Child Support in Geauga County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026

Geauga County, Ohio · Chardon

Geauga County child support is calculated under Ohio's 2024 Income Shares model and paid through Ohio Child Support Payment Central. Establishing, reviewing, and enforcing support runs through the Geauga County CSEA (GCCSED) at Job & Family Services, (440) 285-9141, and through the General or Juvenile Division depending on whether the parents were married.

How do I get or change child support in Geauga County, Ohio?

Married or divorcing parents set support inside the General Division divorce or dissolution using the Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet; never-married parents set it in the Probate & Juvenile Court alongside parentage and custody, or by opening a case with the Geauga County CSEA (GCCSED), (440) 285-9141. To change an existing order, request a CSEA administrative review or file a Motion for Change of Child Support (Ohio SC Form 28) on a substantial change — often a 10% or greater change in the guideline amount (R.C. 3119.79). Support is paid through Ohio Child Support Payment Central.

Ohio Child Support by the Numbers

2024 Year Ohio's updated Income Shares support schedule took effect Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3119.021
10% Change in the calculated amount that justifies a modification Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3119.79
3 years How often either parent can request an administrative review Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3119.60
Age 18 When support normally ends — or high-school graduation, whichever is later Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3119.86

What Counts in an Ohio Child Support Calculation

What the worksheet counts	Counts toward support?	Notes
Both parents' gross income	Yes	Wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, and self-employment earnings
Health insurance for the children	Yes	Credited to the parent who pays the premium
Work-related childcare	Yes	Daycare and after-school costs are added in
Parenting time	Yes	Adjustments apply for substantial or equal parenting time
Imputed income	Sometimes	Added when a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed
A new spouse's income	No	Only the two parents' incomes are counted

Where to File: Geauga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division (Domestic Relations)

100 Short Court Street, Chardon, OH 44024
Phone: (440) 279-1960
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (closed legal holidays)
Website: courts.geauga.oh.gov/general-division/domestic-relations/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Geauga County Court of Common Pleas, Probate & Juvenile Divisions
Courthouse Annex, 231 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Chardon, OH 44024
Phone: (440) 226-4446
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (closed legal holidays)

Child Support is the right path if…

You need a first child-support order, or a change to an existing one.
Your income, the other parent's income, parenting time, or health-coverage costs have changed.
The guideline amount would change by about 10% or more.
You need the CSEA to enforce an order through wage withholding or other tools.

Filing Fees

Support set inside a divorce/dissolution is part of that case deposit · never-married support via the Juvenile Court (deposit set by that court) or the CSEA · foreign-order registration $200 · confirm current amounts with the Clerk (440) 279-1960 or the Juvenile Court (440) 226-4446

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish support (never-married parents)

Set support in the Probate & Juvenile Court alongside parentage and custody, or open a CSEA case. File the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit, the Health Insurance Affidavit, and the Ohio child-support worksheet with the Juvenile Division's local forms.

Geauga County Juvenile Division Forms (GC JF series) — The combined Probate & Juvenile Court's local forms for unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting-time cases — including the GC JF UCCJEA affidavit and the Custody Power of Attorney / Caretaker Authorization Affidavit. Obtain the current packet from the Juvenile Court.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA. Required in any case involving minor children.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask the court to set or change support.

Modify an existing order

Request a CSEA administrative review or file a Motion for Change of Child Support (Form 28) with an updated worksheet in the division that issued the order. A substantial change — often 10%+ — is required (R.C. 3119.79).

Motion for Change of Child Support (Ohio SC Form 28) — The Ohio uniform motion to change child support, medical support, or the tax exemption after a change of circumstances. File in the division that issued the order.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask the court to set or change support.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.

Register an out-of-state support order

To enforce or modify another state's support order here, register it under UIFSA using Geauga's Petition to Register Foreign Child Support Order with Notice; registration usually runs through the CSEA.

Petition to Register Foreign Child Support Order with Notice (Geauga County) — Registers an out-of-state child-support order so it can be enforced or modified in Geauga County under UIFSA (R.C. Chapter 3115). Registration usually runs through the CSEA.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask the court to set or change support.

How to File Child Support in Geauga County

Pick the route. Married/divorcing parents set support in the General Division; never-married parents use the Probate & Juvenile Court or the Geauga County CSEA (GCCSED), (440) 285-9141.
Run the Ohio worksheet. Use the official Ohio Child Support Calculator (2024 Income Shares), print, and sign — required any time support is set or changed.
File or apply. File the support paperwork with the correct division, or open a CSEA case for an administrative establishment or review.
Enforce if needed. If the other parent falls behind, the CSEA can enforce through wage withholding, license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals, and support is paid through Ohio Child Support Payment Central.

