Stark County Child Support Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 5, 2026

Stark County, Ohio · Canton

Calculating child support in Stark County runs on Ohio's Income Shares Model, basing child support on each parent's income. Support can be set inside a divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division, or in the Juvenile Division for never-married parents. The Stark County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) collects and enforces orders, and child support payments are paid through Ohio Child Support Payment Central.

Hire Gavvl for your Stark County child support case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Stark 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 get a child-support order in Stark County, Ohio?

Run the Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (use the calculator at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov) — these child support calculations set each parent's child support obligation — then file the Stark County 'New Case for Child Support' packet, or set support inside your divorce or dissolution at the Family Court, 110 Central Plaza South, Canton, OH 44702. To change an existing order after a substantial change in circumstances, file the 'Modification of Child Support' packet — the movant files and serves a worksheet no later than the hearing (Rule 15.03). Orders run through Stark County CSEA, with a Personal Identifier Form and a 2% processing fee added to the payment (Rule 18).

Hire Gavvl Law for a Stark County child-support order

Stark County calculates support on Ohio's Income Shares Model, run through the official calculator at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov, and enforced by the Stark County Child Support Enforcement Agency with payments routed through Ohio Child Support Payment Central. Whether you use the New Case for Child Support packet or the Modification of Child Support packet, the movant must file and serve a worksheet no later than the hearing under Rule 15.03. Gavvl Law prepares the worksheet, files the right packet, and offers a flat fee up front with payment plans.

The Income Shares worksheet that decides the number. Support in Stark stands or falls on the Ohio child-support worksheet, and Rule 15.03 requires the movant to file and serve it no later than the hearing. We run the official Income Shares calculator, document each parent's income, and bring a signed worksheet so the magistrate has no reason to guess.
Establish, modify, or object — the correct packet each time. Stark uses a New Case for Child Support packet to open an order, a Modification of Child Support packet to change one, and a separate Objection to CSEA's Administrative Order packet to challenge an administrative figure. We pick the filing that matches your situation instead of forcing the wrong one.
CSEA paperwork that keeps the order collectible. Under Rule 18 a support order needs a confidential Personal Identifier Form and must state the amount plus the 2% processing fee, any arrearage, and the effective date, and a modified order will not be accepted without the time-stamped CSEA copy under Rule 18.03. We handle that paperwork so collection through Payment Central starts cleanly.

Orders establish either inside a Domestic Relations divorce or in the Juvenile Division for never-married parents at 110 Central Plaza South in Canton, and enforcement runs through Stark County CSEA. We work both the court file and the CSEA side so your Stark support order is set correctly and actually paid, on a flat fee approved up front.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the support motion (establish, modify, or terminate). The court filing fee is billed separately and this does not include in-court representation.

Establish child support: $950
Modify child support: $950
Terminate 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 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: Stark County Family Court (Domestic Relations & Juvenile Divisions)

110 Central Plaza South, Suite 670, Canton, OH 44702
Phone: (330) 451-7415
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Website: Court website

Child Support is the right path if…

You need a first child-support order, or your current order no longer fits your incomes or parenting time.
There's been a 10%+ change in the support amount or a substantial change in circumstances.
You want CSEA to collect child support payments automatically by wage withholding.
Health-insurance or uninsured-medical responsibility needs to be set or updated as part of your child support matters.

Filing Fees

Establish: New Case for Child Support packet · Modify: Modification of Child Support packet · Ohio Income Shares Model for calculating child support · 2% CSEA processing fee · Filing deposits per the Stark County Clerk of Courts schedule — confirm the current amount with the Clerk at (330) 451-7801

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish a new support order

New Case for Child Support (Stark packet) — Stark County's assembled packet to establish a new child-support order in the Family Court.
Child Support Worksheet (Ohio statutory worksheet) — The Ohio statutory child-support worksheet, county-hosted by Stark, required to compute the order.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.

Modify an existing support order

Modification of Child Support (Stark packet) — Stark County's assembled packet to change an existing child-support order after a change of circumstances. File and serve a worksheet no later than the hearing (Rule 15.03).
Objection to CSEA's Administrative Order (Stark packet) — Use this to ask the court to review a CSEA administrative support order you disagree with.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.

