Montgomery County Contempt & Enforcement Attorneys

Hire Gavvl for your Montgomery County contempt 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.

Enforce your Dayton family court order — hire Gavvl Law for contempt

When the other party ignores a parenting-time, custody, or support order, a motion for contempt asks the Montgomery County court to enforce it, with penalties that can include makeup parenting time, attorney fees, fines, and up to 30 days in jail that the violator can purge by complying. You file in the court that issued the order, and a DR post-decree motion carries a $200 deposit. Gavvl Law drafts the motion so it survives the hearing, on a flat fee agreed up front.

• Specific violations, not vague complaints. Montgomery courts routinely deny contempt motions that describe general frustration. We pin the motion to the exact order and the exact breaches — dated missed exchanges, denied parenting time, or unpaid support amounts — because that specificity is what wins a show-cause finding.
• DR show-cause or Juvenile packet. For married and divorced parents we file the Order to Show Cause at the DR Court on West Third Street; for never-married parents we use the Juvenile Court's Contempt packet on West Second Street. Filing in the wrong building only delays enforcement, so we match the motion to the court that issued your order.
• Purge terms worked to your benefit. Ohio contempt is usually civil and purgeable, meaning the court sets conditions the violator can meet to avoid the penalty. We ask for purge terms that actually fix the problem — paid arrears, returned parenting time, and your attorney fees — rather than a hollow warning.

A DR contempt motion carries a $200 deposit, and self-represented filings go through the Compliance Office before the Clerk at 41 N. Perry Street accepts them. We assemble the documentation of every violation, draft the show-cause order, and make sure the other party is properly served so your hearing is not lost on a technicality.

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: Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

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.

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• The other party is violating a court order for parenting time, custody, or support.
• You have a clear, current order that spells out the obligation being ignored.
• Informal resolution hasn't worked and you need the court to enforce.
• You're filing in the county that issued the order.

Filing Fees

~$200 post-decree deposit at DR · Juvenile contempt filings follow the Juvenile Court fee schedule

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Montgomery County

1. Confirm a clear order exists. Have a copy of the current order being violated — parenting time, custody, or support.
2. Document the violations. Keep dated records of missed exchanges, denied parenting time, or unpaid support.
3. File the right motion or packet. DR: Order to Show Cause or the Ohio Legal Help motion for contempt. Juvenile: the Contempt Packet. Pay the ~$200 deposit at DR.
4. Serve and attend the hearing. The other party must be served and ordered to appear. Bring your documentation to the hearing.

Montgomery County Practice Notes

• Be specific about the violation. Contempt motions filed with the Montgomery County Domestic Relations Court must point to a clear, current order and describe exactly how it was violated — dates, missed exchanges, or unpaid support amounts. Vague allegations are routinely denied.
• Purge conditions. Ohio contempt is usually civil and 'purgeable' — the court sets conditions (such as paying arrears or returning to compliance) the violator can meet to avoid the penalty. Repeated or willful violations draw stronger sanctions, including jail.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

How do self-represented parties file in Montgomery County DR Court?

Self-represented parties cannot e-file. Start at the Court Navigator's Office (Room 222, 2nd Floor) for help, then submit your completed forms to the Compliance Office (Room 261, 2nd Floor of 301 W. Third Street), (937) 225-4782. The Compliance Office reviews every self-represented filing and every decree with support provisions — corrections must be made in white-out and blue ink (no cross-outs). After approval you complete a Primary Party Questionnaire at the kiosk and file with the Clerk at 41 N. Perry Street.

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.

Other Family-Law Topics in Montgomery County

• Montgomery County Divorce — Full filing guide for contested divorce in Montgomery DR.
• Montgomery County Dissolution — Both-parties-agree route — faster and cheaper than divorce.
• Montgomery County Custody — Married parents file inside divorce; never-married parents file at the Juvenile Court.
• Montgomery County Family Law Attorney — Full-service family-law representation across the Montgomery County courts in Dayton.
• Dayton Domestic Violence Lawyer — Civil protection orders and domestic-violence cases in the Dayton and Montgomery County courts.

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 Montgomery County family law

• Ohio Post-Decree Contempt guide — Statewide overview of post-decree contempt 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.