Ohio Post-Decree Modifications & Enforcement

Modifying Custody and Parenting Time

Changing the residential parent or custody generally requires a change in circumstances since the last order plus a finding that the change serves the child's best interest. Parenting-time schedules can often be adjusted on a somewhat lower showing when the change benefits the child. Even when both parents agree on a change, a court still has to approve it for the new terms to be enforceable.

Modifying Child or Spousal Support

Child support can be reviewed when there is a substantial change — often around a 10% change in the calculated amount. Spousal support can be modified only if the original decree reserved the court's authority to do so and circumstances have changed. Support changes are generally not retroactive before the date the motion is filed, and child support usually ends when a child is emancipated.

Enforcement and Contempt

When a party ignores a court order — withholding parenting time, failing to pay support, or refusing to transfer property — the other party can file a motion to show cause. A court can enforce its orders through make-up parenting time, judgments, attorney-fee awards, and contempt sanctions.

Relocation

A residential parent who plans to move must usually file a notice of intent to relocate; the court can then review whether the parenting schedule should change to protect the child's relationship with both parents.

How Gavvl Law Helps

We bring and defend post-decree motions to modify and enforce Ohio custody, support, and property orders, statewide, with transparent pricing.

Enforcement vs. Modification: Two Different Lanes

Post-decree work runs in two lanes. Enforcement (contempt) is for when the other side will not comply with a binding order — the court can compel compliance, award make-up parenting time, order fines or attorney fees, and in serious cases jail time; the proof that wins is evidence of the violation itself. Modification is for when circumstances have genuinely changed — income, schedules, a move, a child's needs — and asks the judge to change the order going forward. Filing in the wrong lane can affect everything about the outcome, so the first decision in any post-decree case is which lane the facts support.

Flat fees, payment plans, no surprises

Every flat fee below comes straight from our published price list — the same numbers you would see at checkout. Start online, or book a $25 consultation and we will match you to the right option.

Modifications

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: $1,670
• Modify child support: $1,095

Contempt & enforcement

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): $1,095
• Contempt (multiple issues): $1,670

Need full representation? For contested or complex cases, an attorney manages your entire case — strategy, filings, hearings, and negotiation — on a $3,500 retainer plus hourly fees. Compare representation options.

On limited-scope services of $2,000 or more, Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan with no interest and no credit check — takes 60% down to start, then the balance in three monthly payments, the first due 28 days after your initial payment. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay. See financing details.

Real people — with direct lines

• Stephanie Green — Managing Partner
• Elizabeth Warren — Managing Partner
• Niva Elgin — Director of Attorney Relations · Licensed New Mexico Attorney
• Richard Furnish — Of Counsel Attorney

Your consultation

Stephanie Green or Elizabeth Warren, our managing partners — Niva Elgin, our Director of Attorney Relations and a licensed New Mexico attorney — or Richard Furnish, an Of Counsel Ohio family-law attorney. They've heard hundreds of situations like yours and will tell you plainly what you need, and what you don't. Meet the firm.

Your attorney

One of our Of Counsel Ohio family-law attorneys is your attorney for the case — from the first strategy call to the final order in Ohio. You have their name and a direct line the day your file opens. Our attorneys.

Your case team

Niva Elgin keeps your case moving as Director of Attorney Relations. Madeline Wampler, Certified Paralegal, handles documents and scheduling. Erin Schultz, Finance Manager, handles billing and payment plans. Real people who answer when you call.