How to File Child Support in Stark County

Run the Ohio Income Shares worksheet. Use ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov or the county-hosted statutory worksheet, then print and sign it.
File the right Stark packet. Use the New Case for Child Support packet to establish, or the Modification of Child Support packet to change an order.
Complete the CSEA paperwork. Provide the Personal Identifier Form so CSEA can collect and enforce; support is paid through Ohio Child Support Payment Central.
Attend the hearing. Bring an updated worksheet. The magistrate sets or recalculates support and journalizes the order.

Stark County Practice Notes

Administrative review vs. court motion. You can request an administrative review of your child support obligation through Stark County CSEA, file the court's Modification of Child Support packet, or — if you disagree with a CSEA administrative order — file an Objection to CSEA's Administrative Order. Modification movants file and serve a worksheet no later than the hearing (Rule 15.03), since these child support calculations drive the result.
CSEA paperwork is required on support entries. Under Rule 18, a support order through CSEA needs a confidential Personal Identifier Form, and the entry must state the amount plus a 2% processing fee, any arrearage and repayment, and the effective date so child support payments are tracked correctly. When support is modified, counsel files a time-stamped copy with CSEA through the Clerk — the Clerk won't accept the order without it (Rule 18.03).

Frequently Asked Questions

How does child support enforcement work in Stark County?: Child-support orders run through the Stark County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Under Rule 18, a support order through CSEA requires a confidential Personal Identifier Form filed with the Clerk and CSEA, and the entry must state the payment amount plus a 2% processing fee, any arrearage and repayment, and the effective date. Support is paid through Ohio Child Support Payment Central unless cash is processed at Stark County CSEA. When support is modified or custody changes, counsel files a time-stamped copy with CSEA through the Clerk — the Clerk won't accept the order without the CSEA copy (Rule 18.03).
How much does it cost to file in Stark County?: Stark County Family Court deposits (effective March 17, 2025): Complaint for Divorce or Annulment $391 (add $50 for every 5 defendants beyond the first 4); Dissolution $371; Legal Separation $359; a counterclaim or cross-claim $251; reopening a closed case $273; a Custody Register Petition $313; a garnishment $50; and a new Juvenile complaint $307. A Domestic Violence Civil Protection Order takes no deposit. These are minimum deposits — total case costs vary. Pay the Stark County Clerk of Courts (checks payable to 'Stark County Clerk of Courts'); for a total-cost quote call (330) 451-7801.
What is a IV-D application and why do I need one?: A IV-D Application opens a child-support case with your county's Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Once opened, CSEA collects support through automatic wage withholding, distributes it to the receiving parent, and can enforce the order through license suspension, federal tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals. Filing a IV-D Application is standard whenever a child-support order is issued.
Do I file in the Domestic Relations or Juvenile Division in Stark County?: Stark County runs a combined Family Court — the Domestic Relations and Juvenile Divisions share one location at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 670, Canton, and one main number, (330) 451-7415. The Domestic Relations Division (Judge Michelle L. Cordova) handles divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and the custody and support that travel with them for married parents. The Juvenile Division (Judge Rosemarie A. Hall) handles paternity and custody for never-married parents, plus grandparent / third-party custody. Six shared magistrates hear cases in both divisions.

Free Local Resources in Stark County

Stark County Family Court Help Desk. Free help for self-represented parties completing and reviewing divorce and custody forms, plus questions on court procedure and notary services. Mondays 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., first come first served; check in with the reception bailiff in the lobby, (330) 451-7415. Help Desk attorneys do not represent you or give legal advice.
Stark County Family Court — Court Filing Forms & Brochures. The court's assembled filing packets for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, custody, support, contempt, and protection orders, hosted in the county Document Center at starkcountyohio.gov. The court notes the forms are a resource only and not a substitute for legal advice.
Stark County Law Library. Public legal-research help at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 401, Canton, (330) 451-7380, Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Domestic Violence Project, Inc. (DVPI). Shelter, advocacy, and support for those experiencing domestic violence in Stark County. Learn more at dvpi.org.

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.