Summit County Child Support Attorneys
Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated May 26, 2026
Summit County, Ohio · Akron
Child support in Summit County follows Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares Model, calculating child support based on each parent's income, the number of children, and health-insurance and childcare costs. A Summit court sets the order — the Domestic Relations Court for married parents, the Juvenile Court for never-married parents — and the Summit County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) collects child support payments by wage withholding.
Hire Gavvl for your Summit County child support case
Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Summit 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 is child support set and changed in Summit County, Ohio?
Run both parents' incomes through the official Ohio Child Support Guideline Calculator, print and sign the worksheet, and file it with your case — at the Summit DR Court (married parents) or Juvenile Court (never-married parents). These child support calculations fix each parent's child support obligation. File the Application for Child Support Services (Local Form 115) so CSEA can open a IV-D case and collect child support payments by wage withholding. To change an existing order after a substantial change in circumstances, ask CSEA for an administrative review (generally every 36 months, or sooner on a substantial change) or file a post-decree motion using Local Form 102. Ohio treats a 10% change in the calculated amount as the modification threshold. The post-decree filing fee is $240.
Hire Gavvl Law for Summit County child support
Getting a support order that reflects real income — or fixing one that no longer does — means running the 2024 Income Shares worksheet correctly, filing in the right Akron court, and getting the CSEA machinery started. Gavvl Law prepares the worksheet, files the motion, and follows the order through to wage withholding, on a flat fee for the paperwork path or a retainer for contested support litigation.
- Local Form 102 modifications, filed with proof. Summit changes existing support through the Post Decree Motion (Local Form 102) with a $240 filing fee — and the motion only works when it arrives with current pay stubs, tax returns, and a fresh worksheet showing the change. We build that evidence package before we file, not after the magistrate asks for it.
- Deviation arguments made the way Summit requires. A judge can only order more or less than the guideline number after a specific finding that the worksheet amount is unjust or not in the child's best interest. When your case calls for a deviation, we brief those findings explicitly instead of hoping the court fills in the gap.
- CSEA collection set up alongside the order. An order nobody collects is just paper. We file the Application for Child Support Services (Local Form 115) so the Summit County CSEA tracks payments and collects by wage withholding from the start.
Married parents' support rides with the Domestic Relations case at 205 South High Street; never-married parents' support runs through Juvenile Court on Dan Street. We work both Akron tracks, so whether you need a first order, a review, or enforcement, your motion starts in the courtroom that can actually grant it.
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.
Start your child support case or see payment plans & financing.
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: Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division
205 South High Street, Akron, OH 44308Phone: (330) 643-2365
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal
Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)
Summit County Juvenile Court
650 Dan Street, Akron, OH 44310
Phone: (330) 643-2900
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Child Support is the right path if…
- You need a first child-support order set, or help with other child support matters.
- Your income or the other parent's income has changed significantly — a significant change in circumstances that can reset the child support obligation.
- You need help collecting or enforcing child support payments already ordered.
- You want the amount calculated under Ohio's current guidelines, with child support based on each parent's income.
Filing Fees
Child support uses Ohio's 2024 Income Shares Model for calculating child support · CSEA collects by wage withholding (filings exempt from deposit) · Modification: $240 post-decree motion or a CSEA review · 10% change is the modification threshold
Forms & Filing Packets
Setting a first support order — Set within the case deposit
Run the Ohio worksheet, file it with your divorce, dissolution, or parentage case, and open a CSEA case with the Application for Child Support Services so collection runs through wage withholding.
- Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask a Summit court to set or change support.
- Affidavit of Basic Information, Income, and Expenses (Summit Affidavit 1) — Sworn statement of your income and monthly expenses. Required with every divorce, legal separation, annulment, and any support filing.
- Health Insurance Affidavit (Summit Affidavit 4) — States what health coverage is available for the children and at what cost — used to set the medical-support part of a child-support order.
- Application for Child Support Services (Summit Local Form 115) — Opens a CSEA (IV-D) case so the agency can collect and distribute support by wage withholding. Required with any DR filing that involves children.
Modifying an existing order — $240 post-decree motion
File the Post Decree Motion for Change of Child Support / Medical / Tax (Local Form 102) at the DR Court with an updated worksheet and current income proof, or request a CSEA administrative review.
- Post Decree Motion for Change of Child Support / Medical / Tax (Summit Local Form 102) — Summit's local form (formerly uniform Form 28) to modify child support, cash medical, or the tax exemption after a decree. The $240 post-decree fee applies.
- Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask a Summit court to set or change support.
- Affidavit of Basic Information, Income, and Expenses (Summit Affidavit 1) — Sworn statement of your income and monthly expenses. Required with every divorce, legal separation, annulment, and any support filing.
- Health Insurance Affidavit (Summit Affidavit 4) — States what health coverage is available for the children and at what cost — used to set the medical-support part of a child-support order.
How to File Child Support in Summit County
- Run the Ohio worksheet. Use the official Ohio Child Support Guideline Calculator with both parents' incomes, the number of children, and insurance and childcare costs. Print and sign it.
