Free INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILING A MOTION OF CONTEMPT - Ohio

C-4 1/06

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILING OBJECTIONS TO MAGISTRATE'S DECISIONS
BUTLER COUNTY DOMESTIC RELATIONS COURT DISCLAIMER: This form has been provided to you as a public service of the Butler County Domestic Relations Court. If you choose to represent yourself and use this form, please understand that state law prohibits the staff of the Domestic Relations Court to provide legal advice. Local Rules of Court are available online at www.butlercountyohio.org/drCourt and from the Clerk of Courts' Office for $5.00. If you have questions regarding your legal rights, or your responsibilities, you must contact an attorney. You can call Legal Aid at 241-9400 or the Butler County Bar Association at 896-6671. DEFINITION: Objections to Magistrate's Decisions may be filed if you feel that a magistrate was in error in issuing a decision on your hearing. The Judge assigned to your case number must hear objections to Magistrate's Decisions. STEPS FOR FILING OBJECTIONS TO MAGISTRATE'S DECISIONS 1. The attached Objection to Magistrate's Decision Form (Form C-14) must be completed. You are the moving party when you file a motion with the Court. The Case Management Office can provide you with your case number if you need assistance. 2. In the space provided on the form, describe why you are filing the objection and what you want the Court to do. 3. After filling out the Objection to Magistrate's Decision Form, you must obtain a hearing date, time, and location of hearing and name of judge hearing your objection from the Judicial Case Manager of the Domestic Relations Court. You can contact the Judicial Case Manager at 887-3356. 4. Once you obtain a hearing date, time, location of hearing and name of judge from the Judicial Case Manager, you need to choose which method of Service you would like Clerk to use when presenting your motion to the other party. The other party must be served with your motion before you can have your hearing. 5. Anyone objecting to a magistrate's findings of fact needs to provide the Court with a transcript of the hearing that you are objecting to. If a transcript is required, the transcript shall be requested and deposit paid at the same time the objection is filed. Transcripts shall be ordered in accordance with DR 18. Arrangements for transcripts can be made by contacting the Administrative Office of the Court at 887-3352. 6. After choosing a method of service and ordering your transcript, submit your motion to the Judicial Case Manager for review and approval. The Judicial Case Manager will determine if your motion complies with the Ohio Revised Code, Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure and Local Rules of Court.

7. After filing your motion with the Clerk of Courts, you must give a file-stamped copy of your motion to the Case Management Office of the Domestic Relations Court. If you do not provide a filestamped copy of your motion, your hearing will be canceled. PREPARING FOR YOUR COURT HEARING: 1. Gather copies of any letter, notes, calendars or other materials that are related to your motion. 2. Bring two copies of each item with you. One is for the Court and one is for the other party. 3. Make arrangements to have witnesses, if applicable, present at your hearing. This may require you to subpoena those witnesses. Please contact the Clerk of Courts' Office at 887-3278 if you have any questions about filing a subpoena. The Court will not subpoena someone on your behalf. 4. Please be advised that the other party may have an attorney present. 5. Each party will present their case to the hearing officer, who will either issue a decision at the time of the hearing, or take your case under advisement. A hearing officer has thirty (30) days to issue a decision on a case that has been taken under advisement.