Geauga County Practice Notes

Support routed through CSPC and the Geauga CSEA. Support is collected and paid through Ohio Child Support Payment Central (CSPC). Establishing, reviewing, and enforcing support runs through the Geauga County CSEA (GCCSED) at Geauga County Job & Family Services, (440) 285-9141.
Confirm juvenile filing deposits with the Help Center. Juvenile filing deposits are set by the Court's published schedule (Geauga Juvenile Local Rule 5) and were not separately stated in the materials reviewed. A fee waiver is available for indigent filers. Confirm the current deposit with the Probate & Juvenile Court Help Center at (440) 226-4446.
Unmarried-parent cases use the Juvenile Division's local forms. Parentage, custody, support, and parenting-time cases for never-married parents are filed in the combined Probate & Juvenile Court (231 Main Street, 2nd Floor, (440) 226-4446) using its local GC JF forms, available at geaugapjcourt.org/juvenile-forms/. The Ohio Supreme Court standardized forms are also accepted.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is child support paid and enforced in Geauga County?: Support is collected and paid through Ohio Child Support Payment Central (CSPC). Child-support services — establishing, reviewing, and enforcing orders — run through the Geauga County CSEA (GCCSED) at Geauga County Job & Family Services, (440) 285-9141. The CSEA can enforce orders through wage withholding, license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals.
Do unmarried parents file custody in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Geauga County?: If you are married to (or were married to) the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce or dissolution in the General Division. If you were never married, parentage and custody are handled by the Geauga County Probate & Juvenile Court (231 Main Street, (440) 226-4446). Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are always filed in the Juvenile Division.
What does it cost to file a custody or parentage case in the Geauga Juvenile Court?: Juvenile filing deposits are set by the Court's published schedule (Geauga Juvenile Local Rule 5) and are subject to change. A fee waiver is available for indigent filers. Confirm the current deposit with the Probate & Juvenile Court Help Center at (440) 226-4446 before filing.
Which court handles family-law cases in Geauga County?: The General Division of the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas (100 Short Court Street, Chardon) hears all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases — there is no separate Domestic Relations court. The combined Probate & Juvenile Court (Courthouse Annex, 231 Main Street, 2nd Floor) handles unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting time (Juvenile, under R.C. 2151.23) and non-parent custody. Domestic Relations cases are filed through the Clerk of Courts, Sheila M. Bevington, at (440) 279-1960.

Free Local Resources in Geauga County

Geauga County Clerk of Courts (files Common Pleas / Domestic Relations cases). 100 Short Court Street, Chardon, OH 44024; (440) 279-1960. Clerk Sheila M. Bevington files all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases, posts the filing-fee schedule, and confirms current deposits. Geauga uses mandatory e-filing for Common Pleas cases, with payment by PayPal checkout (guest checkout available). Forms: https://courts.geauga.oh.gov/forms/.
Geauga County Probate & Juvenile Court. Courthouse Annex, 231 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Chardon, OH 44024; (440) 226-4446 (https://geaugapjcourt.org/). The combined Probate & Juvenile Court (Judge Timothy J. Grendell) hears unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting-time cases. Self-represented filers can use the Juvenile Help Center: https://geaugapjcourt.org/help-center/.
Geauga County Child Support Enforcement (GCCSED). Housed at Geauga County Job & Family Services, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Chardon, OH 44024; (440) 285-9141 (https://www.geaugajfs.org/). The county IV-D agency establishes, calculates, collects, and enforces child support. Support payments are processed through Ohio Child Support Payment Central (CSPC), not the local court (Local Rule 8(C)).
Geauga County CASA / Court Appointed Special Advocates. https://www.geaugacountycasa.org/. Trained volunteer advocates appointed in abuse, neglect, and dependency cases to represent the child's best interest. The Probate & Juvenile Court may also appoint a Guardian ad Litem in contested custody matters.
General Division Mediation Program. Mediation Coordinator (440) 279-1996. The General Division offers mediation to help divorcing and post-decree parents resolve parenting and property disputes without a contested hearing. Ask the Court or your attorney whether your case qualifies.

Related to your child support case

Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
Post-Decree Modification — Update custody, support, or parenting orders after your case ends.
Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on child support and related Ohio family law topics.

Child Support Calculation in Ohio: How the Formula Works — Ohio calculates child support with the income shares model, combining both parents' incomes to set a shared obligation. Here's how the formula works and what changes the bottom line.
How to Modify Child Support in Ohio — Child support orders aren't permanent. When income or circumstances change substantially, Ohio lets you modify support — through a CSEA review or a court motion. Here's how.

Keep exploring

Ohio Child Support guide — Statewide overview of child support in Ohio.
Cleveland family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Cleveland metro.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
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Call (216) 868-8005 or email support@gavvl.com.