Enforcing Orders & Contempt in Pickaway County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026

Pickaway County, Ohio · Circleville

When a former spouse or co-parent violates a Pickaway County order — withholding parenting time, refusing to follow the property division, or not paying support — you can ask the court to enforce it through contempt. You file in the same court that issued the order, with a Motion for Contempt and a Show Cause Order.

How do I enforce a family court order in Pickaway County, Ohio?

File a Motion for Contempt in the court that issued the order. For a divorce/dissolution order, file with the Clerk for the General & Domestic Relations Division ($150.00 post-decree deposit) using the Ohio uniform Motion for Contempt and a Show Cause Order; affidavits must be signed and notarized before filing, and service copies given to the Clerk. For a Juvenile Division order, use the court's Motion for Contempt, Affidavit and Instructions for Service plus the Show Cause Order and Notice. Contempt can be purged by complying; penalties can include make-up parenting time, attorney fees, fines, or jail (R.C. 2705.02, 2705.031).

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

207 South Court Street, Circleville, OH 43113
Phone: (740) 474-6026
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: pickawaycountyohio.gov/offices/common-pleas/

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

Enforce a divorce or dissolution order — $150.00 post-decree deposit — confirm with the Clerk at (740) 474-5231

File a post-decree Motion for Contempt with the Clerk in your DR case, with a notarized affidavit and a Show Cause Order. Provide service copies to the Clerk and send a courtesy copy with a proposed entry.

Post-Decree Filing Information (contempt / change of custody, visitation, support) — The Clerk's handout for post-decree motions — contempt and changes to custody, parenting time, or child support — including the $150 deposit and the courtesy-copy requirement.
Affidavit of Income & Expenses (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own. Must be notarized.
Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas, General & Domestic Relations Division — The General & Domestic Relations Division (Hon. P. Randall Knece; DR Magistrate Rick Noble, (740) 477-3840) hears all Pickaway County divorces, dissolutions, legal separations, annulments, and adult civil protection orders. Confirm the current local rules and procedures here.

Enforce a Juvenile Division order — $135.00 to reactivate — confirm with the court at (740) 474-3117

File the Juvenile Division's Motion for Contempt, Affidavit and Instructions for Service together with the Show Cause Order and Notice. The court sets a hearing and orders the violating party to appear.

Motion for Contempt, Affidavit and Instructions for Service — Asks the Juvenile Division to hold the other party in contempt for violating a custody, parenting-time, or support order.
Show Cause Order and Notice — Orders the accused party to appear and explain why they should not be held in contempt.
Probate & Juvenile Court — Juvenile forms library — The Juvenile Division's complete form library (custody, paternity, companionship, support, contempt, third-party, and grandparent/caretaker forms). Confirm you have the current version before filing.

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Pickaway County

Identify the issuing court. File the contempt motion in the same court and case that produced the order being violated.
Document the violations. Gather dates, communications, and records showing exactly how the order was disobeyed; the facts go into a notarized affidavit.
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.
File and serve. Pay the deposit ($150.00 DR / $135.00 Juvenile), provide service copies to the Clerk, and have the other party served.
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.

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

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