Summit County Contempt & Enforcement Attorneys

Hire Gavvl for your Summit County contempt 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.

Enforce your Summit County order with Gavvl Law

When the other party ignores a support, custody, or parenting-time order, Summit County lets you force compliance through contempt — but the DR Court splits the uniform form into a Motion for Contempt (Form 24(1)) and a separate sworn Affidavit (Form 24(2)), filed with a proposed Order to Appear and Show Cause (Form 25). The fee is $240, and support contempt is served through CSEA. Gavvl Law documents each violation precisely and files it clean, on a flat fee set up front with payment plans available.

• The split Form 24(1) and 24(2) filed correctly. Unlike many counties, Summit separates the contempt motion from its supporting affidavit, and a filing that combines them gets bounced. We file Form 24(1), the sworn Form 24(2), and the show-cause order (Form 25) exactly as the DR Court expects them.
• Violations documented with dates and dollars. Contempt turns on proof: exact missed-payment dates and amounts, or specific denied parenting-time exchanges. We assemble that record so the court can find a willful violation and order compliance, a purge condition, fees, or jail.
• Support contempt routed through CSEA. Because support enforcement runs through the Summit County CSEA, its service and collection path differs from a parenting-time contempt. We handle each track correctly and quote one flat fee up front, with payment plans if you need them.

Contempt files at the court that issued the order — for most families the Domestic Relations Court, 205 South High Street in Akron — on the county's own Form 24 series with the $240 deposit. We ground the motion in the specific order you already hold, so the show-cause hearing is about their violation, not gaps in your paperwork.

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: Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

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.

Post-Decree Contempt is the right path if…

• The other party is violating a custody, parenting-time, or support order.
• You have a Summit County (or registered) order to enforce.
• You can document specific violations with dates and amounts.
• Informal attempts to get compliance haven't worked.

Filing Fees

Contempt actions: $240 · DR Court splits the filing into Form 24(1) motion + Form 24(2) affidavit + Form 25 show-cause order · Support contempt also enforced through CSEA · Remedies include purge conditions, attorney fees, and jail for willful violations

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Post-Decree Contempt in Summit County

1. Confirm the order and the violation. Identify the exact order term being violated and gather proof of each violation with dates and amounts.
2. Try documented compliance first. Where safe, send a written request to comply; this strengthens your case and sometimes resolves the issue.
3. Prepare the contempt papers. Complete Form 24(1) (motion), Form 24(2) (affidavit), and Form 25 (order to appear and show cause).
4. File and serve. File at the Summit DR Court, 205 South High Street, Akron, pay $240, and serve the other party. For support, coordinate with CSEA.
5. Attend the show-cause hearing. Present your documentation; the court can order compliance, set a purge condition, award fees, or impose jail for willful contempt.

Summit County Practice Notes

• Document every violation. Contempt rises or falls on specifics. Keep a log of missed payments (dates and amounts) or denied parenting-time exchanges (dates, times, and what happened). Vague complaints rarely succeed.
• Summit splits the contempt filing. Unlike the single uniform form, Summit uses Form 24(1) for the motion, Form 24(2) for the supporting affidavit, and Form 25 as the proposed Order to Appear and Show Cause. File all three together.
• Support and parenting time are independent. You cannot stop paying support because parenting time was denied, and you cannot deny parenting time because support is unpaid. Each violation must be enforced on its own through the proper channel.
• Purge conditions and consequences. The court usually gives the violating party a chance to "purge" the contempt by complying — paying arrears or making up parenting time. Willful, continued violations can lead to attorney-fee awards and jail.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enforce a Summit County order by contempt?

File a Motion for Contempt at the court that issued the order. At the DR Court, Summit splits the filing into Form 24(1) (the motion) and Form 24(2) (a sworn affidavit of the specific violations), with a proposed Order to Appear and Show Cause (Form 25). The fee is $240; support contempt is served through CSEA. Document each violation precisely — missed payment dates and amounts, or denied parenting-time exchanges. The court can order compliance, set a purge condition, award fees, or impose jail for willful violations.

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.

Where do I file a divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in Summit County?

All of these are filed at the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, 205 South High Street, Akron, OH 44308. The Clerk of Courts handles filing — in person, or by e-filing 24/7 at clerkefile.summitoh.net. Summit hosts its own versions of the Ohio forms on drcourt.org, so use the Summit-hosted form rather than the generic Supreme Court PDF, and remember to flatten any fillable PDF 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.

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.

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 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.

Continue your Summit County research

• Ohio Post-Decree Contempt guide — Statewide overview of post-decree contempt 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.