Child Support in Ross County

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

Ross County, Ohio · Chillicothe

Ross County child support is calculated under Ohio's 2024 Income Shares model and administered through the Ross County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), with payments routed through South Central Ohio Job & Family Services (SCOJFS). Support is set or changed in the General Division (for married parents) or the Juvenile Division (for never-married parents).

How is child support set or changed in Ross County, Ohio?

Child support is calculated with the official Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares model), based on both parents' incomes, health-insurance and childcare costs, and parenting time. In a divorce or dissolution, support is set in the General Division; for never-married parents it is set in the Juvenile Division as part of a parentage/custody case. To open enforcement, file an application with the Ross County CSEA, 475 Western Ave, Ste. B, Chillicothe, (740) 773-2651. To change an existing order, file the matching motion (a Juvenile Form 28, or a post-decree motion in the General Division) with an updated worksheet and financial affidavit. All support is paid through SCOJFS.

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: Ross County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

2 N. Paint Street, Chillicothe, OH 45601
Phone: (740) 702-3032
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed legal holidays)
Website: www.rosscountycommonpleas.org/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Ross County Court of Common Pleas, Probate/Juvenile Division
2 N. Paint Street, Suite A, Chillicothe, OH 45601
Phone: (740) 774-1177
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed legal holidays)

Child Support is the right path if…

You need to establish a first child-support order.
Your income, the other parent's income, or parenting time has changed substantially.
Health-insurance or childcare costs have changed.
You need CSEA to collect or enforce an existing order.

Filing Fees

Ohio Child Support Calculator is free · Juvenile Child Support Complaint $100 / Motion to Reopen $100 · General Division post-decree $200 · confirm current amounts with the court or Ross County CSEA at (740) 773-2651

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish a child-support order — Calculator free · Juvenile Child Support Complaint $100 (eff. 12/13/2023) · confirm with the court/CSEA

Run the Ohio Child Support Calculator, then open a IV-D case with the Ross County CSEA and file the income and health-insurance affidavits. Support is then ordered through the General Division (married) or Juvenile Division (never-married).

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.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA. Required in any case involving minor children.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Local Affidavit 3) — Required in any Juvenile case involving children. Lists where each child has lived and confirms the court's jurisdiction under the UCCJEA.
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.

Change an existing child-support order — Juvenile Motion to Reopen $100 · General Division post-decree $200 · confirm with the court

File a motion to change support with an updated worksheet and financial affidavit. In a Juvenile case use local Form 28; for a divorce/dissolution order, file a post-decree motion in the General Division (a child-support modification must include the worksheet and financial affidavit under Local Rule 20.08).

Motion for Change of Child Support, Medical Support, Tax Exemption, or Other (Local Form 28) — The Juvenile Division motion to change child support, medical support, or the tax exemption after a change of circumstances.
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.
Affidavit of Income & Expenses (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own. Must be notarized.
Request for Service (Local Form 31) — Tells the Juvenile clerk how to serve the other parent (certified mail, personal service, etc.).

How to File Child Support in Ross County

Run the Ohio Child Support Calculator. Use the official 2024 Income Shares worksheet with both parents' incomes, health-insurance and childcare costs, and parenting time.
Open a CSEA case. Apply with the Ross County CSEA, 475 Western Ave, Ste. B, Chillicothe, (740) 773-2651, to establish, calculate, and enforce support.
File in the right court. Support is ordered in the General Division for married parents or the Juvenile Division for never-married parents; to change a Juvenile order use local Form 28.
Attach the required financials. A child-support modification must include the updated worksheet and a financial affidavit (Local Rule 20.08).
Pay and receive through SCOJFS. All Ross County support is paid through South Central Ohio Job & Family Services; CSEA can enforce by wage withholding and other tools.