• 95+ five-star Google reviews
• 60+ years of combined Ohio family-law experience
• Super Lawyers Rising Stars honorees on the team: Elizabeth Warren (2021–2023) and Samantha Berkhofer (2019–2021)
• Every flat fee published before you call

From first call to retained — and every step after

1. Consultation — A 30-minute phone call, $25. You talk with Stephanie Green, Elizabeth Warren, Niva Elgin, or Richard Furnish about what's happening and what Ohio law actually does with it. Before you hang up you'll know whether you need a lawyer at all — and if you do, you leave with a written quote: the service we recommend, the price, your financing options, and your next steps.
2. Choose — Pick the level of help. Pay, or set up financing. Limited-scope flat fee or full representation — you choose, with real numbers in front of you. Pay online, or secure a Gavvl Direct payment plan or third-party financing in a few minutes. Nothing is billed until you decide.
3. Sign — Your agreement arrives by email. Review the client agreement and sign it electronically — from your phone if you like. While you do, your attorney reviews your intake.
4. Get started — Your first attorney call goes on the calendar. Limited scope: your attorney's first call is scheduled from your intake. Full representation: a paralegal reaches out the same or next business day to open your file and gather what's needed, then schedules your first attorney call — and if something is urgent, you speak with the attorney first.

It's easier than ever to retain an excellent attorney.

How you'll stay updated — you never have to wonder

Every client gets GavvLink™, our client portal, on day one. Your whole case — messages, calendar, billing, status — lives in one place, and your team is a message away.

• Reach your attorney directly. Message, text, email, or call. Request a callback or book time on their calendar yourself — no waiting to hear back.
• Case calendar with reminders. Every hearing, deadline, and milestone, with a reminder before each one.
• Case status updates. See where your case stands and what happens next, updated as it moves.
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• Your case team, one message away. Full-representation clients message their paralegal and case manager the same way — and they answer.
• 24/7 receptionists and direct lines. Something urgent after hours? A live receptionist answers around the clock and reaches your team. You also have your attorney's direct line — and a way to reach the managing partners. We return calls and messages promptly.

Can I do this without an attorney?

sometimes, yes. Ohio lets you represent yourself, and for a genuinely agreed dissolution or a simple motion, some people do. Every Ohio county's forms and local rules are linked from our county pages, and our free tools will draft a parenting plan or estimate child support before you spend anything.

Here's what the online-divorce platforms leave out: most Ohio counties require their own forms and language on top of the statewide ones, and a rejected filing is the most common reason people call us after trying it alone. A $25, 30-minute call tells you whether you can do this yourself — and if you can, we'll say so.

• Free parenting plan builder
• Free child support estimate
• Attorney-written guides

Schedule Your $25 Consultation

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I modify a divorce decree in Ohio?

You file a post-decree motion in the court that issued the order. Custody changes require a change in circumstances and the child's best interest; child support changes require a substantial change; spousal support can change only if the decree reserved that authority.

What is a motion to show cause?

It is a request asking the court to order the other party to explain why they should not be held in contempt for violating a court order, such as failing to pay support or denying parenting time.

Can I move out of state with my child after a divorce?

A residential parent generally must file a notice of intent to relocate. The court can review the move and adjust the parenting schedule to protect the child's relationship with both parents.

Find your county's local guide

Filing steps, forms, and the right courthouse vary by county. Choose yours for local details:

Brown County · Clark County · Crawford County · Fayette County · Gallia County · Lucas County · Pickaway County · Summit County

Related guides

Attorney-written guides on Ohio post-decree modifications, contempt, and support changes.

• 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.
• My Ex Leaves Our Child With the Grandparents During Their Parenting Time. Can I Do Anything About It? — Ohio courts favor grandparent relationships, so a few nights a month at grandma's is not a problem. It becomes one when the grandparents replace the parent. This guide explains why the court cannot order the grandparents to do anything, how to tell whether you have shared parenting or sole custody, and the six realistic options — from a documented conversation to a right of first refusal, contempt, a parenting time modification, a custody change, or an emergency motion.
• I Think My Ex Is Drinking or Using Drugs. Is There Anything I Can Do? (Ohio) — You do not have to prove your co-parent is using before you ask an Ohio court for help — you have to give the court a credible reason to look. This guide covers what a judge actually cares about, emergency filings versus modification, how to ask for the right test panel (fentanyl and alcohol are not on standard screens), EtG, PEth, hair and nail testing windows, alcohol monitoring during parenting time, guardians ad litem, and supervised time with step-up plans.
• 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.