Medina County Child Support Attorneys
Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 8, 2026
Medina County, Ohio · Medina
Medina County child support runs on Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares Model. Support is set inside a divorce, dissolution, or parentage case at the Domestic Relations Court at 225 East Washington Street. The Medina County Child Support Enforcement Agency collects and enforces orders through automatic wage withholding.
Hire Gavvl for your Medina County child support case
Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Medina 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 get a child-support order in Medina County, Ohio?
Run the Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov using both parents' incomes. Support is set inside the case that decides custody — a divorce, dissolution, or parentage case at the Medina County Domestic Relations Court, 225 East Washington Street, Medina, or a custody case in the separate Medina County Juvenile Court brought after parentage is established. The Medina County CSEA can also establish support administratively. To change an existing order, file the Ohio uniform Motion for Change of Child Support (Form 28) in the court that issued the order, or request a Medina County CSEA administrative review. The CSEA (330-722-9398) collects and enforces support through wage withholding; payment questions go to Ohio Child Support Payments at 1-800-860-2555.
Hire Gavvl Law for your Medina County child support case
Medina County child support runs on Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares Model — there is no county formula — so the numbers turn on how both parents' incomes, parenting time, health-insurance, and child-care costs are entered on the official worksheet at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov. Support is set inside the divorce, dissolution, or parentage case at the Domestic Relations Court, 225 East Washington Street, and enforced by the Medina County CSEA. Gavvl Law runs the worksheet correctly and argues the figures that matter, for one flat fee quoted before we begin.
- The worksheet inputs decide the order. Small errors on income, overnights, or the health-insurance line move a support figure for years. We build and verify the Ohio Income Shares worksheet, address combined incomes over $150,000 under R.C. 3119.04, and file a signed calculation the court can adopt.
- Court motion or CSEA review — the faster route. You can ask the Medina County CSEA at (330) 722-9398 for an administrative review, usually available every 36 months or sooner on a substantial change, or file a court Motion for Change of Child Support (Ohio Form 28). We pick the path that fits your facts and handle the $200 post-decree filing when court is the answer.
- Collection, enforcement, and a flat fee. Once journalized, support is collected by automatic wage withholding, with payments through Ohio Child Support Payments at 1-800-860-2555 and CSEA enforcement through license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals. We set up or defend that order for a flat fee with payment plans.
Because Medina uses the state model rather than a local table, the leverage is in the inputs and the enforcement route — and the Medina County CSEA at mcjfs.us/child-support both calculates administratively and enforces through wage withholding. We coordinate the court order and the CSEA case so your support is set correctly and actually collected, not just entered on paper.
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: Medina County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division
225 East Washington Street, Medina, OH 44256Phone: (330) 725-9740
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Website: Court website
Child Support is the right path if…
- You need a first child-support order, or your current order no longer fits your incomes or parenting time.
- There's been roughly a 10%+ change in the support amount or a substantial change of circumstances.
- You want CSEA to collect support automatically by wage withholding.
- Health-insurance or uninsured-medical responsibility needs to be set or updated.
Filing Fees
Establish: filed with the custody/divorce case · Modify: Ohio Form 28, $200 post-decree filing · Ohio 2024 Income Shares Model · CSEA wage withholding
Forms & Filing Packets
Establish a new support order
Support is set with the case that decides custody — inside the divorce, dissolution, or parentage case at the Medina County Domestic Relations Court.
- 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 Medina County CSEA so support can be collected, tracked, and enforced through wage withholding.
Modify an existing support order
File the Ohio uniform Form 28 motion in the court that issued the order, or request a Medina County CSEA administrative review.
- Motion for Change of Child Support (Ohio uniform Form 28) — The Ohio Supreme Court uniform motion to change child support, medical support, or tax exemption after a change of circumstances. File in the court that issued the order.
- 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 Medina County
- Run the Ohio Income Shares worksheet. Use ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov, then print and sign the worksheet.
- Set support with the custody case. Support is set with the case that decides custody — a divorce, dissolution, or parentage case at 225 East Washington Street, Medina, or a Juvenile Court custody case after parentage; the Medina County CSEA can also set it administratively.
