Child Support in Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Ohio · Cincinnati

Ohio calculates child support with a statewide guideline worksheet based on both parents' incomes, health-insurance costs, and parenting time. In Hamilton County, married parents establish or modify support at the Court of Domestic Relations, while never-married parents use the Juvenile Court. Either way, the case runs through Hamilton County Job & Family Services (CSEA) for collection and enforcement once you file the IV-D Application.

How do I establish or change child support in Hamilton County, Ohio?

Married parents file at the Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations, 800 Broadway, Cincinnati — establishing support outside a divorce uses the Complaint for Child Support (Form 1.31) with a $350 deposit, while changing an existing order uses a post-decree Motion (Form 3.8) with a $125 deposit. Never-married parents file in the Hamilton County Juvenile Court using the Child Support — New Case packet ($100). Every case needs the Ohio child-support worksheet and the IV-D Application so Hamilton County CSEA can collect and enforce the order through wage withholding.

Where to File: Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations

800 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 946-9150
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Website: www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/government/courts/court_of_domestic_relations/index.php
e-Filing: https://www.courtclerk.org/forms/DRuserguide.pdf

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Hamilton County Juvenile Court
800 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 946-9431
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Child Support is the right path if…

You need a first child-support order, or your circumstances have changed enough to modify one.
You can document both parents' income, health-insurance costs, and the parenting schedule.
Paternity is already established (or you are establishing it in the same case).
You want CSEA to collect and enforce support through wage withholding.

Filing Fees

DR establish (Section 10): $350 · DR post-decree modify: $125 · Juvenile new case: $100 · Juvenile modification: $100 · Support modifications require 3 years of income documentation

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish support — married parents (Domestic Relations) — $350 deposit

Filed at the Court of Domestic Relations when support is established for married parents outside an active divorce (Section 10). Deposit is $350.

Complaint for Child Support, Medical and Tax Exemption (Hamilton Form 1.31) — Opens a Section 10 case to establish support for married parents whose case is not part of a divorce.
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.
Health Insurance Affidavit — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
IV-D Application for Child Support Services — Opens your case with Hamilton County CSEA so support can be collected, tracked, and enforced through wage withholding.

Establish support — never-married parents (Juvenile Court) — $100 deposit

Filed at the Hamilton County Juvenile Court using the complete new-case support packet. Deposit is $100. Paternity must be established first if it is not already.

Filing for Child Support — New Case (Complete Packet) — The Juvenile Court's complete packet to open a new child-support case for never-married parents.
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.
IV-D Application for Child Support Services — Opens your case with Hamilton County CSEA so support can be collected, tracked, and enforced through wage withholding.

Modify an existing support order

Use the post-decree Motion at Domestic Relations (Form 3.8, serve CSEA) or the Motion to Modify Support packet in Juvenile Court. Bring proof of the change in income or circumstances.

Motion to Modify Support (Hamilton Form 3.8, serve CSEA) / Juvenile Motion to Modify Support — DR post-decree motion to modify support ($125). In Juvenile Court, use the Motion to Modify Support packet ($100) at juvenile-court.org.
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.

How to File Child Support in Hamilton County

Confirm the right court. Married parents file at the Court of Domestic Relations; never-married parents file in the Juvenile Court. If paternity is not established, do that first in the Juvenile Court.
Run the Ohio child-support worksheet. Use the statewide guideline worksheet (ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov) with both parents' incomes, health-insurance costs, and the parenting schedule to compute the presumed amount.
File the right form and pay the deposit. Establish at DR with Form 1.31 ($350) or in Juvenile Court with the new-case support packet ($100). Modify with Form 3.8 ($125 DR) or the Juvenile Motion to Modify Support ($100).
Open the IV-D case and attend the hearing. File the IV-D Application so Hamilton County CSEA can collect and enforce. Bring complete income documentation to the hearing — three years' worth for a modification.

Hamilton County Practice Notes

Bring complete income documentation. For a modification under R.C. 3119.05, Hamilton expects pay stubs, employer statements, and tax returns, plus documentation of overtime, commissions, and bonuses for the 3 years before the computation and proof of any pre-existing support obligations.
Every order runs through CSEA. File the IV-D Application (HC7076 at Domestic Relations) so Hamilton County Job & Family Services can set up wage withholding, distribute payments, and enforce the order. Post-decree support motions must be served on CSEA.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Hamilton County child-support agency (CSEA) do?: Hamilton County Job & Family Services runs the county's IV-D child-support program (CSEA). It opens cases, sets up wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. File the IV-D Application (Form HC7076 at Domestic Relations, or the IV-D Application in a Juvenile case) when you establish or modify support. Learn more at hcjfs.org/services/child_support.
How much does it cost to file a family-law case in Hamilton County?: At the Court of Domestic Relations: a divorce or dissolution deposit is $325 without children and $375 with children; establishing custody or support for married parents whose case is not part of a divorce (Section 10) is $350; and post-decree motions are $125. In the Juvenile Court, custody runs $200 for a new case or $150 for an existing one, child support is $100, and paternity is $115. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk before filing.
Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Hamilton County?: If you are married to the other parent (or were married when the children were born), custody, parenting time, and child support travel with your divorce or dissolution at the Court of Domestic Relations. If you were never married, paternity and custody go to the Hamilton County Juvenile Court. Both branches sit at 800 Broadway in Cincinnati but are separate divisions. Grandparent and non-parent custody is always filed in Juvenile Court.
What is a IV-D application and why do I need one?: A IV-D Application opens a child-support case with your county's Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Once opened, CSEA collects support through automatic wage withholding, distributes it to the receiving parent, and can enforce the order through license suspension, federal tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals. Filing a IV-D Application is standard whenever a child-support order is issued.

Free Local Resources in Hamilton County

Hamilton County Domestic Relations Self-Help Resources. Complete listing of all Domestic Relations forms, dissolution merit instructions (Form 9.0), the decree checklist, and the Accept/Reject/Resubmit e-filing guidance at hamiltoncountyohio.gov.
Hamilton County Clerk of Courts E-Filing. Self-represented and represented parties can e-file Domestic Relations cases at efiling.hamiltoncountycourts.org. Pro se registration is available; credit cards accepted with a convenience fee. Help line (513) 946-5612.
Hamilton County Job & Family Services — Child Support (CSEA). Hamilton County's IV-D child-support agency. Opens cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. File the IV-D Application (HC7076) when establishing or modifying support.
Hamilton County Juvenile Court Help Center. A partnership with the UC College of Law offering low-income residents free education and limited legal advice on custody, parenting time, companionship, and support in Juvenile Court. 800 Broadway, 1st Floor; (513) 946-9440.
Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati. Free civil legal aid for low-income Hamilton County families, including help with custody, support, and domestic-violence protection orders.

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.

Keep exploring

Ohio Child Support guide — Statewide overview of child support in Ohio.
Cincinnati family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Cincinnati metro.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.

Call +1-844-694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.