Montgomery County Child Support Attorneys

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

Montgomery County, Ohio · Dayton

Ohio handles calculating child support with the 2024 Income Shares model, basing child support on each parent's income. In Montgomery County, support is decided inside a divorce or dissolution at the DR Court for married parents, or through the Juvenile Court and the Montgomery County CSEA for never-married parents. The standard schedule assumes 90 overnights, and cash medical support runs $510.21 per child per year.

Hire Gavvl for your Montgomery County child support case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, Ohio?

Run the Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — the basis for calculating child support and setting each parent's child support obligation — then file with the right court: inside a divorce or dissolution at the Montgomery County DR Court (301 West Third Street) for married parents, or the Initiate Child Support Packet at the Montgomery County Juvenile Court (380 West Second Street) for never-married parents. File an IV-D Application with the Montgomery County CSEA, (937) 225-4600, so child support payments can be collected and enforced through wage withholding.

Hire Gavvl Law for Montgomery County child support

A Dayton support case is more than plugging numbers into a calculator: the worksheet has to reflect real income, the filing has to survive Compliance Office review if it touches support terms, and the CSEA case has to be opened so payments actually flow. Gavvl Law handles the full chain — worksheet, motion, IV-D application — with flat-fee pricing for paperwork matters and full representation when support is genuinely disputed.

Local rules baked into the numbers. Montgomery layers county specifics onto the state formula — cash medical support set at $510.21 per child per year under D.R. Rule 5.9, and a calculation that assumes 90 overnights under the Standard Order of Parenting Time. We run the worksheet with those local inputs so the figure holds up in front of a Dayton magistrate.
The IV-D application filed with the motion. Without an open IV-D case at the Montgomery County CSEA, there's no wage withholding and no enforcement engine behind your order. We file the IV-D Application alongside the support request, so collection starts when the order does — not months later.
Decrees with support terms that clear review. In Montgomery, every decree containing support provisions passes through Compliance Office review before it's accepted. We draft support language to that office's standards the first time, which is often the difference between an order this month and corrections next quarter.

Support for married parents travels with the DR case at 301 West Third Street, while never-married parents start at Juvenile Court on West Second Street — and the CSEA at (937) 225-4600 sits behind both. We know which packet, which courthouse, and which agency step comes first, so your Dayton support case moves in a straight line.

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: Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

301 West Third Street, 2nd & 3rd Floor, Dayton, OH 45422
Phone: (937) 225-4063
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (closed for lunch 12:00–1:15 p.m.)
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Montgomery County Juvenile Court
380 West Second Street, Dayton, OH 45422
Phone: (937) 496-7908
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Child Support is the right path if…

You need a first child-support order, or a IV-D case opened with the county CSEA for your child support matters.
Child support payments should run through automatic wage withholding and CSEA enforcement.
You have the income information needed to run the Ohio Income Shares worksheet and finalize the child support calculations.
Ohio is the children's home state under the UCCJEA.

Filing Fees

Support inside a divorce is included in the divorce deposit · Juvenile child-support filings follow the Juvenile Court fee schedule for calculating child support · cash medical support $510.21/child/year

Forms & Filing Packets

Support inside a Montgomery divorce/dissolution (married parents)

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.
Application for Child Support Services (JFS 07076 / IV-D · DR Appendix Form 6) — Opens your case with the Montgomery County CSEA so support is collected, tracked, and enforced through wage withholding.
Health Insurance Affidavit — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.

Child support — Juvenile Court / CSEA (never-married parents)

Filed at the Montgomery County Juvenile Court, 380 West Second Street. Citizen Services provides the pro se packet.

Initiate Child Support Packet (Juvenile Court, 5 forms) — The Montgomery County Juvenile Court packet that opens a child-support case for never-married parents.
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.
IV-D Application for Child Support Services — Opens your case with Montgomery County CSEA so support can be collected, tracked, and enforced through wage withholding.

How to File Child Support in Montgomery County

Run the Ohio child-support worksheet. Complete the Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (or the Montgomery County calculator at mcdrc.ohiolegalhelp.org) using both parents' income.
Pick your court. Married parents: support travels with the divorce or dissolution at the DR Court. Never-married parents: file the Initiate Child Support Packet at the Juvenile Court.
Open a IV-D case with CSEA. File the IV-D Application with the Montgomery County CSEA, (937) 225-4600, so support is collected by wage withholding and enforced.
File and serve. Self-represented DR parties review through the Compliance Office; Juvenile filers can use Citizen Services for the packet.

Montgomery County Practice Notes

Ohio Income Shares model and 90 overnights. Montgomery applies the 2024 Ohio Income Shares worksheet, calculating child support based on each parent's income. The Standard Order of Parenting Time assumes 90 overnights for the non-residential parent, which affects the child support obligation. Cash medical support is set at $510.21 per child per year (Mont. D.R. Rule 5.9).
Best-interest standard governs. R.C. 3109.04(F)(1) lists 10+ factors: each parent's wishes, the child's wishes (when of sufficient age), the child's interaction with parents/siblings, adjustment to home/school/community, mental and physical health of all involved, the parent more likely to facilitate court-approved parenting time, child support compliance, criminal history, residence outside Ohio, and any history of abuse.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Montgomery County CSEA do?: The Montgomery County Child Support Enforcement Agency at (937) 225-4600, 1111 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., opens IV-D cases, runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, collects support through wage withholding, distributes it to the receiving parent, and enforces orders through license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals. File an IV-D Application whenever a child-support order is established.
Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Montgomery County?: If you are married to the other parent (or were married when the children were born), custody, parenting time, and child support travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment at the Domestic Relations Court, 301 W. Third Street. If you were never married, paternity and custody go to the Montgomery County Juvenile Court at 380 W. Second Street — a separate building in downtown Dayton. Grandparent and non-parent custody is always Juvenile.
How much does it cost to file in Montgomery County?: Domestic Relations deposits: divorce $375 without children / $475 with children; dissolution $300 without children / $400 with children; legal separation $300 / $400; annulment $300. Post-decree motions are $200 and service by publication is $200. There is no filing fee for a DV/CPO. Court surcharges (Technology $20, E-Filing/Storage $35, Parent Education $10, and others) are added per Mont. D.R. Rule 2, and a 3% convenience fee applies to card and e-filing payments. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk of Courts at 41 N. Perry Street.
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 Montgomery County

Montgomery County DR Court — Ohio Legal Help Self-Help Portal. Free step-by-step interviews and fillable forms for Montgomery County divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, custody, support, and protection-order cases at mcdrc.ohiolegalhelp.org.
Montgomery County DR Court Navigator & Legal Clinic. The Court Navigator (Room 222, (937) 496-7766) and the free virtual Legal Clinic with the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project (2nd Tuesday and 3rd Thursday monthly) help self-represented parties understand procedures and complete forms.
Montgomery County Juvenile Court Citizen Services. Free pro se assistance for custody, parenting time, child support, paternity, contempt, and grandparent filings at (937) 224-3977, citizen.services@mcjcohio.org — walk-in Monday/Tuesday, by appointment Wednesday–Friday.
Montgomery County CSEA. The county IV-D child-support agency at (937) 225-4600, 1111 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., opens cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders.

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 Montgomery County family-law resources

Ohio Child Support guide — Statewide overview of child support in Ohio.
Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
Montgomery County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Montgomery 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 (513) 643-1969 or email support@gavvl.com.