Pickaway County Contempt & Enforcement Attorneys

Hire Gavvl for your Pickaway County contempt case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Pickaway 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.

Put Gavvl Law on your Pickaway County contempt case

When a co-parent or former spouse ignores a Pickaway County order, contempt puts the problem back in front of the judge who made it — a $150.00 post-decree Motion for Contempt with a Show Cause Order in the General & Domestic Relations Division, or the Juvenile Division's Motion for Contempt, Affidavit and Instructions for Service. Gavvl Law documents the violations in a notarized affidavit, files with the required service copies, and quotes one flat fee up front, with payment plans available.

• Notarized affidavits, filed with the Clerk's service copies. Pickaway requires contempt affidavits to be signed and notarized before filing, with service copies given to the Clerk, and the original filing cannot be e-filed. We prepare the affidavit and Show Cause Order and hand-file the packet so the hearing gets set without a bounce-back.
• The court that issued the order. A divorce or dissolution order is enforced in the General & Domestic Relations Division on the $150.00 post-decree deposit; a never-married order is enforced with the Juvenile Division's contempt and show-cause forms on a $135.00 reactivation. We file in the right case so the judge already has the order in front of them.
• Built around purge and real remedies. Ohio contempt (R.C. 2705.02 and 2705.031) is meant to force compliance, so the court can set a purge condition but can also order make-up parenting time, attorney fees, fines, or jail for willful violations. We frame the motion to get compliance and, where warranted, to ask for the fees and make-up time.

Contempt only works when the record is airtight, so we assemble the dates, messages, and payment history that prove a willful violation before we ever file at 207 South Court Street. We quote one flat fee, offer payment plans, and — because the goal is compliance — pursue purge conditions and make-up parenting time rather than penalties alone.

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: Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Pickaway County Probate & Juvenile Court
207 South Court Street, Circleville, OH 43113
Phone: (740) 474-3117
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• You have a final court order the other party is violating.
• The other party is withholding court-ordered parenting time.
• Support, property, or debt terms in your decree are being ignored.
• You have tried to resolve it and need the court to enforce compliance.

Filing Fees

A post-decree contempt motion in the General & Domestic Relations Division carries the $150.00 deposit; the Juvenile Division charges $135.00 to reactivate a case. Affidavits must be signed and notarized before filing. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (740) 474-5231 or the Juvenile Division at (740) 474-3117.

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Pickaway County

1. Identify the issuing court. File the contempt motion in the same court and case that produced the order being violated.
2. Document the violations. Gather dates, communications, and records showing exactly how the order was disobeyed; the facts go into a notarized affidavit.
3. Prepare the motion and show-cause order. Use the Motion for Contempt and a Show Cause Order/Notice for the court to set a hearing and order the other party to appear.
4. File and serve. Pay the deposit ($150.00 DR / $135.00 Juvenile), provide service copies to the Clerk, and have the other party served.
5. Attend the hearing. Prove the violation; the court can order compliance, make-up time, attorney fees, fines, or jail for willful contempt.

Pickaway County Practice Notes

• Published DR deposits — verify the current amount. From the Clerk's fee schedule, the deposit is $250.00 for a divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment; $125.00 to file an Agreed Entry; $150.00 for a post-decree motion; $100.00 to execute on a foreign judgment; and $25.00 for a miscellaneous filing. Pay by cash, money order, attorney/business check, debit, or credit card — personal checks are not accepted. Costs over the deposit are the parties' responsibility (Local Rule 5.02). Confirm the current figures with the Clerk at (740) 474-5231 before filing.
• Contempt can be purged by complying. Ohio contempt (R.C. 2705.02, 2705.031) is meant to obtain compliance, not just punish. The court can give the violating party a way to 'purge' the contempt by following the order, but it can also order make-up parenting time, attorney fees, fines, and — for willful violations — jail.
• The original complaint cannot be e-filed. The Clerk strongly prefers in-person or mailed filings, and the original complaint that starts a case cannot be filed by e-mail (Local Rule 4.02(B)(4)). E-mail filings are permitted for later documents, but time-stamped copies will not be returned for e-mail filings. Bring service copies to the Clerk at the time of filing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do if the other parent violates a Pickaway County order?

File a motion for contempt in the court that issued the order. For a divorce/dissolution order, file a post-decree Motion for Contempt with the General & Domestic Relations Division ($150.00 deposit) plus a Show Cause Order; for a Juvenile Division order, use the court's Motion for Contempt and Show Cause forms. Affidavits must be signed and notarized before filing. The court can order compliance, make-up parenting time, attorney fees, and — for willful violations — fines or jail (R.C. 2705.02, 2705.031).

How do I change a Pickaway County custody, parenting time, or support order?

File the matching motion in the court that issued the order. For a divorce/dissolution order, file a post-decree motion in the General & Domestic Relations Division — the Clerk's deposit is $150.00. For a Juvenile Division order, use the court's Motion to Modify Custody, Motion to Modify Companionship Time, or Motion to Modify Child Support ($135.00 to reactivate). A custody change requires a change of circumstances under R.C. 3109.04(E); support changes usually need a 10%+ change (R.C. 3119.79).

Which Pickaway County court handles my family-law case?

If you are or were married to the other parent, file your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, or protection order with the Clerk of Courts for the Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas, General & Domestic Relations Division (Hon. P. Randall Knece), 207 South Court Street, 2nd Floor, Circleville; (740) 474-5231. If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support are handled by the combined Pickaway County Probate & Juvenile Court (Judge Shelly R. Harsha), 207 South Court Street; Juvenile Division (740) 474-3117.

How can I pay filing fees in Pickaway County?

The Clerk of Courts accepts cash, money order, attorney/business check, debit, and credit card for domestic filings — personal checks are not accepted. The Probate & Juvenile Court accepts credit, debit, cash, or money order, and only counsel may use business checks. Confirm current methods with the Clerk at (740) 474-5231 or the Juvenile Division at (740) 474-3117.

Free Local Resources in Pickaway County

• Pickaway County Clerk of Courts (General & Domestic Relations Division). Clerk Grant L. Davis, 207 South Court Street, 2nd Floor, P.O. Box 280, Circleville, OH 43113; (740) 474-5231. Files all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and adult protection-order cases. Confirm current filing deposits and procedures at https://www.pickawaycountyclerk.com/Filing-Fee-Costs.html. The original complaint that starts a case cannot be filed by e-mail (Local Rule 4.02(B)(4)); in-person or mailed filing is strongly preferred.
• Pickaway County Probate & Juvenile Court. Judge Shelly R. Harsha; Magistrate Carrie L. Charles. 207 South Court Street, Circleville, OH 43113; Juvenile Division (740) 474-3117 (https://www.pickawaypjcourt.com/). Hears never-married parentage, custody, parenting time, and support, and publishes its own juvenile forms at https://www.pickawaypjcourt.com/formsJU.php. The filing/reactivation fee is $135.
• Pickaway County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Pickaway County Job & Family Services, Child Support Division, 110 Island Road, P.O. Box 610, Circleville, OH 43113. Opens IV-D cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. Confirm the current direct phone with the office before filing.
• Ohio Legal Help. https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/ — free, plain-English explanations and statewide court forms for divorce, custody, child support, and protection orders.

Other Family-Law Topics in Pickaway County

• Statewide Custody Overview — How Ohio custody and parenting time work at a high level.
• Ohio Child Support Calculator — Run the 2024 Income Shares worksheet yourself.
• Talk to a Family Law Attorney — Connect with a Pickaway 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.

Continue your Pickaway County research

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