Court Departments

Administration

Under the direction of the Administrative Judge, the Domestic Relations Court Administrator is responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations and executive decision-making of the Court.

The Assistant Court Administrator is the human resource manager and is responsible for attendance management, coordination of employee benefits, and various special projects as assigned by the Court.

The Fiscal Officer is responsible for payroll, budget management, and all fiscal operations of the Court.

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Case Presenter

Case Presenters provide the most current and complete information to the Judges pertaining to the cases on their sentencing dockets.  The Case Presenters are responsible for various duties, such as:

  • Preparing the dockets with up to date information;
  • Preparing the entries for the Judges once the docket is completed;
  • Updating SETS with the outcome of the sentencing;
  • Assisting and providing information and proper paperwork to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office regarding work detail, weekend imposition, and body attachments;
  • Handling all incoming calls and walk-ins pertaining to support issues, sentencing dockets, and body attachments;
  • Determining if warrants can be withdrawn due to compliance with Court orders; and
  • Providing the Docket Office with the arrests made on the Body Attachments so they can be set for a hearing.

Please click here for Case Presenter Staff

 

Courtroom Staff

The Court staff consists of a Judicial Staff Attorney or Judicial Law Clerk and a Case Manager. Each performs a valuable service to the Judge and their courtroom activities. The Judicial Staff Attorney or Judicial Law Clerk and the Case Manager act as a liaison between between the Judge and attorneys, as well as, third parties. You CANNOT communicate directly with the Judge. Please see, "Why can't I talk to the Judge (PDF)?"    

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Decree Office

The Decree Office possesses the knowledge and skills to correctly review and process Decrees, Shared Parenting Plans, and Dismissals.

Decree

A Decree, or final judgment, reflects the order of the Court that the marriage is legally over. The Decree enforces and makes legal the terms agreed upon by the parties involved.

  1. A divorce is the legal separation and termination of the marital relationship. Divorces will be granted by the court based upon findings that grounds for divorce exist.
  2. Dissolution of marriages is a no-fault termination of the marriage relationship whereby both parties agree to all of the terms involved.
  3. An annulment is a determination that the marriage is legally invalid because of some defect that existed at the onset of the marriage. An annulment decree states that a marital status never existed.

 

Shared Parenting Plans

If children are involved, a Shared Parenting Plan may accompany the Decree. This plan outlines the arrangement made between the parties for custody of the children. It may detail restrictions placed upon one or both parents, child support, and visitation scheduling.

The Decree Office also helps in assisting and explaining to Pro Se litigants the correct court procedural process. Dismissals are also handled by the Decree Office.

Please click here for Decree Office Staff

 

Docket Office

The Docket Office is charged with the tasks of assisting the Judges and Magistrates with scheduling their dockets.  They also assist attorneys and pro se litigants in the filing of Divorces, Dissolutions, Domestic Violence petitions, and various other pleadings. The Docket Office is responsible for maintaining updated knowledge of court procedures, paperwork, and documentation required for Court filings. 

The Docket Clerks are the first point of contact for attorneys or pro se litigants.  Their primary function is the scheduling and re-scheduling of hearings set before the Judges and Magistrates.  They also answer a variety of questions that attorneys, the public, or court personnel may have regarding procedures and case settings.

Please click here for Docket Office Staff

 

File Room

The File Room maintains records whenever a filing is made in the Court’s Docket Office for a divorce, dissolution, a petition for domestic violence restraining order, an emergency motion, or a variety of other motions. Currently, their exists approximately 150,000 files representing families in the File Room.

The staff prepares dockets for Judges and Magistrates up to two weeks in advance.  They must keep track of and be able to locate upwards of 500 files that could be checked out at any given time. 

Only litigants and attorneys for the case may be given access to the file.  All others are referred to the Clerk of Courts to obtain copies from the official file.  The File Room also maintains the supply of legal documents needed throughout the Court.

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Information Technology

The Information Technology Department is responsible for the implementation and maintenance of all computer related technology for the Court. The IT Department's functions include planning, programming, implementation, training, documentation and the ongoing technical support for all hardware and software needs of the Court. Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations utilizes both in-house and contracted professionals in order to provide the services needed to keep the Court running as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Please click here for Information Technology Staff

 

Dispute Resolution Department

Established in September 2015, the Dispute Resolution Department (DRD) provides child-focused dispute  resolution processes and parenting services to families with pre- and post-decree matters. Parents may utilize parenting and financial mediation, parenting and financial neutral evaluation, parenting coordination and education. The Department also has trained Social Workers and Counselors who conduct court-ordered custody evaluations to provide the Court with recommendations regarding custody and parenting matters. 

Please click here for Dispute Resolution Staff