Pickaway County Post-Decree Modification Attorneys
Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026
Pickaway County, Ohio · Circleville
Life changes after a decree. In Pickaway County you can return to the court that issued your order to change custody, parenting time, or child support when circumstances have changed. The standard depends on what you want to change — and you file in the same case that produced the original order.
Hire Gavvl for your Pickaway County modifications 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.
How do I change a custody or support order in Pickaway County, Ohio?
File the matching motion in the court that issued the order. For a divorce/dissolution order, file a post-decree motion with the Clerk for the General & Domestic Relations Division — the deposit is $150.00, and you also send a courtesy copy to the domestic-relations staff with a proposed entry. 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 in circumstances and the child's best interest (R.C. 3109.04(E)); support changes usually require a 10%+ change (R.C. 3119.79).
Pickaway County post-decree modifications, handled by Gavvl Law
When life changes after a Pickaway County decree, you return to the same court that issued it — a $150.00 post-decree motion with a courtesy copy and proposed entry in the General & Domestic Relations Division, or the Juvenile Division's own modify motions on a $135.00 reactivation. Gavvl Law files the right motion under the right legal standard, attaches an updated worksheet for support, and quotes one flat fee approved before we begin, with payment plans available.
- Motions that meet Ohio's change standard. A custody change requires a change in circumstances and the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(E), while a support change usually needs a 10% or greater swing under R.C. 3119.79. We test your facts against the correct standard before filing so you are not paying a deposit on a motion that cannot clear it.
- The issuing court, with the courtesy copy Pickaway expects. Post-decree motions go back to the court that made the order, and the DR Division expects a courtesy copy with a proposed entry alongside the $150.00 deposit. We file in the right case, include that proposed entry, and use the Juvenile Division's Motion to Modify Custody, Companionship Time, or Child Support when your order came from there.
- Relocation notice and the 50-mile rule. A residential parent who plans to move must file a Notice of Intent to Relocate under R.C. 3109.051(G), and Pickaway's standard schedules (Forms G/H) shift the transportation expense to a parent who moves more than 50 miles until a new order is entered. We handle the notice and the parenting-time adjustment together.
Pickaway County also treats a change of school district as an administrative school-placement question, evaluated differently from a change of custody — a distinction that trips up self-filers who bundle the two. We keep those requests separate, file each in the correct case, and offer financing so changing an outdated order does not wait on the $150.00 or $135.00 deposit.
Flat-fee options
Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the motion to modify an existing custody, parenting-time, or support order. You appear at any hearing.
- Modify custody or parenting time: $1,450
- Modify 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 modifications case or see payment plans & financing.
Ohio Custody by the Numbers
- Best interest The single standard that governs every Ohio custody decision Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04
- No set age There is no age a child can choose a parent — the judge weighs a mature child's wishes Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(B)
- Change in circumstances Required, plus a best-interest finding, before the residential parent can be changed Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(E)(1)
- Shared parenting Either parent may ask the court for a joint parenting plan Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(G)
Compare Types of Custody in Ohio
| Custody type | Who makes major decisions | Where the child lives | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared parenting | Both parents jointly, under a written plan | Time is split per the plan (not always 50/50) | Parents can communicate and cooperate on decisions |
| Sole legal & residential | One parent | Primarily with that parent | One parent is unable or unwilling to co-parent |
| Split custody | Each parent for the child in their care | Siblings are divided between the two homes | Rare — only when it serves each child's best interest |
| Legal custody to a non-parent | The relative or caregiver granted custody | With the non-parent caregiver | Neither parent can safely care for the child |
Where to File: Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division
207 South Court Street, Circleville, OH 43113Phone: (740) 474-6026
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: Court website
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 Modifications is the right path if…
- You already have a final custody, parenting-time, or support order.
- Circumstances have changed since the order was entered.
- You want to change custody, parenting time, support, or the tax exemption.
- You are planning a move that affects the parenting schedule.