Ross County Practice Notes

Support routed through SCOJFS. All Ross County support is paid through South Central Ohio Job & Family Services (SCOJFS); the Clerk routes support entries through the CSEA box and the required JFS memo is attached to the decree (General Division Local Rule 20.09). Child-support services run through Ross County CSEA, 475 Western Ave, Ste. B, (740) 773-2651.
Juvenile filing fees (effective 12/13/2023). A Paternity, Custody, or Visitation Complaint is $115 (add $75 for a home investigation or $100 for a jury-trial request); a Motion to Reopen is $100; a Child Support Complaint is $100. Fees are subject to change — confirm with the Probate/Juvenile Court at (740) 774-1177.
Married vs. never-married decides the court. Support tied to a divorce/dissolution is set in the General Division; support for never-married parents is set in the Juvenile Division as part of a parentage/custody case (R.C. 2151.23). Confirm which court holds your case before filing a motion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is child support handled in Ross County?: Support is paid through South Central Ohio Job & Family Services (SCOJFS); the Clerk routes support entries through the CSEA box (General Division Local Rule 20.09). Child-support services run through the Ross County Child Support Enforcement Agency (Administrator Rick Reynolds), 475 Western Ave, Ste. B, Chillicothe, (740) 773-2651. CSEA can establish, calculate, collect, and enforce support.
What does it cost to file a custody, paternity, or support case in the Ross County Juvenile Division?: Effective 12/13/2023, a Paternity, Custody, or Visitation Complaint is $115 in the Probate/Juvenile Court (add $75 if a home investigation is requested, or $100 for a jury-trial request). A Motion to Reopen a paternity/custody/support/visitation case is $100, and a Child Support Complaint is $100. Fees are subject to change — confirm with the Probate/Juvenile Court at (740) 774-1177.
Married vs. never-married parents — which court decides custody in Ross County?: If you are or were married, custody and parenting time are decided as part of the divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General Division. If the parents were never married, parentage, custody, support, and parenting time are decided in the Juvenile Division (R.C. 2151.23) using the court's local forms (Forms 11, 20–31; Affidavits 1, 3, 4).
Which court handles family-law cases in Ross County?: The General Division of the Ross County Court of Common Pleas (2 N. Paint St., Chillicothe) hears all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases — there is no separate Domestic Relations court. The combined Probate/Juvenile Court (2 N. Paint St., Suite A) handles unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting time (Juvenile, under R.C. 2151.23) and adoptions (Probate). Cases are filed through the Clerk of Courts at (740) 702-3010.

Free Local Resources in Ross County

Ross County Clerk of Courts (General Division / Domestic Relations). 2 N. Paint St., Suite B, Chillicothe, OH 45601; (740) 702-3010. Files all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases, posts the legal forms and the Divorce/Dissolution checklist, and confirms current deposits. Online payment via nCourt; records via eAccess. The General Division hears all DR matters — there is no separate Domestic Relations court.
LegalAtoms — free guided divorce & dissolution prep. https://legalatoms.com/ross/ — the Clerk's free, guided tool (English and Spanish) that prepares Ross County divorce and dissolution paperwork to print and file. It does not give legal advice.
Families in Transition (FiT) parenting class. The Child Protection Center, 138 Marietta Road, Suite E, Chillicothe; (740) 779-7431. Required within 60 days in any divorce/dissolution or custody/companionship-modification with minor children (Local Rule 20.12; Juvenile County Rule 13). Fee $25 (exact cash or PayPal); certificate valid one year. Confirm current class dates when registering.
Ross County Probate/Juvenile Court. 2 N. Paint St., Suite A, Chillicothe; (740) 774-1177 or (740) 774-1179 (https://www.rossprobatejuvenile.com/). Judge J. Jeffrey Benson. Hears unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting time (Juvenile) and adoptions (Probate), using local Forms 11 and 20–31.
Ross County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). 475 Western Ave, Ste. B, Chillicothe, OH 45601; (740) 773-2651 (https://jfs.ohio.gov/about/local-agencies-directory/csea-ross). Administrator Rick Reynolds. Establishes, calculates, collects, and enforces support; payments are routed through South Central Ohio Job & Family Services (SCOJFS).

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.

Keep exploring

Ohio Child Support guide — Statewide overview of child support in Ohio.
Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
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Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.