- File with your case. File the worksheet with your divorce, dissolution, or parentage case at the correct Summit court, along with the income and health-insurance affidavits.
- Open a CSEA case. Submit the Application for Child Support Services (Local Form 115) so CSEA can collect by wage withholding and track payments.
- To change support, gather proof. Collect current pay stubs and tax returns showing the change, and run a fresh worksheet.
- Request a review or file a motion. Ask CSEA for an administrative review, or file the Post Decree Motion (Local Form 102) at the DR Court with the $240 fee.
Summit County Practice Notes
- The calculator is the starting point. Ohio's 2024 guideline calculator sets a presumptive child support obligation from both parents' gross incomes, the number of children, and health-insurance and childcare costs — child support based on each parent's income. Courts can deviate for parenting-time, extraordinary costs, or other statutory reasons, but must explain why.
- CSEA does the collecting. Once support is ordered, the Summit County CSEA opens a IV-D case and withholds child support payments from wages, then distributes them. Open the case with the Application for Child Support Services (Local Form 115). CSEA filings are exempt from the cost deposit.
- Modifications need a real change. You can't just ask for a different number. Ohio looks for a roughly 10% change in the calculated amount, or another significant change in circumstances, before revisiting the child support obligation. Bring recent pay stubs and tax returns to support the new worksheet.
- Support and parenting time are separate. You cannot withhold parenting time because child support payments are unpaid, and you cannot stop paying because time is denied. Each is enforced on its own — through CSEA or a contempt motion.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is child support calculated in Summit County?
- Summit County follows Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares Model. Support is based on both parents' gross incomes, the number of children, health-insurance and childcare costs, and parenting-time adjustments, run through the official Ohio Child Support Guideline Calculator. You file the printed worksheet with your case, and a Summit court (DR for married parents, Juvenile for never-married) issues the order. CSEA then collects it by wage withholding.
- How does child support get collected in Summit County?
- Once a court sets support, the Summit County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) opens a IV-D case and collects payments through wage withholding, then distributes them to the receiving parent. You open a CSEA case by filing the Application for Child Support Services (Local Form 115) with your case. CSEA also handles administrative reviews and can help enforce arrears. CSEA filings are exempt from the cost deposit.
- How do I change a child-support order in Summit County?
- You can ask CSEA for an administrative review (generally available every 36 months, or sooner on a substantial change), or file a post-decree motion at the DR Court using Local Form 102 (Motion for Change of Child Support, Medical, or Tax). Ohio treats a 10% change in the calculated amount as the threshold for modification. Bring recent pay stubs and tax returns. The post-decree filing fee is $240.
- Does my case go to the Domestic Relations Court or the Juvenile Court?
- Summit splits family work by courthouse. Married and divorcing parents — and their custody, support, and parenting-time issues — are handled at the Domestic Relations Court, 205 South High Street, Akron. Never-married parents and non-parent (grandparent/relative) custody cases are handled at the Summit County Juvenile Court, 650 Dan Street, Akron. Filing in the wrong court delays your case, so confirm venue before you file.
- What are the Summit County Domestic Relations filing fees?
- Summit's Clerk fee schedule: divorce $420 with children / $370 without; dissolution $400 with children / $370 without; legal separation and annulment $420 with children / $370 without; a private parenting (unmarried) complaint or a complaint for legal custody $420; all post-decree motions and contempt actions $240; and a counterclaim $50. CPO petitions and CSEA filings are exempt from the deposit. If you can't afford the deposit, file Local Form 124 to proceed in forma pauperis.
Free Local Resources in Summit County
- Summit Free Legal Clinic at Open M. Court-hosted community clinic in Akron offering free legal advice for self-represented parties.
- Summit County DR Court. drcourt.org — CPO forms, Local Rules, judge bios, and the parenting-class LMS. Clerk's Office (1st floor) opens at 7:30 a.m.
- Summit County Juvenile Court. juvenilecourt.summitoh.net · (330) 643-2900. Custody, visitation, support, and Grandparent Power of Attorney forms at 650 Dan Street.
- Summit County CSEA (Child Support Enforcement Agency). Opens IV-D cases and collects/distributes child support through wage withholding once a support order is in place.
- Victim Assistance Program of Summit County. Free advocates who help domestic-violence survivors complete CPO petitions and prepare for hearings.
Other Family-Law Topics in Summit County
- Summit County Divorce — Full filing guide with forms, fees, and the court's parenting class.
- Ohio Grandparents' Rights — Statewide overview of custody and companionship options for grandparents.
- Ohio Child Support Calculator — Run the 2024 Income Shares worksheet yourself.
- Ohio family-law resources — 88-county directory of courts and legal aid.
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.
Continue your Summit County research
- Ohio Child Support guide — Statewide overview of child support in Ohio.
- Akron family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Akron metro.
- Summit County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Summit County guide.
- Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
- Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.
Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.
