Monroe County Contempt & Enforcement Attorneys

Hire Gavvl for your Monroe County contempt case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Monroe County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start (flat fees from $950).

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.

Enforce your Monroe County order with Gavvl Law

When the other party withholds the child, skips parenting-time exchanges, or stops paying support, contempt is how you make the order stick. In Monroe County you file a Motion for Contempt (Form 24/JF 3) with a Show Cause Order (Form 25/JF 4) in the division that issued the order, and the court can set a purge and impose penalties for willful noncompliance. Gavvl Law prepares the enforcement filing for one flat fee agreed before we begin.

• The show-cause order that compels appearance. The Show Cause Order and Notice (Form 25/JF 4) is what the court signs to order the other party to appear and explain the violation. We prepare it alongside the Form 24 affidavit — signed in blue ink — so the court can set the hearing without sending your motion back for missing pieces.
• Purge conditions and real penalties. For willful noncompliance the court can set a purge and impose fines or jail under R.C. 2705.02 and 2705.031. We document the violation with the specifics a judge needs to find contempt, rather than a general complaint that goes nowhere at the hearing.
• Support enforcement through the CSEA too. Unpaid child support can be pursued in court and simultaneously through the Monroe County CSEA ((740) 472-1602) via wage withholding, license suspension, tax intercept, and credit reporting. We coordinate both so the money is chased through every available channel under one flat fee.

Contempt is filed where the order was issued — the General Division for divorce and dissolution orders, Room 39 for Juvenile orders — and it is separate from a modification. We keep enforcement in the correct court so the party who broke the order answers for it instead of turning the hearing into a fight over jurisdiction.

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: Monroe County Court of Common Pleas — General Division

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Monroe County Combined Probate/Juvenile Division
101 North Main Street, Room 39, Woodsfield, OH 43793
Phone: (740) 472-5790
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed legal holidays)

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• You have a final order the other party is violating.
• You want the court to enforce the order, not change it.
• The violation is willful (the other party can comply but won't).
• You can identify which division issued the original order.

Filing Fees

General Division contempt motion $60 · Juvenile reopen $60 · CSEA support enforcement (no separate filing fee) · fee waiver available · confirm current amounts with the Clerk (740) 472-0761 or Juvenile Division (740) 472-5790

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Monroe County

1. Identify the issuing division. Determine whether the order came from a divorce/dissolution (General Division) or a Juvenile case (Room 39), and file there.
2. Prepare the motion and show-cause order. Complete the Motion for Contempt with Affidavit (Form 24) describing the violation and the Show Cause Order and Notice (Form 25) for the court to sign; sign originals in blue ink.
3. File and serve. File with the $60 deposit (or a fee waiver) and arrange service so the other party is ordered to appear.
4. Attend the hearing. Present evidence of the willful violation; the court can set purge conditions and impose penalties, and refer support enforcement to the CSEA.

Monroe County Practice Notes

• Contempt is filed where the order was issued. This is separate from modification. Divorce/dissolution orders are enforced in the General Division; Juvenile orders (unmarried parents or non-parent custodians) are enforced in the combined Probate/Juvenile Division (Room 39). The Show Cause Order (Form 25) is the document the court signs to compel the other party to appear.
• Purge conditions and CSEA enforcement. For willful noncompliance the court can set a purge (a way to fix the violation) and impose penalties, including fines or jail (R.C. 2705.02, 2705.031). For unpaid child support, the Monroe County CSEA ((740) 472-1602) can also enforce through wage withholding, license suspension, tax intercept, and credit reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions

The other parent isn't following our order — what can I do in Monroe County?

File a Motion for Contempt (Form 24/JF 3) with a Show Cause Order and Notice (Form 25/JF 4) in the division that issued the order; the Court can set a purge and impose penalties for willful noncompliance (R.C. 2705.02, 2705.031). Divorce/dissolution orders are enforced in the General Division (motion deposit $60); Juvenile orders are enforced in the Juvenile Division (reopen $60). Child-support enforcement also runs through the Monroe County CSEA at (740) 472-1602.

What is the Monroe County CSEA and a IV-D application?

The Monroe County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) is housed in the Monroe County Department of Job and Family Services at 100 Home Avenue, Woodsfield ((740) 472-1602). A IV-D application (JFS 07076) opens a child-support case so CSEA can prepare the support worksheet for free, collect support through wage withholding, distribute it, and enforce the order through license suspension, tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals.

Do I file in the General Division or Juvenile Court in Monroe County?

If you are married to (or were married to) the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the General Division (Clerk (740) 472-0761). If you were never married, paternity and custody are handled by the combined Probate/Juvenile Division in Room 39 (Juvenile (740) 472-5790) under Hon. James W. Peters. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are always filed in the Juvenile Division.

How do I change a custody, support, or parenting-time order in Monroe County?

File a post-decree motion in the division that issued the order — the General Division for divorce/dissolution cases, the Juvenile Division for unmarried-parent cases. Use Form 27/JF 6 to change custody (which requires a change in circumstances plus a best-interest finding under R.C. 3109.04(E)), Form 26/JF 5 to change parenting time, or Form 28/JF 7 to change support. A General Division motion deposit is $60 (change of custody $100); a Juvenile reopen is $60.

Free Local Resources in Monroe County

• Monroe County Clerk of Courts (General Division). Current filing fees, deposit amounts, and filing instructions for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment. Clerk Beth Ann Rose, Room 26; call (740) 472-0761 before filing. The county uses the Ohio Supreme Court standardized forms and accepts e-filing through the Henschen portal (https://efile.henschen.com/).
• Monroe County Combined Probate/Juvenile Division. Handles never-married-parent custody, parentage, parenting time, and child support, plus non-parent custody and adoptions, under Hon. James W. Peters in Room 39. Juvenile line (740) 472-5790; Probate line (740) 472-1654.
• Monroe County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA / DJFS). Housed in the Monroe County Department of Job and Family Services at 100 Home Avenue, Woodsfield. Prepares the support worksheet for free, opens IV-D cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. Phone (740) 472-1602.
• Parenting Session — OSU Extension. The two-hour 'Helping Children Cope With Divorce' session required under Local Rule XV. Register through OSU Extension at (740) 472-0810; the fee is $10 under the rule / $15 per the Court's class page — confirm when you register.
• 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 Monroe County

• Statewide Custody Overview — How Ohio custody and parenting time work at a high level.
• Talk to a Family Law Attorney — Connect with a Monroe 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.

Keep exploring Monroe County family law

• Ohio Post-Decree Contempt guide — Statewide overview of post-decree contempt in Ohio.
• Akron family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Akron metro.
• Monroe County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Monroe 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.