Post-Decree Contempt in Fulton County

Fulton County, Ohio · Wauseon

If the other party isn't following the Fulton County Common Pleas order — not paying support, not following the parenting schedule, not transferring property as ordered — you can file a Motion for Contempt at the Clerk of Courts at 210 S. Fulton Street in Wauseon. Fulton uses Ohio SC Form 24 (Motion for Contempt) together with Form 25 (Show Cause Order).

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

File Ohio SC Form 24 (Motion for Contempt) together with Form 25 (Show Cause Order) at the Fulton County Clerk of Courts, 210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon. Attach a certified copy of the order being violated and a sworn affidavit of facts. Download both forms from supremecourt.ohio.gov — Fulton does not stock paper forms. Filing fees in Appendix B of the Local Rules — call (419) 337-9260. 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 Division (same courthouse, same judge).

Where to File: Fulton County Court of Common Pleas (General Division)

210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon, OH 43567, Wauseon, OH 43567
Phone: (419) 337-9260
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Website: www.fultoncountyoh.com/231/Records-Search

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Fulton County Juvenile Division
210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon, OH 43567, Wauseon, OH 43567
Phone: (419) 337-9260
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 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

Filing fees in Appendix B of the Local Rules · Civil contempt purge conditions can include payment plans, make-up parenting time, or property transfer · Criminal contempt carries fines and possible jail · No paper forms at courthouse

Forms & Filing Packets

Core contempt packet — Contact Clerk (Appendix B)

Required in every Fulton County contempt filing.

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.
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. Use alongside Fulton's local worksheet.
Fulton County Local Child Support Worksheet — Local version used in addition to the Ohio Child Support Calculator output.

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 Fulton 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. Ohio SC 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.
File at the Clerk of Courts in Wauseon. Include the certified copy of the order being violated. Pay the cost deposit from Appendix B (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.

Fulton County Practice Notes

Form 24 + Form 25 together. Fulton 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.
The order must be clear and specific. Fulton 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.
Same no-paper-forms rule. Download Forms 24 and 25 from the Ohio Supreme Court website. Fulton does not stock paper forms at the courthouse.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to file in Fulton County?: Fulton publishes its full fee schedule in Appendix B of the Local Rules at fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/13191. Call the Clerk of Courts at (419) 337-9260 to confirm the current fee for your specific case type before filing. An Affidavit of Indigency is available to waive fees for qualifying low-income filers.
Why doesn't the courthouse have paper forms?: Since July 1, 2013, the Fulton County Court of Common Pleas does not provide paper domestic-relations forms at the courthouse. All standardized forms are free on the Ohio Supreme Court website at supremecourt.ohio.gov. The court's staff also cannot help you choose or fill out the right forms — if you need help, consult an attorney.
Does Fulton County have a separate Domestic Relations Court?: No. Fulton County does not have a separate DR Court. All family-law cases — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, post-decree motions — are heard in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas by Hon. Scott Haselman, who also handles civil and criminal cases. Cases involving never-married parents go to the Juvenile Division (same judge).
When do I file in Fulton Juvenile Division instead of Common Pleas?: If the parents were never married, custody, parenting time, child support, and paternity are filed in the Fulton County Juvenile Division (same courthouse, same judge). If you were married, those issues travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the General Division. Heads-up: Juvenile requires a child's birth certificate at filing for Grandparent POA/Caretaker Affidavit and Application for Custodian filings — not optional.

Free Local Resources in Fulton County

Fulton County Court of Common Pleas. 210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon, OH 43567. Phone (419) 337-9260 · Fax (419) 337-9293. Hon. Scott Haselman presides — handles DR, civil, and criminal cases.
Fulton County Local Rules (rev. 1/26/2024). fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/13192 — includes Appendix B fee schedule.
Fulton County Court Fee Schedule (Appendix B). fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/13191/appendix-b — confirm current amount with Clerk before filing.
Fulton County Local Forms Page. fultoncountyoh.com/235/Forms — Court Orders 1-8, Pretrial Order, Settlement Conference Notice, and Parenting Schedules A/A-1/B/C.
Local Child Support Worksheet. fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/250 — used alongside the Ohio Child Support Calculator output.
Fulton County Juvenile Division. Same courthouse, same judge. Forms at fultoncountyoh.com/650/Juvenile-Court-Forms. Birth certificate required at filing for Grandparent POA / Caretaker Affidavit and Application for Custodian filings.
Juvenile Local Rules (2021). fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/13596 — covers juvenile filing requirements.
Online Dockets / Records Search. fultoncountyoh.com/231/Records-Search
The Center for Child & Family Advocacy (CPO help). (419) 335-4255 · theccfa.org — free Civil Protection Order assistance.
Legal Aid Hotline. (888) 534-1432 · legalaidline.lawolaw.org — free phone-based legal advice for income-qualified residents.
Ohio Supreme Court Standardized DR & Juvenile Forms. supremecourt.ohio.gov — Fulton does not provide paper forms; download everything here.
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.

Keep exploring

Ohio Post-Decree Contempt guide — Statewide overview of post-decree contempt in Ohio.
Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
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