Enforcing a Decree in Richland County

Where to File: Richland County Domestic Relations Court

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• The other party is violating a Richland County DR decree or order.
• Support is unpaid, parenting time is being withheld, or a property/medical term is ignored.
• You have a written order that clearly states the obligation being broken.
• Informal efforts to get compliance have failed.

Filing Fees

Motion of Contempt $300 · Motion to Compel $125 · fee waiver via Form 01.00 · confirm current amounts with the Clerk of Courts at (419) 774-3526

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Richland County

1. Pinpoint the violated order. Identify the specific decree term being broken — support, parenting time, property division, or medical expenses.
2. Prepare the motion. Complete the Motion for Contempt (SF 24) with the show-cause (SF 25) and Richland's Contempt Notice (Form 07.00).
3. File with the $300 deposit. File in your existing DR case using the Contempt pleadings checklist, or file the fee-waiver Application (Form 01.00).
4. Serve and appear. The respondent is served and ordered to appear and show why they shouldn't be held in contempt.

Richland County Practice Notes

• Contempt vs. Motion to Compel. Richland uses a local Contempt Notice (Form 07.00); the statewide motion is SF 24/JF 3 with the SF 25/JF 4 show-cause. The county fee for a Motion of Contempt is $300, while a separate Motion to Compel is $125. Use the court's Contempt pleadings checklist to assemble the packet.
• Keep DR contempt separate from Juvenile contempt. Contempt enforces divorce/dissolution decree obligations in the DR case — support, property division, parenting time set in that case, and medical-expense allocation. Enforcement tied to a separate juvenile matter is handled in the Juvenile Court, not the DR Court.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to file in the Richland County DR Court?

Published DR cash deposits include $450 for a divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, paternity, or allocation-of-parental-rights complaint; $200 for a counterclaim; $300 for a reallocation, parenting-time, contempt, or other post-decree motion; $250 each to register a foreign decree or support order; $125 for a motion to compel; $50 for a process server; and $20 for a Notice of Intent to Relocate. A DVCPO has no filing fee. These are deposits against costs, not the total cost of a case — confirm the current schedule with the Clerk. If you can't afford the deposit, file the fee-waiver Application (Form 01.00). Pay through the Clerk or PayGov, not a third-party app.

Which court hears family-law cases in Richland County, Ohio?

Almost all of them go to the Richland County Domestic Relations Court (Judge Beth Owens; Chief Magistrate Brian Kellogg) at 50 Park Ave. East, Third Floor, Mansfield, (419) 774-5573. The DR Court hears divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, civil domestic-violence (DVCPO), parentage/paternity, allocation of parental rights (custody), parenting time, non-parent custody, and all post-decree matters — even for never-married parents. The separate Juvenile Court handles only abuse/neglect/dependency (CPS), delinquency, unruly, and truancy. A Civil Stalking Protection Order (non-household) is filed in the General Division, not the DR Court.

Can I e-file my case in Richland County?

Yes. All civil case types have been e-filable since June 1, 2023, through the Clerk of Courts' CourtView eAccess portal. E-filing is accessed through the Clerk of Courts office. Pay deposits through the Clerk or PayGov — the Clerk warns filers not to use third-party payment apps.

How do I open a child-support (IV-D) case in Richland County?

File the Title IV-D Application (JFS-07076) to open enforcement services through the Richland County CSEA (scheduling: Rhiannon Wright, 419-774-5692). Support is computed under R.C. Chapter 3119 using the Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet, with the local support-language forms (15.00 no-deviation / 16.00 deviation) and the Medical Child Support Order (Form 09.00).

Free Local Resources in Richland County

• Richland County Clerk of Courts. Handles filing and e-filing for the Common Pleas Court, including Domestic Relations. Clerk Heidi Ewing · (419) 774-3526 · https://www.richlandcourtsoh.us/clerkHome.php. All civil case types e-file through the Clerk's CourtView eAccess portal (available since June 1, 2023); online payments run through PayGov on the Clerk's ePayments page. Confirm current deposits and packet requirements before filing.
• Richland County DR Court Forms, Fees & Local Rules. Official Domestic Relations forms, fee schedule, pleadings checklists, and the 2026 Local Rules. Forms: https://www.richlandcountyoh.gov/departments/domesticrelations/domesticforms · Fees: https://www.richlandcountyoh.gov/departments/domesticrelations/courtfees · Pleadings checklists: https://www.richlandcountyoh.gov/departments/domesticrelations/procedureinformationlinks · Self-represented help: https://www.richlandcountyoh.gov/departments/domesticrelations/proceedingwithoutanattorney.
• Richland County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Richland County's IV-D agency opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. CSEA scheduling at the DR Court: Rhiannon Wright · (419) 774-5692. File a Title IV-D Application (JFS-07076) when establishing or modifying support.
• Legal Aid & Ohio Legal Help. Free and low-cost legal information for Richland County residents who cannot afford an attorney. Legal Aid: https://www.richlandcourtsoh.us/legalAid.php · Ohio Legal Help: https://www.richlandcourtsoh.us/legalHelp.php. If you can't afford the filing deposit, ask the Clerk about an Affidavit of Indigency (fee waiver) under Ohio Civil Rule 3(E).

Other Family-Law Topics in Richland County

• Statewide Custody Overview — How Ohio custody and parenting time work at a high level.
• Talk to a Family Law Attorney — Connect with a Richland 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.

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