Enforcing a Family-Law Order in Huron County

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

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Huron County Common Pleas Court, Probate & Juvenile Divisions — Juvenile
2 East Main Street, Room 101, Norwalk, OH 44857
Phone: (419) 668-1616
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• The other parent is violating a clear, existing court order.
• Parenting time is being withheld or repeatedly disrupted.
• Court-ordered support is not being paid.
• You have tried to resolve it and need the court to enforce the order.

Filing Fees

The General Division deposit to reopen for a post-decree/contempt motion is $275.00. Under Local Rule 69.10, the court applies a uniform attorney-fee award of $500.00 in domestic contempt matters where fees are warranted. Support violations can also be pursued through the CSEA at no separate court cost. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (419) 668-5113.

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Huron County

1. Confirm the order and the violation. Make sure the order is clear and in effect, and document exactly how it was violated — dates, amounts, missed exchanges.
2. File a motion to show cause. File in the court that issued the order, describing the violations and asking the court to hold the other party in contempt.
3. Pay the reopen deposit. Pay the $275.00 post-decree/contempt deposit, or file for a fee waiver if you cannot afford it.
4. Use the CSEA for support. For unpaid support, the Huron County CSEA can enforce by income withholding, license suspension, tax intercept, and credit reporting.
5. Attend the hearing. Present your evidence; the court can order make-up parenting time, payment, fines, jail, or a $500.00 attorney-fee award under Local Rule 69.10.

Huron County Practice Notes

• Contempt requires a clear order and willful violation. To win a contempt motion you must show a clear, existing court order and that the other party had the ability to comply but willfully did not. Document each violation precisely — dates, amounts, and missed exchanges. Inability to pay can be a defense to a support-contempt charge.
• Uniform attorney-fee award (Local Rule 69.10). Huron County's General Division applies a uniform attorney-fee award of $500.00 in domestic contempt matters where fees are warranted, which can make enforcement worthwhile even on smaller violations.
• Support is paid through the Huron County CSEA. All Huron County spousal- and child-support payments run through the Child Support Enforcement Agency, 185 Shady Lane Drive, Norwalk; (419) 668-9152. The CSEA opens IV-D cases, collects by income withholding, and enforces orders. Local Rule 69.12 requires parties to keep a current address on file with the agency.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enforce a family-law order in Huron County?

File a motion to show cause (contempt) in the court that issued the order, describing exactly which terms were violated. In the General Division the deposit to reopen for a post-decree/contempt motion is $275.00. Under Local Rule 69.10, the court applies a uniform attorney-fee award of $500.00 in domestic contempt matters where fees are warranted. Support enforcement can also run through the CSEA. Confirm current deposits with the Clerk at (419) 668-5113.

How much does it cost to change an order after the divorce in Huron County?

In the General Division, the deposit to reopen a case or file a post-decree motion (to change custody, parenting time, or support, or to enforce by contempt) is $275.00. A QDRO filed in a closed case is $50.00. In the Juvenile Division, a motion in an existing case is $150.00. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (419) 668-5113 or the Juvenile Division at (419) 668-1616.

What does the Huron County CSEA do?

The Huron County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), 185 Shady Lane Drive, Norwalk; (419) 668-9152, opens IV-D child-support cases, calculates support under Ohio's 2024 Income Shares guidelines, collects by automatic income withholding, and enforces orders through license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals. All Huron County support payments run through the CSEA, and Local Rule 69.12 requires parties to keep a current address on file.

Which Huron County court handles my family-law case?

If you are married or divorcing, your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, post-decree matter, or protection order is filed in the Huron County Court of Common Pleas, General Division (Judge James W. Conway; Domestic Relations Magistrate Bradley E. Sales), 2 East Main Street, Suite 202, Norwalk, through the Clerk of Courts at (419) 668-5113. If you were never married, custody, parenting time, parentage, and support are handled by the combined Probate & Juvenile Court, Juvenile Division, Room 101, at (419) 668-1616. Grandparent and other non-parent custody is always filed in the Juvenile Division.

Free Local Resources in Huron County

• Huron County Court of Common Pleas — General Division (Domestic Relations). The court that hears every divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, post-decree matter, and protection order (Judge James W. Conway; Domestic Relations Magistrate Bradley E. Sales), 2 East Main Street, Suite 202, Norwalk; (419) 668-6162. The Clerk of Courts (Gina M. Hartman, Suite 207; (419) 668-5113) files the cases. There is no public e-filing; file in person, by mail, or by fax under Local Rule 16. Court information and rules are at https://www.huroncountycommonpleas.org/.
• Huron County Domestic Relations Court Forms. Huron County uses its own local DR Court Forms (and accepts the equivalent Ohio Supreme Court Uniform forms): Court Form 2 (Affidavit of Income, Expenses & Property), Court Form 2 Supplement (Health Insurance), Court Form 3 (Proposal for Temporary Orders), Court Form 4 (Child Custody/UCCJEA Affidavit), Court Form 1A (Child Support Computation), Court Form 1B (shared-parenting order), and the parenting-time Appendices B and C. Download them at https://www.huroncountycommonpleas.org/forms.php; the local rules are at https://www.huroncountycommonpleas.org/forms/courtrules.pdf.
• Huron County Probate & Juvenile Court. The combined Probate & Juvenile Court (Judge Timothy L. Cardwell; Juvenile Magistrate Gina M. McNea) handles never-married-parent custody, parentage, CPS, and adoption, Juvenile Division at 2 East Main Street, Room 101, Norwalk; (419) 668-1616. It has its own clerks and pro se forms at https://www.hcjpc.com/clerk.php?id=48 (https://www.hcjpc.com/).
• Huron County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Opens IV-D child-support cases, calculates support under Ohio's 2024 Income Shares guidelines, collects by income withholding, and enforces orders. 185 Shady Lane Drive, Norwalk; (419) 668-9152 (toll-free (800) 668-9152). All Huron County support payments run through the CSEA (Local Rule 69.12).
• Parenting Education — C.O.P.E. and K.I.D.D.S.. Under Local Rule 69.22, each parent must complete C.O.P.E. ($30.00) and each child aged 5–17 must complete K.I.D.D.S. ($20.00) within 45 days of temporary orders; the class may be taken in Huron or Sandusky County. Details are at https://www.huroncountycommonpleas.org/cope.php.
• Ohio Child Support Calculator. Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares child-support worksheet at https://ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov/ before any case that sets or changes support.

Other Family-Law Topics in Huron County

• Statewide Custody Overview — How Ohio custody and parenting time work at a high level.
• Talk to a Family Law Attorney — Connect with a Huron County family-law attorney for help with your case.

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.

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