Medina County Contempt & Enforcement Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 8, 2026

Medina County, Ohio · Medina

When the other party ignores a court order — withholding the children, skipping parenting time, or refusing to pay support — a contempt motion asks the Medina County Domestic Relations Court to enforce it. Penalties can include fines, attorney fees, makeup parenting time, and jail.

Hire Gavvl for your Medina County contempt 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 file a contempt motion in Medina County, Ohio?

File a Motion to Show Cause / Motion for Contempt in the original Domestic Relations case at the Medina County Domestic Relations Court, 225 East Washington Street, Medina, with the Case Designation Form and Instructions to Clerk for Service from medinadr.org/forms.html, under Local Rule 4.06. The motion must identify the specific order and how it was violated, and it must be set for hearing under Civ.R. 75(J). The show-cause filing fee is $200. The court orders the other party to appear and explain; possible penalties include fines, attorney fees, makeup parenting time, and jail. For unpaid support, the Medina County CSEA (330-722-9398) can pursue enforcement in parallel.

Enforce your Medina County order with Gavvl Law

When the other party withholds the children, skips parenting time, or stops paying support, a contempt motion asks the Medina County Domestic Relations Court at 225 East Washington Street to enforce the order it already made. You file a Motion to Show Cause under Local Rule 4.06 in the original case, and the court can respond with fines, attorney fees, makeup parenting time, or jail. Gavvl Law drafts a specific, provable motion for a flat fee quoted before we file.

A motion the court can actually enforce. Vague contempt motions fail. We identify the exact order, the dates, and the conduct that violated it, attach your log of missed exchanges or payments, and file under Local Rule 4.06 with the Case Designation Form and Instructions to Clerk for Service so the show-cause order issues cleanly.
Support enforcement on two tracks. For unpaid support, the Medina County CSEA at (330) 722-9398 can pursue wage withholding, license suspension, and tax intercept while your contempt motion proceeds in court. We run both tracks so pressure comes from the agency and the judge at once.
Purge terms, penalties, and a flat fee. A contempt finding can carry fines, attorney fees, makeup parenting time, and a suspended jail sentence with purge conditions. We present the evidence at the hearing and set a flat fee with payment plans, with full representation through a contested contempt case.

The show-cause filing is $200, filed in your original case under Civ.R. 75(J) and set for hearing — and knowing Medina's Local Rule 4.06 procedure means your motion is framed the way this court grants relief. We build the record at 225 East Washington Street so a willful violation actually carries consequences instead of another warning.

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: Medina County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

225 East Washington Street, Medina, OH 44256
Phone: (330) 725-9740
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Website: Court website

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

There is a clear court order and the other party is violating it.
You've documented the missed parenting time, withheld children, or unpaid support.
Informal requests to comply haven't worked.
You want the court to enforce — fines, attorney fees, makeup time, or jail.

Filing Fees

$200 show-cause filing · Enforcement may include fines, attorney fees, makeup parenting time, or jail · CSEA can enforce support in parallel

Forms & Filing Packets

Contempt for parenting time, custody, or property violations

Motion to Show Cause / Motion for Contempt — Case Designation Form + Instructions to Clerk for Service (Medina DR) — A written Motion to Show Cause / Motion for Contempt under Local Rule 4.06 asks the Domestic Relations Court to enforce a parenting, custody, or property order against a party in violation. File it in the original case with the Case Designation Form and Instructions to Clerk for Service; the motion is set for hearing. Medina has no standalone 'General Motion' form.

Contempt for unpaid child support

Motion to Show Cause — Support (Medina DR) — Asks the court to enforce an unpaid support order. The Medina County CSEA can pursue wage withholding, license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals in parallel.
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.

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Medina County

Document the violation. Gather dates, messages, payment records, and a log showing exactly how the order was violated.
File the show-cause motion. File a written Motion to Show Cause / Motion for Contempt (Local Rule 4.06) with the Case Designation Form and Instructions to Clerk for Service in the Domestic Relations case that issued the order.
Serve the show-cause order. The court orders the other party to appear and explain why they should not be held in contempt.
Attend the hearing. Present your evidence. The court can impose fines, attorney fees, makeup parenting time, or jail for willful violations.

Medina County Practice Notes

Be specific about each violation. Identify the exact order, the date, and the conduct that violated it. Vague contempt motions are hard to prove. Keep a log of missed parenting time or payments and attach documentation. The motion is filed in the original case under Civ.R. 75(J) and set for hearing.
CSEA can enforce support in parallel. For unpaid support, the Medina County CSEA (330-722-9398) can pursue wage withholding, license suspension, federal tax intercept, and contempt referrals alongside your court motion.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.
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.

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.

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.