Lucas County Child Support Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 4, 2026

Lucas County, Ohio · Toledo

Lucas County handles calculating child support with the legislatively adopted Ohio Child Support Worksheet, basing child support on each parent's income, and collects it through the Lucas County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) at 3737 W. Sylvania Avenue, Toledo. Support can be established inside a divorce, dissolution, or parentage case, and the order is reviewed for modification when there is a significant change in circumstances.

Hire Gavvl for your Lucas County child support case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Lucas 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 is child support set and changed in Lucas County, Ohio?

Support is calculated on the official Ohio Child Support Worksheet (ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov) using both parents' gross incomes and the number of children — these child support calculations set each parent's child support obligation — and it is collected through the Lucas County CSEA, 3737 W. Sylvania Avenue, Toledo, OH 43623, (419) 213-3001, so direct payments to the other parent count as gifts, not support. File the JFS 07076 Application for Child Support Services when an order is established, and the Health Insurance Affidavit (Uniform DR Affidavit 4). A court will modify support when a recalculation differs by more than 10%, when health-care coverage is inadequate, or after a substantial change in circumstances. CSEA generally reviews orders every 36 months.

Lucas County child support, handled by Gavvl Law

Lucas County sets child support on the legislatively adopted Ohio Child Support Worksheet, which runs both parents' incomes through the state's Income Shares model, and it collects every dollar through the Lucas County Child Support Enforcement Agency at 3737 W. Sylvania Avenue, Toledo, (419) 213-3001. Support can be established inside a divorce, dissolution, or parentage case and reopened when circumstances change. Gavvl Law runs the worksheet, files the JFS 07076 IV-D application, and sets one flat fee up front so you know the cost before the order does.

The worksheet and IV-D application done right. Support turns on a signed Ohio Child Support Worksheet and, to collect it, the JFS 07076 Application for Child Support Services that opens your CSEA case. We prepare both, attach the Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4) and the income disclosure, so the order can be set and enforced by wage withholding from the start.
Payments that actually count. Lucas requires support to flow through CSEA wage withholding — money handed directly to the other parent is treated as a gift, not credited support. We make sure your order routes through the agency at 3737 W. Sylvania Avenue so every payment is recorded and nothing you pay goes uncredited.
Modifications built on the 10% rule. Lucas modifies support when a recalculation differs by more than ten percent, when health coverage is inadequate, or after a substantial change, and CSEA reviews orders roughly every 36 months. We file Form 28 with an updated worksheet — or request the administrative review, which is free — for one flat fee with payment plans available.

Whether you are establishing a first order or fixing one that no longer fits your income, the number comes from the same Ohio worksheet the CSEA and the court both use, so a clean, documented calculation is your leverage. We build that record, keep every payment routed through the Lucas County CSEA, and quote a single flat fee up front with financing so enforcing or lowering support never turns into a surprise bill.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the support motion (establish, modify, or terminate). The court filing fee is billed separately and this does not include in-court representation.

Establish child support: $950
Modify child support: $950
Terminate child support: $950

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 child support case or see payment plans & financing.

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: Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

Family Court Center, 429 N. Michigan Street, Toledo, OH 43604
Phone: (419) 213-6901
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division (Juvenile Justice Center)
1801 Spielbusch Avenue, Toledo, OH 43604
Phone: (419) 213-6722
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Child Support is the right path if…

You need a child-support order established, enforced, or recalculated as part of your child support matters.
A substantial change in circumstances — your income, the other parent's income, or parenting time — has shifted what is owed.
Health-insurance or childcare costs have changed and need to be reallocated.
More than 36 months have passed and you want a CSEA administrative review of your child support obligation.

Filing Fees

Worksheet-based for calculating child support · Collected through Lucas County CSEA, (419) 213-3001 · CSEA review generally every 36 months or on a 10%+ recalculation

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish a new child-support order

Support is established within a divorce, dissolution, or parentage case and collected through the Lucas County CSEA.

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 (Uniform DR Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
IV-D Application for Child Support Services (JFS 07076) — Opens your case with Lucas County CSEA so support can be collected, tracked, and enforced through wage withholding.
Affidavit of Basic Information, Income, and Expenses (Uniform DR Affidavit 1) — Income disclosure the court uses to run the worksheet.

