Changing Child Support in Cuyahoga County

Child support is money that you or the other parent pays to meet your child’s financial needs (like buying food and clothing). The Court or Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) decides the child support amount based on your income, expenses for the child (like childcare and health insurance) and how much time you spend with the child.

The amount of child support is determined by a standard set of rules from Ohio law. You can use the Child Support Calculator on this site to see if your support amount could go up or down based on the law.

If you believe that the amount of child support you pay or receive needs to be changed, you can file a motion to ask the Court to change child support. If your existing child support order was issued by the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court, you can use the forms on this site to create your motion. You can also learn about changing an order that was issued in a different county or state.

Reasons for requesting a change in child support

You must explain why you think your child support order should change.

You generally need to show a substantial change in circumstances, or how things have changed enough to justify a change in child support. For example: 

• The amount would change more than 10%. If the new amount of child support would be more than 10% different from the previous amount, it generally would be considered a substantial change. You can use the calculator on this site to estimate how the amount could change.
• The child’s health care needs are not being met. Child support may be changed if the child’s health care needs are not being met.

Gather documents that support your request and show that the circumstances are different. The Court will need evidence of income, health insurance and other information for both parents. 

Going to Court

The court process can be complicated. You may want to consult with a lawyer before going to Court.

If you want to go to Court, you should:

• Complete the paperwork. If your child support order was issued by the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court, you can use the forms provided on this site. If your order was issued by the Cuyahoga County Child Support Enforcement Agency or Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, go to the Juvenile Court's website to find more information about their forms and process.

Once you have completed the forms and are ready to file:

• Print your completed forms. You can print your forms at any Cleveland Public Library for .10 per page. On Wednesdays, you can also print your forms at the Law Library, which is located on the fourth floor of the Cuyahoga County Court House at 1 W. Lakeside Ave.  You can print up to 25 pages for free at the Law Library. There is a fee of .20 per additional page. You should make at least one extra copy of your forms for your records.
• After you print your forms, you will need to sign your documents in front of a notary. The Law Library has staff who can notarize your forms for you. You also can find a notary by searching on your browser for “a notary near me.” The Help Center at the Domestic Relations Court also has staff who can notarize your forms for you.
• Bring your completed, signed and notarized forms to the Clerk of Court. The Domestic Relations Clerk of Court is located on the ground floor of the Cuyahoga County Court House at 1 W. Lakeside Ave.
• Give the clerk your forms to file. You also will need to pay the filing fee. As of March 1st, 2024, the cost to file a motion to change child support in Cuyahoga County is $50.
• Complete service. You must serve papers to the other parent. Follow up with the Clerk of Court's office after about 10 business days to make sure that service has been completed. 
• Attend the hearing. Once the other parent is served, the Court will schedule a hearing. You must attend the hearing. You will need to explain your story to the Judge or Magistrate. If your support order has multiple deviations from Ohio’s standard child support guidelines, the Court may need to review the deviations to see if they are still possible.

You also have the option to efile your forms. Learn more about efiling from the Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts.

If you have a low income and can’t afford the filing fee, you can choose to add a Civil Fee Waiver Affidavit, or Poverty Affidavit, to create an additional form to file with your packet of documents. This form asks that you be allowed to file without paying a fee upfront. You may still be responsible for paying the fee at the end of the case.

If you have questions about the process of filing a motion, you can contact the Help Center at (216) 443-8880.

You can find more information about asking for a child support modification in the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court in Local Rule 19.

While your case is pending before the Court, the law requires you to keep paying support at the old amount. Otherwise, you will have to pay any back payments due.

If the Court decides there is a change of circumstances, the Court will require a new child support amount.

The amount you pay or receive could go up, go down, or stay the same.

When does my duty to pay child support end?

Usually your duty to pay child support does not end until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school. If your child is still attending high school when he or she turns 18, you are obligated to pay child support until the child graduates from high school or turns 19, whichever happens first.

Your child support order also may be eligible for termination when:

• Your minor child lives on his or her own (and has been legally emancipated by the court), joins the military or gets married.
• There has been a legal change of custody and the child no longer lives with the other parent or has moved in with you.

If your situation qualifies under one of these reasons, you can contact the Child Support Enforcement Agency. You also can file a motion with the Court to request termination of support.