Licking County Contempt & Enforcement Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 17, 2026

Licking County, Ohio · Newark

When the other party violates parenting time, support, or property terms of your order, you can ask the court to enforce it by filing a motion to show cause (a contempt motion). You file it in the same court that issued the order, which keeps continuing jurisdiction over enforcement.

Hire Gavvl for your Licking County contempt case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Licking County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start.

Start with a $25 consultation and talk through your options with an Ohio family-law attorney before you commit to anything. Get started online or see payment plans & financing.

How do I enforce a family-law order in Licking County, Ohio?

File a motion to show cause (a contempt motion) in the court that issued the order — the Domestic Relations Court for married/divorced parents, or the Probate & Juvenile Court for never-married parents. The motion asks the court to order the other party to appear and explain why they should not be held in contempt for violating parenting time, support, or property terms. A Domestic Relations post-decree motion is $200; a Juvenile Motion for Further Hearing is $50. Confirm the contempt-service procedure with the Domestic Relations Court at (740) 670-5400.

Hire Gavvl Law to enforce your Licking County order

When the other party ignores parenting time, support, or property terms, a motion to show cause asks the Licking County court to make them appear and explain why they should not be held in contempt. Gavvl Law files that motion in the court that issued your order — a $200 post-decree motion in the Domestic Relations Court or a $50 Motion for Further Hearing in the Probate & Juvenile Court — builds the record of violations, and pushes for compliance, make-up time, or sanctions, on a flat fee with financing available.

A documented record the court can act on. Contempt is won on specifics — the exact dates parenting-time exchanges were denied, the missed support payments, the property terms left undone. We assemble that record with the Ohio uniform Motion for Contempt (Form 24) so the show-cause request is concrete, not a general complaint.
Enforcement, kept separate from modification. A show-cause motion enforces the order you already have; it does not rewrite it. If you also need the order changed going forward, that is a separate post-decree modification. We file the right vehicle — or both — so you are not asking one motion to do two jobs.
Service handled by the court's own rules. Contempt carries its own service requirements, and there can be an added cost for it. We confirm the contempt-service procedure from the Domestic Relations Court's Rules of Court – 2026 or directly at (740) 670-5400 so the motion is served properly and the hearing actually goes forward.

The court that entered your decree keeps continuing jurisdiction over enforcing it, so a Licking County contempt motion goes back to that same Newark courthouse. We know whether that is the Domestic Relations Court on East Main Street or the Probate & Juvenile Court at 1 North Park Place, and we file where the order lives so enforcement moves quickly.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the motion for contempt / show cause to enforce an order the other party is violating. You appear at any hearing.

Contempt (single issue): $950
Contempt (multiple issues): $1,450

Prefer full representation? An Ohio attorney can carry the entire case on a $3,500 retainer.

Split any flat fee with Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan at 19% APR, $500 minimum — on a 60%-down schedule of 18 weekly, 8 bi-weekly, or 4 monthly payments, or full financing where work begins once 60% is paid. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay.

Start your contempt case or see payment plans & financing.

Where to File: Licking County Domestic Relations Court

75 East Main Street, Newark, OH 43055
Phone: (740) 670-5400
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–Noon and 1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Licking County Probate & Juvenile Court
1 North Park Place, Newark, OH 43055
Phone: (740) 670-5624
Hours: Monday–Friday (call the court to confirm current hours)

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

There is a final order and the other party is violating it (withheld parenting time, unpaid support, or property terms).
You want the court to enforce the existing order, not change it.
You can document the specific violations (dates, missed payments, denied exchanges).
You are filing in the same court that issued the order.

Filing Fees

A Domestic Relations post-decree motion is $200; a Juvenile Motion for Further Hearing is $50. There may be an added cost for contempt service — confirm with the Clerk. A fee waiver is available if you can't afford the deposit. Confirm current amounts with the Licking County Domestic Relations Court at (740) 670-5400 before filing.

Forms & Filing Packets

File a motion to show cause — Domestic Relations post-decree motion: $200 · Juvenile Motion for Further Hearing: $50 — confirm with the Clerk

Used to enforce parenting time, support, or property terms the other party has violated. Filed back in the court that issued the order.

Motion for Contempt, Affidavit & Instructions for Service (Ohio SC Form 24) — The Ohio uniform motion to show cause, used to enforce parenting time, child or spousal support, or property terms the other party has violated (R.C. 2705.02/2705.031).
Juvenile Court — Basic Schedule of Court Costs (Licking County) — The Juvenile Court's official cost schedule: a Complaint for Custody is $250.00 and a Motion for Further Hearing (most post-decree motions) is $50.00.