Filing Fees
The General & Domestic Relations Division post-decree deposit is $150.00; the Juvenile Division charges $135.00 to reactivate a case. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (740) 474-5231 or the Juvenile Division at (740) 474-3117. A change of custody requires a change of circumstances (R.C. 3109.04(E)); support changes usually need a 10%+ change (R.C. 3119.79).
Forms & Filing Packets
Change a divorce or dissolution order — $150.00 post-decree deposit — confirm with the Clerk at (740) 474-5231
File a post-decree motion with the Clerk in your existing DR case — a Motion for Change of Custody, Parenting Time, or Child Support — with the supporting affidavits and an updated worksheet for support. Send a courtesy copy with a proposed entry.
- Motion for Change of Child Support (Ohio SC Form 28) — The Ohio uniform motion to change child support, medical support, or the tax exemption after a change of circumstances. File in the division that issued the order.
- Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time the court sets or changes support.
- 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.
- Notice of Change of Address — File this with the Clerk to keep your address current in an open or post-decree domestic case.
Change a Juvenile Division order (never-married parents) — $135.00 to reactivate — confirm with the court at (740) 474-3117
File the Juvenile Division's Motion to Modify Custody, Motion to Modify Companionship Time, or Motion to Modify Child Support, with an updated worksheet for support changes.
- Motion to Modify Custody — Asks the Juvenile Division to reallocate custody after a change of circumstances under R.C. 3109.04(E).
- Motion to Modify Companionship Time — Asks the Juvenile Division to change an existing parenting-time / companionship order after a change of circumstances.
- Motion to Modify Child Support — Asks the Juvenile Division to change a child-support order using an updated Ohio worksheet.
- Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask the court to set or change support.
How to File Post-Decree Modifications in Pickaway County
- Identify the issuing court. File in the same court and case that issued your order — the General & Domestic Relations Division for a divorce/dissolution, or the Juvenile Division for a never-married order.
- Confirm the standard. A custody change needs a change of circumstances and best interest (R.C. 3109.04(E)); a support change usually needs a 10%+ change (R.C. 3119.79).
- Prepare the motion and worksheet. Use the correct motion form and attach an updated Ohio Child Support Worksheet for any support change.
- File and pay. Pay the $150.00 DR post-decree deposit (or $135.00 to reactivate a Juvenile case) and, for DR cases, send a courtesy copy with a proposed entry.
- Attend the hearing. Present your evidence of changed circumstances; the magistrate or judge decides whether the change serves the child's best interest.
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.
- School placement is handled separately from custody. Changing which school district a child attends (the school-placement designation) is an administrative change, evaluated differently from a change of custody — keep it distinct from a custody motion, which requires a change in circumstances under R.C. 3109.04(E).
- Relocation requires advance notice. A residential parent who intends to move must file a Notice of Intent to Relocate (R.C. 3109.051(G)); the court can set a hearing to adjust parenting time. Under Pickaway's standard schedules (Local Rule Forms G/H), a move of more than 50 miles shifts the transportation expense to the moving parent until a modifying order is entered.
Frequently Asked Questions
- 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).
- Do I have to tell the court before I move with my child in Pickaway County?
- Usually yes. Ohio law (R.C. 3109.051(G)) generally requires the residential parent to file a Notice of Intent to Relocate with the court that issued the parenting order; the court can set a hearing to adjust parenting time. Under Pickaway's standard parenting schedules (Local Rule Forms G/H), a residential parent who moves more than 50 miles bears the transportation expense until a modifying order is entered.
- 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.
- Does it matter whether the parents were married in Pickaway County?
- Yes — it decides which court hears your case. Married or divorcing parents resolve custody, parenting time, and child support inside their divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General & Domestic Relations Division. Never-married parents resolve parentage, custody, parenting time, and support in the Probate & Juvenile Court. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are filed in the Juvenile Division.
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 modifications case
- Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.
- Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
- Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.
Related guides
In-depth, attorney-written guides on modifications and related Ohio family law topics.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Continue your Pickaway County research
- Ohio Post-Decree Modifications guide — Statewide overview of post-decree modifications 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.
Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.