Modify an existing child-support order

Show a substantial change in circumstances — a recalculation differing by more than 10%, inadequate health care, or another change since the order.

Motion for Change of Child Support / Medical / Tax (Uniform DR Form 28) — Asks the court to recalculate support, the health-care order, or the tax-exemption designation.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Attach the updated worksheet to your motion.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Uniform DR Affidavit 4) — Updates the children's available health-insurance coverage when you ask the court to reallocate it.

How to File Child Support in Lucas County

Gather both parents' income. Collect pay statements, recent tax returns, and childcare and health-insurance costs to run the Ohio worksheet.
Open or update your CSEA case. File the JFS 07076 Application for Child Support Services so the Lucas County CSEA can collect and enforce the order.
File the right motion. For a new order, support is set in your divorce, dissolution, or parentage case; to change an order, file Form 28 with an updated worksheet.
Address health care and tax exemptions. The court reviews the health-care order and tax-exemption designation along with the support amount (R.C. 3119.30, 3119.82).

Lucas County Practice Notes

Pay through CSEA — direct payments are gifts. Lucas County requires child support payments to flow through CSEA wage withholding. Money handed directly to the other parent is treated as a gift, not credited support, so always route payments through the Lucas County CSEA at 3737 W. Sylvania Avenue.
Bring complete financial proof. For any establishment or modification, bring current pay statements, recent tax returns, daycare verification, and out-of-pocket health-insurance costs so the court can run the Ohio worksheet accurately, calculating child support based on each parent's income.
Modification turns on a substantial change. The Lucas County Domestic Relations Court modifies the child support obligation when a recalculation differs by more than 10%, when health-care coverage is inadequate, or after another substantial change in circumstances (R.C. 3119.79). Use Form 28 with an updated worksheet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is child support handled in Lucas County?: Support is calculated on the legislatively adopted Ohio Child Support Worksheet and collected through the Lucas County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) at 3737 W. Sylvania Avenue, Toledo, OH 43623, (419) 213-3001. Direct payments to the other parent are treated as gifts, not support, so route payments through CSEA wage withholding. File the JFS 07076 Application for Child Support Services when an order is established.
What is a IV-D application and why do I need one?: A IV-D Application (JFS 07076) opens a child-support case with the Lucas County 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.
How do I change a child-support order in Lucas County?: File a Motion for Change of Child Support / Medical / Tax (Uniform DR Form 28) with an updated Ohio Child Support Worksheet. A court will modify support when a recalculation differs by more than 10%, when health-care coverage is inadequate, or after a substantial change in circumstances. CSEA can also conduct an administrative review of an order, generally every 36 months.
How much does it cost to file in the Lucas County DR Division?: The Domestic Relations Division deposit is $300 for a divorce without children and $350 with children (dissolution: $300/$325); confirm the current amount on the Lucas County Filing Fee Schedule (11-13-2023). Pay in person at the Clerk's Office (1st Floor, 429 N. Michigan Street) or online through the Forte portal — the online portal is restricted to DR payments and you MUST include your case number. Never-married parentage and custody cases are filed in the Juvenile Division (1801 Spielbusch Avenue), which sets its own deposit — call the Juvenile Clerk at (419) 213-6722.

Free Local Resources in Lucas County

Lucas County DR Division — Forms Hub (Schedules 1–5). Every Domestic Relations local Schedule form, the Uniform Ohio forms, and the filing instructions are posted free at co.lucas.oh.us/1360/Domestic-Relations-Division-Forms.
Court Counseling Department (4th Floor, Family Court Center). Established 1938 — handles family evaluations, mediation, conciliation assessments, intake services, and parenting-education scheduling through the Family Court Center.
Domestic Violence Resource Center (2nd Floor, Family Court Center). Helps petitioners obtain Civil Protection Orders. Call (419) 213-2700.
Lucas County CSEA. Child Support Enforcement Agency at 3737 W. Sylvania Avenue, Toledo, OH 43623, (419) 213-3001 — opens cases, collects, and enforces support.

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 Lucas County family law

Ohio Child Support guide — Statewide overview of child support in Ohio.
Toledo family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Toledo metro.
Lucas County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Lucas County guide.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.

Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.