Richland County Post-Decree Modification Attorneys

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

Richland County, Ohio · Mansfield

After a Richland County decree, you return to the same DR case to change custody, parenting time, child support, or spousal support. Each kind of change has its own motion and standard — and Richland publishes a separate Post-Decree Custody checklist for reallocation matters.

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Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Richland County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start.

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How do I change a custody or support order in Richland County, Ohio?

File the matching motion in your existing DR case. To change custody, file a Motion for Reallocation of Parental Rights/Custody (SF 27/JF 6, county fee $300) — you must show a change in circumstances and that the change serves the child's best interest (R.C. 3109.04(E)). To change parenting time, file SF 26 ($300). To change child support, file SF 28 with an updated worksheet and the local support-language and medical-support forms ($300). To relocate, file a Notice of Intent to Relocate (Form 11.00, $20). Use the Post-Decree Custody pleadings checklist for reallocation matters.

Change your Richland County order the right way

After a Richland County decree you go back to the same DR case to change custody, parenting time, support, or to give relocation notice — and each change has its own motion, deposit, and legal standard. Gavvl Law files the matching pleading: a Motion for Reallocation (SF 27) at $300 for custody, SF 26 for parenting time, SF 28 for support, or a Notice of Intent to Relocate (Form 11.00) at $20, so your request is heard instead of stalling.

The custody standard met head-on. Changing the residential parent requires both a change in circumstances and best-interest findings under R.C. 3109.04(E) — a higher bar than a parenting-time tweak, which needs no change of custody. We frame a reallocation to that standard using the Post-Decree Custody checklist so it clears the threshold.
Relocation notice and its form family. A residential parent who intends to move must file a Notice of Intent to Relocate (Form 11.00, $20), and Forms 11.10/11.20/11.30 handle serving it. We file the notice correctly so the other parent's window to ask for a parenting-time review under R.C. 3109.051(G) runs cleanly.
Support changes with a fresh worksheet. To change child support we file SF 28 with an updated Ohio worksheet and Richland's support-language and medical-support forms, at the $300 post-decree deposit. Spousal support is different — it can be modified only if your decree reserved jurisdiction, and we check that first.

Most Richland post-decree motions carry a $300 deposit, registering a foreign decree or support order is $250, and a Motion to Compel is $125 — and a fee-waiver Application (Form 01.00) is available. We match the pleading, deposit, and standard to your goal and file through the Clerk at (419) 774-3526.

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.

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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: Richland County Domestic Relations Court

50 Park Ave. East, Third Floor, Mansfield, OH 44902-1861
Phone: (419) 774-5573
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: Court website

Post-Decree Modifications is the right path if…

There has been a change in circumstances since your last order.
You need to change custody, parenting time, child support, or spousal support.
A residential parent intends to relocate and must give notice.
Your decree reserved jurisdiction (required to modify spousal support).

Filing Fees

Reallocation/custody $300 · parenting-time $300 · child-support change $300 · other post-decree $300 · register a foreign decree/support $250 · relocation notice $20 · Motion to Compel $125 · confirm amounts with the Clerk at (419) 774-3526

Forms & Filing Packets

Change custody (reallocation) — $300 reallocation motion

File a Motion for Reallocation (SF 27) with the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit, using the Post-Decree Custody checklist. You must show a change in circumstances plus best interest.

Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Richland Form 06.00) — Required in any case with minor children — lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years to confirm Ohio's UCCJEA jurisdiction.
Post-Decree Custody pleadings checklist — Confirms the complete reallocation / post-decree custody packet.
Local Rule 24 — Parenting Time (adopted 1-1-2026) — Richland County's standard parenting-time schedule, holiday rotation, and long-distance provisions, applied when parents don't agree on their own plan.

Change child support — $300 post-decree motion

File a Motion for Change of Child Support (SF 28) with an updated worksheet and the local support-language and medical-support forms.

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.
Mandatory Language for Child Support — No Deviation (Richland Form 15.00) — Required child-support language for orders with no deviation from the guideline amount (Form 16.00 covers a deviation).
Medical Child Support Order (Richland Form 09.00) — The order allocating health-insurance and medical-expense responsibility for the children.

Relocation notice — $20 relocation notice

A residential parent intending to move files a Notice of Intent to Relocate (Form 11.00); the other parent can then ask the court to review parenting time.

Notice of Intent to Relocate (Richland Form 11.00) — A residential parent intending to move must file this notice ($20 fee). Related Forms 11.10/11.20/11.30 handle service of the notice.

How to File Post-Decree Modifications in Richland County

Identify the change. Decide whether you're changing custody, parenting time, child support, spousal support, or giving relocation notice — each has its own motion.
Meet the standard. For a custody change, be ready to show a change in circumstances and that the change serves the child's best interest (R.C. 3109.04(E)).
File the matching motion. Use SF 27 (custody, $300), SF 26 (parenting time, $300), SF 28 (support, $300), or Form 11.00 (relocation, $20), with the Post-Decree Custody checklist for reallocation.
Serve and schedule. Serve the other party through the Clerk and follow the court's scheduling for a hearing.

Richland County Practice Notes

Different changes, different standards. A change of custody (reallocation) requires a change in circumstances plus best-interest findings (R.C. 3109.04(E)). A parenting-time change does not require a change of custody. Changing the residential parent for school placement is a separate administrative change. Spousal support can be modified only if the decree reserved jurisdiction.
Richland's relocation form family and $20 fee. A residential parent intending to move must file a Notice of Intent to Relocate (Form 11.00, $20). Local Forms 11.10/11.20/11.30 handle service of the notice. After notice, the other parent can ask the court to review parenting time (R.C. 3109.051(G)).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I change custody after a Richland County decree?: File a Motion for Reallocation of Parental Rights/Custody in your existing DR case (county fee $300; statewide motion SF 27/JF 6). To change custody you must show a change in circumstances and that the change serves the child's best interest (R.C. 3109.04(E)). Richland publishes a separate Post-Decree Custody pleadings checklist for these matters.
Do I have to tell the court before I move with my child?: Yes. A residential parent intending to relocate must file a Notice of Intent to Relocate (Richland Form 11.00; $20 fee). Local Forms 11.10/11.20/11.30 handle service of that notice. The other parent can then ask the court to review parenting time (R.C. 3109.051(G)).
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.
What is Richland County's standard parenting-time schedule?: It is set by Local Rule 24 — Parenting Time (adopted 1-1-2026). The court applies that default schedule, holiday rotation, and long-distance provisions when parents don't agree on their own plan. Always use the current version linked from the DR Court's site.

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).

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.