Ross County Contempt & Enforcement Attorneys

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

Ross County, Ohio · Chillicothe

When a co-parent ignores a parenting-time, custody, or support order, a contempt motion asks the court to enforce it. File DR contempt in the General Division where the decree was entered; file Juvenile contempt in the Juvenile Division.

Hire Gavvl for your Ross County contempt case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Ross 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 enforce a court order through contempt in Ross County, Ohio?

File a motion for contempt in the court that issued the order. For a divorce/dissolution order, file in the General Division (a support-contempt filing must include a JFS-certified statement of the support account under Local Rule 20.08 — the Clerk refuses non-compliant filings). For an unmarried-parent Juvenile order, file the Motion for Contempt, Affidavit & Instructions for Service (local Form 24) with the Show Cause Order & Notice (Form 25). The court orders the other party to appear and show why they should not be held in contempt; penalties can include make-up parenting time, payment of arrears, fines, attorney fees, or jail.

Enforce your Ross County order — hire Gavvl Law

When a co-parent ignores a parenting-time, custody, or support order, a contempt motion asks the Ross County court to enforce it: divorce orders in the General Division, unmarried-parent orders in the Juvenile Division. Penalties can reach make-up parenting time, payment of arrears, fines, attorney fees, or jail for willful violations. Gavvl Law documents the breaches, files the show-cause papers, and offers a flat fee to bring a straightforward enforcement motion.

The JFS statement that keeps a support-contempt filing alive. A support-contempt filing in the General Division must include a JFS-certified statement of the support account under Local Rule 20.08, and the Clerk refuses filings that arrive without it. We obtain the certified account history first, so your motion is accepted and the arrears are documented from the day it is filed.
The Juvenile show-cause packet, complete. Enforcing an unmarried-parent order means filing the Motion for Contempt, Affidavit and Instructions for Service (local Form 24) together with the Show Cause Order and Notice (Form 25), then serving the other parent. We prepare both forms and arrange service so the other side is properly ordered to appear and answer for the violation.
A record the court can act on. Contempt turns on proof of willful violation — specific dates of withheld parenting time, exact unpaid amounts, missed exchanges. We build that record with you before filing, because a well-documented motion is what moves a Ross County judge to order make-up time, arrears, fees, or sanctions rather than continuing the matter.

Because there is no separate Domestic Relations court, DR contempt is filed in the General Division where your decree was entered, on a $200 Re-open/Other deposit, while a Juvenile Motion to Reopen is $100. We file in the court that already knows your case and pair the enforcement request with the correct deposit so nothing stalls at the Clerk's counter.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the motion for contempt / show cause to enforce an order the other party is violating. You appear at any hearing.

Contempt (single issue): $950
Contempt (multiple issues): $1,450

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 contempt case or see payment plans & financing.

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: Court website

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)

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

The other parent is withholding court-ordered parenting time.
Child support or spousal support isn't being paid as ordered.
A party is violating clear, specific terms of the decree.
You have documented the violations (dates, amounts, missed exchanges).

Filing Fees

General Division contempt via $200 Re-open/Other deposit · Juvenile Motion to Reopen $100 · support contempt requires a JFS-certified account statement · confirm current amounts with the court

Forms & Filing Packets

DR contempt (General Division) — $200 Re-open/Other deposit · confirm with the Clerk (740) 702-3010

File a contempt motion in the General Division where the decree was entered. A support-contempt filing must include a JFS-certified statement of the support account (Local Rule 20.08) or the Clerk will refuse it.

Motion for Temporary Orders (Civ. R. 75(N)) — Asks the court for temporary custody, parenting time, child support, spousal support, or exclusive use of the home while the case is pending. Tip: Attach a current Financial Affidavit (Affidavit 1) and Affidavit 2 (Property).
Affidavit of Income & Expenses (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own. Must be notarized.
Confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers Form (Local Rule 20.07) — Required with every Domestic Relations pleading under General Division Local Rule 20.07. Lists protected personal identifiers (SSNs, account numbers) and is filed under seal. Obtain it from the Clerk of Courts.

Juvenile contempt (never-married parents) — $100 Motion to Reopen (eff. 12/13/2023)

File the Motion for Contempt, Affidavit & Instructions for Service (local Form 24) with the Show Cause Order & Notice (Form 25), and arrange service on the other parent.

Motion for Contempt, Affidavit & Instructions for Service (Local Form 24) — Used to enforce a Juvenile parenting or support order when the other parent won't comply. Filed in the Juvenile Division with the Show Cause Order.
Show Cause Order & Notice (Local Form 25) — Accompanies the Juvenile Motion for Contempt and orders the other parent to appear and show why they should not be held in contempt.
Request for Service (Local Form 31) — Tells the Juvenile clerk how to serve the other parent (certified mail, personal service, etc.).

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Ross County

Document the violations. Record missed parenting time, unpaid support amounts and dates, or other specific breaches of the order.
File in the issuing court. DR contempt goes to the General Division; Juvenile contempt goes to the Juvenile Division (Form 24 with Show Cause Form 25).
Attach the JFS support statement. For support contempt in the General Division, include a JFS-certified statement of the support account (Local Rule 20.08).
Serve the show-cause order. Arrange service so the other party is ordered to appear and show why they should not be held in contempt.
Attend the hearing. Present your evidence; the court can order make-up time, payment of arrears, fines, attorney fees, or jail for willful violations.

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 Division uses its own local form set. Unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting-time cases are filed in the Probate/Juvenile Court (2 N. Paint St., Suite A, (740) 774-1177) using its local forms — Forms 11 and 20–31 and Affidavits 1, 3, and 4 — plus Pro Se Instructions re Custody and Visitation. The Ohio Supreme Court standardized forms are also accepted.
No separate Domestic Relations court. Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment are heard by the General Division of the Ross County Court of Common Pleas — there is no separate Domestic Relations division. Two courtrooms preside: Courtroom 1 (Judge Michael M. Ater) and Courtroom 2 (Judge Matthew S. Schmidt), with Magistrates John DiCesare and Jennifer L. Ater. File through the Clerk of Courts, 2 N. Paint St., Suite B, Chillicothe, (740) 702-3010.

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 reopen or modify a Ross County divorce order?: Per the General Division Clerk's schedule, a post-decree Re-open / Custody / Support / QDRO / Other matter is a $200 deposit and an Agreed Entry is $200; a standalone Parental Rights (Custody/Support) matter is $250. Out-of-state money judgments are filed as a Foreign Judgment for $65. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (740) 702-3010.
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 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.