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Licking County

Identify the issuing court. File in the Domestic Relations Court (married/divorced) or the Probate & Juvenile Court (never-married) that entered the order.
Document the violations. Gather records of the missed parenting time, unpaid support, or unmet property terms, with dates.
Prepare the motion to show cause. Use the Ohio uniform Motion for Contempt (Form 24) or the court's general motion, stating exactly which order term was violated.
File, pay the deposit, and arrange service. File with the Clerk ($200 DR post-decree motion or $50 Juvenile Motion for Further Hearing) and confirm the contempt-service procedure.
Attend the show-cause hearing. The other party must appear and explain; the court can order compliance, make-up parenting time, payment, or sanctions.

Licking County Practice Notes

Contempt enforces — modification changes. A motion to show cause enforces the existing order; it does not change it. If you also want to change the order going forward, file a separate post-decree modification motion.
File in the issuing court. The court that entered your decree or order keeps continuing jurisdiction over enforcement. File the contempt motion in that same court. Confirm the contempt-service procedure from the Rules of Court – 2026 or by calling (740) 670-5400.
Document the violations. Be ready to show specific violations — denied parenting-time exchanges, missed support payments, or unmet property terms — with dates and records. The clearer the record, the stronger the contempt motion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enforce an order the other parent is violating in Licking County?: File a motion to show cause (a contempt motion) in the court that issued the order. It asks the court to order the other party to appear and explain why they should not be held in contempt for violating parenting time, support, or property terms. A Domestic Relations post-decree motion is $200; a Juvenile Motion for Further Hearing is $50. Confirm the contempt-service procedure with the Domestic Relations Court at (740) 670-5400.
How do I change a custody or support order after it's final in Licking County?: File a post-decree motion in the court that issued the order. Changing the residential parent or shared parenting generally requires a change in circumstances plus the child's best interest (R.C. 3109.04); parenting-time adjustments use a lower standard; child support can be modified on a substantial change (often a 10%+ change in the guideline amount). A Domestic Relations post-decree motion is $200; a Juvenile Motion for Further Hearing is $50.
How much does it cost to file a family-law case in Licking County?: In the Domestic Relations Court, divorce, dissolution, and parentage are each $400, a counterclaim is $250, a post-decree motion/reopen is $200, and a QDRO is $50. In the Probate & Juvenile Court, a Complaint for Custody is $250.00 and a Motion for Further Hearing is $50.00. A DVCPO petition has no filing fee. If you can't afford the deposit, file a Poverty Affidavit / Affidavit of Indigency. Confirm current amounts with the Domestic Relations Court at (740) 670-5400.

Free Local Resources in Licking County

Licking County Domestic Relations Court. 75 East Main Street, Newark, OH 43055; (740) 670-5400, fax (740) 670-5419. Provides current filing deposits, the Domestic Relations forms, rules & guides page (https://lickingcounty.gov/depts/domestic/forms_rules.htm), and CPO packets. The civil docket is maintained by the Clerk of Common Pleas, Olivia C. Parkinson.
Licking County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). 65 East Main Street, Newark, OH 43055; (740) 670-5998 or 1-800-513-1128 (https://lickingcounty.gov/depts/csea/). Opens IV-D cases, sets and collects support by wage withholding, and enforces orders. CSEA enforces the court's order; it does not represent either parent.
Parenting seminar — "Helping Children Succeed After Divorce" (The Woodlands). Required for everyone with minor children who files for divorce or dissolution. About 90 minutes online or a 2-hour in-person class. Register at www.thewoodland.org or (740) 349-7066 (online tech support ext. 241).
Licking County Domestic Relations Mediation. Mediation Coordinator Christopher R. Meyer, (740) 670-5409 (https://lickingcounty.gov/depts/domestic/mediation.htm). Offers assessment and referral to a court-approved mediator for divorce and post-divorce parenting disputes. A domestic-violence victim may decline mediation or bring a support person.
The Center for New Beginnings (domestic-violence help). Helps victims obtain a protection order and offers free confidential housing and services: (740) 345-4498 or (740) 349-8719, toll-free 1-800-686-2760.
Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio (SEOLS) — Newark. 15 West Locust Ave., Suite A, Newark, OH 43055; (740) 345-0850 or 1-888-831-9412. Free civil legal help for those who qualify.

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.