Enforcing an Order in Lawrence County

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

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Lawrence County Probate & Juvenile Court
111 South 4th Street, Ironton, OH 45638
Phone: (740) 533-4372
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• You have a Lawrence County order (custody, parenting time, support, or property) that the other party is not following.
• You can show the specific terms that were violated.
• You want the court to enforce the order and, where appropriate, award make-up time, arrears, or fees.
• You can pay the contempt motion deposit, or file a poverty affidavit to substitute for it.

Filing Fees

The deposit for a contempt motion is set on the Clerk's cost schedule (Local Rule 4) — confirm the current amount with the Clerk (or with the Probate & Juvenile Court for a juvenile order). The matter may be heard by the Magistrate, with the 14-day Magistrate's Report rule applying (Local Rules 35, 40). Lawrence County does not fix family-law filing fees in its local rules — the deposit is set on the Clerk's cost schedule (Local Rule 4), so confirm the current amount with the Lawrence County Clerk of Courts before filing (case search / e-services at https://eservices.lawrencecountyclerk.com; domestic-relations office (740) 533-4329). A poverty (indigency) affidavit can substitute for the deposit, but costs must be paid in full before a final decree is accepted, and a publication deposit is required in all cases (even with an indigency affidavit) when service is by publication. For never-married-parent and juvenile cases, confirm the current deposit with the Probate & Juvenile Court at (740) 533-4372.

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Lawrence County

1. Document the violation. Gather proof of exactly how the order was violated — dates of denied parenting time, a CSEA payment history for support, etc.
2. Prepare the contempt forms. Complete a Motion for Contempt (Form 24) and a Show Cause Order and Notice (Form 25) with a supporting affidavit.
3. File in the existing case. File with the court that issued the order and pay the contempt motion deposit on the Clerk's cost schedule.
4. Attend the hearing. The other party is served and ordered to appear; the Magistrate or judge decides the contempt and any remedy, subject to the 14-day report rule.

Lawrence County Practice Notes

• The Magistrate may hear contempt, with a 14-day report rule. Magistrate D.L. McWhorter may hear domestic contempt matters in the General Division. After a Magistrate's Report, a judgment entry is not delivered to the judge until 14 days have passed, and it is effective only when the judge signs it (Local Rules 35, 40). File any objections within that window.
• Be specific and bring proof. A contempt motion should identify the exact order paragraph violated and attach proof (missed exchanges, a CSEA payment record, etc.). The court usually allows the person found in contempt a chance to purge it by complying, and may award make-up parenting time, arrears, attorney fees, or other relief.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enforce a court order in Lawrence County?

File a Motion for Contempt (Form 24) and a Show Cause Order and Notice (Form 25) in the case that issued the order, with a supporting affidavit describing the violation. The other party is served and ordered to appear; the matter may be heard by Magistrate McWhorter, with a Magistrate's Report subject to the 14-day rule (Local Rules 35, 40). The court can order make-up parenting time, payment of arrears, fines, attorney fees, or jail, usually with a chance to purge by complying.

Will a magistrate hear my case in Lawrence County, and what is the 14-day rule?

Magistrate D.L. McWhorter may hear domestic matters in the General Division and issues a Magistrate's Report. A judgment entry based on that report is not delivered to the judge until 14 days after the report is filed, and it is effective only when the judge signs it (Local Rules 35, 40). That 14-day window is the time to file objections to the magistrate's decision.

How much does it cost to file a family law case in Lawrence County?

Lawrence County does not fix family-law filing fees in its local rules. Common Pleas deposits for a divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, or post-decree motion are set on the Clerk's cost schedule (Local Rule 4), so confirm the current amount with the Clerk of Courts before filing (case search / e-services at https://eservices.lawrencecountyclerk.com; domestic-relations office (740) 533-4329). A poverty (indigency) affidavit can substitute for the deposit, but costs must be paid in full before a final decree is accepted, and a publication deposit is required in all cases (even with an indigency affidavit) when service is by publication. Juvenile deposits are confirmed with the Probate & Juvenile Court at (740) 533-4372, and a DVCPO petition has no filing fee for the petitioner (R.C. 3113.31).

Which court handles family law in Lawrence County?

Lawrence County (seat: Ironton) has no separate Domestic Relations division. Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, spousal support, property division, married-parent custody, domestic-relations post-decree matters, and domestic violence civil protection orders are heard in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas before Hon. Andrew Ballard or Hon. Christen Finley (Magistrate D.L. McWhorter) on its Domestic Track, (740) 533-4329. Cases for unmarried parents (custody, parentage, companionship, support), non-parent custody, and abuse/neglect/dependency are heard in the Probate & Juvenile Court (Juvenile Division) before Hon. Patricia Sanders, (740) 533-4372. Adoptions, name changes, and marriage licenses are Probate matters (also Judge Sanders), (740) 533-4343. File with the Clerk of Courts at 111 South 4th Street, Ironton, OH 45638.

Free Local Resources in Lawrence County

• Lawrence County Clerk of Courts. The Clerk handles filing, fees, and the docket for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, DVCPOs, and domestic-relations post-decree matters in the General Division. File at 111 South 4th Street, Ironton; case search and e-services at https://eservices.lawrencecountyclerk.com. Confirm the current deposit on the Clerk's cost schedule and packet requirements before filing (domestic-relations office (740) 533-4329).
• Lawrence County Probate & Juvenile Court. The Probate & Juvenile Court (Hon. Patricia Sanders) handles never-married parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support, plus non-parent custody and adoption. Confirm juvenile filing deposits and procedures at (740) 533-4372 or https://lawrenceohiopjc.org/juvenile.php.
• Lawrence County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). The CSEA, part of the Department of Job & Family Services at 1100 South 7th Street, Ironton ((740) 533-4338), establishes paternity, sets support under Ohio's guidelines, collects by income withholding, and can review existing orders. Support payments run through the Ohio Child Support Payment Central. More at https://www.lawrencecountydjfs.com/child-support.htm.
• Common Pleas Rules of Practice (Local Rules). The Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas Rules of Practice set the cost schedule (Rule 4), Domestic Track (Rule 21), magistrate/objection rules (Rules 35, 40), mediation (Rule 37), custody investigations (Rule 52), and the Standard Visitation Guidelines (Rule 53). Read them through the Law Library at https://lawrencelawlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Rules-of-Practice-Common-Pleas-2013-to-Print-web.pdf.
• Lawrence County Law Library. The Law Library offers online resources and the local rules for self-represented parties and attorneys at https://lawrencelawlibrary.org.
• 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 Lawrence County

• Statewide Custody Overview — How Ohio custody and parenting time work at a high level.
• Talk to a Family Law Attorney — Connect with a Lawrence 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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• Ohio Post-Decree Contempt guide — Statewide overview of post-decree contempt in Ohio.
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