- Open your CSEA case. The Medina County CSEA collects and enforces the order through wage withholding once it is journalized.
- To change an order, file Form 28 or ask CSEA. File the Ohio uniform Motion for Change of Child Support in the issuing court, or request a CSEA administrative review.
Medina County Practice Notes
- CSEA administrative review vs. court motion. You can ask the Medina County CSEA for an administrative review of support, or file a court motion (Form 28) in the court that issued the order. A review is usually available every 36 months, or sooner with a substantial change of circumstances.
- Income Shares, not a flat percentage. Ohio sets support with the 2024 Income Shares worksheet — it combines both parents' gross incomes, parenting-time, health-insurance, and child-care costs. Run it at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov and file the signed worksheet with every support request. Combined income over $150,000 is handled under R.C. 3119.04.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is child support calculated in Medina County?
- Medina County uses Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares Model — there is no county formula. Run the official worksheet at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov with both parents' gross incomes, parenting-time, health-insurance, and child-care figures, then file the signed worksheet with your support pleadings. The Medina County Child Support Enforcement Agency (330-722-9398) collects and enforces the order through wage withholding once it is journalized.
- What does Medina County CSEA do?
- The Medina County Child Support Enforcement Agency (330-722-9398, mcjfs.us/child-support) opens IV-D cases, runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, collects support by wage withholding, distributes it to the receiving parent, and enforces orders through license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals. Payment questions go to Ohio Child Support Payments at 1-800-860-2555.
- How much does it cost to file in Medina County?
- Filing deposits at the Medina County Domestic Relations Court (effective 1/1/2024) are $400 for a divorce with minor children and $350 without; $350 for a dissolution with children and $325 without; and $200 for a parentage or post-decree filing. The deposit for cases with children covers the court's FOCUS parenting program. Clerk questions go to (330) 725-9722. If you cannot afford the deposit, ask about a payment plan when you file or submit a Poverty Affidavit asking the court to waive it.
- 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.
- Do custody and paternity cases go to Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Medina County?
- Medina splits this work between two courts. Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and parentage/paternity are heard in the Domestic Relations Court at 225 East Washington Street — for unmarried parents, the initial custody and support order can ride along with a Complaint for Parentage there (deposit $200), the route the DR court's own forms support. After parentage is established, a custody, parenting-time, or companionship action may instead be filed in the separate Medina County Juvenile Court under Medina Juvenile Local Rule 3 (new-case deposit $180); non-parent (grandparent or relative) custody is also a Juvenile matter under Med Juv L R 3.4. Married or divorcing parents decide custody inside the divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the DR Court. Either court applies the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors. Confirm the right court and current deposit with the Clerk's Legal Division at (330) 725-9722.
Free Local Resources in Medina County
- Medina County Domestic Relations Court. Local forms, local rules, and case information for divorce, dissolution, custody, support, and protection orders at medinadr.org. The Forms page is medinadr.org/forms.html. Court staff cannot give legal advice or help complete forms.
- Ohio Child Support Calculator. The state's official 2024 Income Shares worksheet at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov. Run it, print, and sign it before any hearing that sets or changes support.
- FOCUS — Family Court Resources parenting program. The court-provided parenting class for parents of minor children, prepaid through the filing deposit and coordinated by Family Court Resources (234-802-0944). Approved online alternatives are Children in Between and Two Families Now.
- Community Legal Aid Services. Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Medina County and northeast Ohio. Intake line 1-800-998-9454.
Other Family-Law Topics in Medina County
- Medina County Divorce — Full filing guide for contested divorce in the Medina County DR Court.
- Medina County Custody — Married parents decide custody in the divorce; unmarried parents use a DR parentage case or the Juvenile Court after parentage.
- Medina County Child Support — Ohio Income Shares worksheet, CSEA enforcement, and how to modify an order.
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.
More Medina County family-law resources
- Ohio Child Support guide — Statewide overview of child support in Ohio.
- Cleveland family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Cleveland metro.
- Medina County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Medina 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 (216) 868-8005 or email support@gavvl.com.
