Portage County Child Support Attorneys

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

Portage County, Ohio · Ravenna

Child support in Ohio is set with a statewide income-shares formula based on both parents' incomes. In Portage County, support is decided in the Domestic Relations Court — inside a divorce or dissolution for married parents, or in a parentage/custody case for unmarried parents — and administered by the Portage County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) at Job & Family Services.

Hire Gavvl for your Portage County child support case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Portage 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 is child support set in Portage County, Ohio?

Support is calculated with the statewide Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (the 2024 income-shares model) using both parents' incomes, health-insurance costs, and parenting time. If you are married or divorcing, support is set inside your divorce, legal separation, or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Court. If you were never married, support is set after parentage is established — also in the Domestic Relations Court in Portage County, not the Juvenile Court. The Portage County CSEA (PCJFS), (330) 297-3750, can open a IV-D case and collect support by wage withholding. Run the official calculator yourself before filing to estimate the number.

Hire Gavvl Law for your Portage County child support case

Child support in Portage County runs on the statewide 2024 income-shares worksheet, but where it is decided is the local wrinkle: married, divorcing, and never-married parents all set support in the Ravenna Domestic Relations Court, while the CSEA at PCJFS, (330) 297-3750, opens the IV-D case and collects by wage withholding. Gavvl Law builds the worksheet from accurate income, health-insurance, and parenting-time figures, argues any deviation, and charges a flat fee approved up front with payment plans available.

A worksheet the court will actually adopt. The order stands or falls on the numbers, so we assemble both parents' gross incomes, health-insurance costs, and parenting time correctly and support any deviation with the findings the guidelines require, rather than filing a rough estimate the magistrate has to redo.
One court, whether or not you were married. Unlike most Ohio counties, Portage sets support for never-married parents in the Domestic Relations Court, not the Juvenile Court, once parentage is established. We keep parentage and support on that single docket so the case is not bounced between courthouses.
The CSEA side handled too. We coordinate with the Portage County CSEA (PCJFS), (330) 297-3750, to open or link the IV-D case so the order is collected by wage withholding and enforced, and we quote a flat fee up front with financing rather than billing an open-ended hourly rate.

Before we file we run the official calculator at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov with you so you know the guideline number going in, and because support is set in the same Ravenna Domestic Relations Court that hears your divorce or parentage case, there is no separate support docket to chase.

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: Portage County Domestic Relations Court

203 W. Main Street, Ravenna, OH 44266
Phone: (330) 297-3475
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: Court website

Child Support is the right path if…

You need a child-support order established, modified, or enforced.
You want the amount calculated under the current Ohio income-shares guidelines.
You are a married, divorcing, or never-married parent (Portage handles all of these in the DR Court).
You want the CSEA to collect and enforce support by wage withholding.

Filing Fees

Support inside a divorce/dissolution is part of that case deposit · a never-married support case is filed in the Domestic Relations Court (deposit set by the Court — confirm with the Clerk) · the CSEA (PCJFS), (330) 297-3750, opens IV-D cases and collects by wage withholding. Portage County does not publish a fixed Domestic Relations deposit, so confirm the current amount with the Clerk of Courts – Domestic Relations at (330) 297-3475 before filing.

Forms & Filing Packets

Support inside a divorce or dissolution (married parents) — Included in the divorce/dissolution deposit — confirm with the Clerk

When parents are married, child support is decided inside the divorce, legal separation, or dissolution using the Ohio worksheet — there is no separate support case.

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.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.

Support for never-married parents (Domestic Relations Court) — Deposit set by the Court — confirm with the Clerk at (330) 297-3475

After parentage is established, support is set in the Portage County Domestic Relations Court with the Ohio worksheet. The CSEA can also establish and administer the order.

Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities (Ohio SC Form 23) — Asks the court to name a residential parent and legal custodian and set parenting time for never-married parents. In Portage County this is filed in the Domestic Relations Court — not the Juvenile Court.
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.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.
Checklist for Parentage / Custody Actions (Portage County Domestic Relations Court) — The Domestic Relations Court's checklist for unmarried parents starting a parentage, custody, parenting-time, or support case. In Portage County these are filed in the DR Court, not the Juvenile Court.

How to File Child Support in Portage County

Run the official calculator. Use ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov to estimate the guideline amount from both parents' incomes before you file.
Pick the right case. Married/divorcing parents set support inside the divorce; never-married parents establish parentage first, then set support — both in the Domestic Relations Court.
File the worksheet and disclosures. File the Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet and the health-insurance affidavit with the Domestic Relations Court.
Open a CSEA case. Contact the Portage County CSEA (PCJFS), (330) 297-3750, to open a IV-D case so support is collected by wage withholding and enforced.

Portage County Practice Notes

Income-shares model. Ohio uses a 2024 income-shares formula: both parents' gross incomes go into the official worksheet along with health-insurance and child-care costs and parenting time. The order must contain the statutory support language and any deviation findings the court makes.
Everything runs through the DR Court and CSEA. In Portage County, support for unmarried parents is set in the Domestic Relations Court — not the Juvenile Court. The Portage County CSEA (PCJFS), (330) 297-3750, can establish paternity, set support administratively, and enforce it through wage withholding, tax intercept, and license suspension.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I file for child support in Portage County?: If you are married or divorcing, support is decided inside your divorce, legal separation, or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Court. If you were never married, support is set after parentage is established — also in the Domestic Relations Court in Portage County, not the Juvenile Court. The Portage County CSEA (PCJFS), (330) 297-3750, can open a IV-D case and collect support.
How is child support calculated in Portage County?: Using the statewide Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 income-shares model) from the official calculator at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov. The order must contain the mandatory statutory support language and any deviation findings, and the Portage County CSEA administers and enforces it.
Do I need a CSEA case in Portage County?: A IV-D case opens or links your case with the Portage County CSEA at Job & Family Services (PCJFS), (330) 297-3750, so support is collected by wage withholding and enforced through license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals. The CSEA can also establish paternity and order genetic testing.
Do unmarried parents go to Juvenile Court in Portage County?: No. This is Portage County's defining feature: the Domestic Relations Court — not the Juvenile Court — hears all unmarried-parent parentage, custody, parenting-time, and support cases. The Juvenile Court handles only abuse/neglect/dependency and delinquency. Use the Court's Checklist for Parentage / Custody Actions and confirm the docket with the Clerk at (330) 297-3475.

Free Local Resources in Portage County

Portage County Domestic Relations Court (Judge Paula Giulitto). 203 W. Main Street, Ravenna, OH 44266; Clerk of Courts – Domestic Relations (330) 297-3475, open 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Hears divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, protection orders, and all unmarried-parent parentage, custody, parenting-time, and support cases. Hosts the Domestic Relations Forms page, the divorce and parentage checklists, and the free 'Children Are Forever' parenting class. Offers e-filing; fax/email filing is $1 per transmission plus $1 per page.
Portage County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA / PCJFS). Portage County Job & Family Services, (330) 297-3750. Opens IV-D cases, sets and collects support by wage withholding, can establish paternity and order genetic testing, and runs the Child & Adult Protective Services abuse hotline at 330-296-CARE (330-296-2273).
Portage County Juvenile/Probate Court. Part of the combined Juvenile/Probate Court in Ravenna. Handles abuse/neglect/dependency and delinquency (Juvenile) and adoptions (Probate). Note: in Portage County, routine parentage and custody for unmarried parents are heard in the Domestic Relations Court, not here.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov — run the 2024 Income Shares worksheet yourself before filing so you know the likely support amount.

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.