact order language being violated. Find the specific paragraph in the decree or post-decree entry the other party is violating. Vague or ambiguous orders rarely support contempt — if the language is fuzzy, you may need a modification to clarify it first.
2. Document the violations. For support, attach the CSEA payment history or your own ledger. For parenting time, keep a contemporaneous log (date, time, what was denied). For property, attach proof the transfer never happened. Save texts, emails, and witness statements.
3. Draft the Motion to Show Cause / Contempt. Caption it under Local Rule 11 ("MOTION OF [Plaintiff/Defendant] [Name] for Contempt"), identify the specific violation, attach a sworn affidavit of the facts, and request a show-cause hearing.
4. File in the issuing court and pay the deposit. DR enforcement goes to 373 South High Street, 4th Floor (Local Rule 2 deposit). Juvenile Branch enforcement goes to 399 South Front Street. Ask the Clerk about a poverty affidavit if you can't afford the deposit. The other party must be served.
5. Attend the show-cause hearing before the Magistrate. Bring marked exhibits (payment history, parenting log, transfer documents) and any witnesses. If the court finds contempt, expect purge conditions, fines, an attorney-fee award, or a suspended jail sentence. Either party has 14 days to object to the Magistrate's decision.

What does post-decree contempt cost in Franklin County?

Two numbers matter. The court's filing fee, which the Clerk sets and can confirm. And the attorney work: Our published flat fees from $950 cover drafting and filing the paperwork (limited scope — the court's filing fee is invoiced separately), with payment plans available. Prefer full representation? An attorney can carry the whole case on a retainer — every number is published in the pricing section above.

What forms do I need for post-decree contempt in Franklin County?

It depends on your situation — children, temporary orders, and which court you file in all change the packet. Answer the quick questions in the paperwork section above and your exact Franklin County checklist appears, with every official form linked as a PDF.

How long does post-decree contempt take in Franklin County?

It depends on how much you and the other side agree. Agreed matters generally move through Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations in months, not years; contested cases take longer. The part you control is filing a complete, correct packet the first time — bounced paperwork is the most common self-filing delay.

Do we really need lawyers if we agree?

Maybe not — and we'll say so at a $25 consultation. But an agreement only counts if it survives on paper, in the exact packet Franklin County's court expects, and what you file becomes a binding court order that is hard to fix later. Precision drafting for people who already agree is most of what our flat-fee work is: done once, done right.

Where are the Franklin County local rules, and what does this court do differently?

Judges, magistrates, and filing fees change, so we do not publish them here. Franklin County posts the current information itself:

• Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations — local rules, standing orders, and the current judges and magistrates.
• Franklin County local rules — the court's own rules for filings, hearings, and required local forms.
• Franklin County Clerk of Courts — current filing fees and deposits, e-filing, and case records.

• Magistrates hear contempt motions. Under Franklin DR Local Rule 8, Magistrates hear contempt and discovery motions. The Magistrate issues a Magistrate's Decision; under Local Rule 9 and Civ.R. 53, either party then has 14 days to file Objections, which the assigned Judge decides.
• Purge conditions are the heart of civil contempt. Civil contempt is coercive — the court usually finds the violator in contempt but suspends the penalty (including jail) on specific purge conditions: pay the arrears, restore missed parenting time, or transfer the asset. Failure to purge lets you file a Motion to Enforce the Suspended Jail Sentence (no deposit under Local Rule 2).
• Caption the motion under Local Rule 11. Franklin DR requires pleadings to be titled in the form "MOTION OF [Plaintiff/Defendant] [Name] for Contempt." Identify the exact order provision being violated, attach a sworn affidavit of the facts, and request a show-cause hearing.
• 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, dated timeline of every violation.

Are there free legal resources in Franklin County?

• Franklin County DR Self-Help Resource Center. 373 South High Street. Forms, computer terminals, limited procedural help. Cannot give legal advice. Mon–Fri during court hours.
• Legal Aid Society of Columbus. (614) 241-2001. Income-qualified family law representation and advice clinics across central Ohio.
• Columbus Bar Lawyer Referral Service. (614) 221-0754. Paid 30-minute consultation referrals to vetted Franklin County family-law attorneys.
• Franklin County CSEA (Child Support Enforcement Agency). (614) 525-3275. Opens IV-D cases and collects/distributes child support through wage withholding.
• Franklin County Juvenile Branch Help Center. 399 South Front Street. Procedural help for self-represented filers on never-married custody, paternity, and support cases.

Other Family-Law Topics in Franklin County

• Franklin County Divorce — Full filing guide with forms, fees, and the parenting class.
• Franklin County Dissolution — Cooperative path — both spouses agree first.
• Ohio Child Support Calculator — Run the 2024 Income Shares worksheet yourself.
• Ohio family-law resources — 88-county directory of courts and legal aid.

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.

More Franklin County family-law resources

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