Cost of Delay Modeler Guide for Ohio

What this calculator does

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Cost Of Delay calculator.

DocketMath’s Cost of Delay Modeler (Ohio) helps you translate “time” into a decision-ready cost estimate by modeling how incremental delay affects the value of money (or business outcomes) over a defined retained period.

In practical terms, it:

• Converts your assumed start date, end date, and baseline/retained horizon into an elapsed time calculation.
• Applies Ohio’s general statute of limitations (SOL) period as a default modeling horizon of 0.5 years.
• Produces outputs you can use in negotiations, internal business cases, and timeline reviews—such as estimated “cost of delay” under different assumptions.

Ohio SOL basis used in this model

This guide uses the general/default SOL period for Ohio—not a claim-type-specific sub-rule.

• General SOL Period (default): 0.5 years
• Statute: Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.13
• Source: https://codes.ohio.gov/assets/laws/revised-code/authenticated/29/2901.13/7-16-2015/2901.13-7-16-2015.pdf

What “cost of delay” typically means in this tool

Cost of delay models the impact of delayed resolution as a function of:

• Time delayed (how long the period runs)
• Value per unit time (money cost, damages exposure, opportunity cost, or another measurable metric)
• Discounting / time value of money (often implemented as an annual rate)

The calculator is built so you can adjust those levers and see how the result changes.

When to use it

Use DocketMath’s Cost of Delay Modeler (Ohio) when you need a transparent, repeatable way to explain why timing matters—especially if you’re working on a timeline-driven decision.

Good fit scenarios include:

• Case inventory planning: prioritizing matters based on expected time-to-resolution impact.
• Settlement timing discussions: comparing options like earlier resolution vs. waiting for later milestones.
• Internal governance: providing a consistent method for evaluating “delay risk” across matters.
• Budgeting: estimating how continued delay affects ongoing costs or expected outcomes.
• Portfolio strategy: evaluating multiple matters with the same modeling assumptions for comparability.

When the default Ohio SOL horizon may or may not be enough

Because this guide uses only the general/default SOL period (0.5 years), you should consider whether your matter’s true applicable timeline differs.

Use the default when your goal is to establish a baseline planning horizon aligned to Ohio’s general SOL framework described in Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.13.

Switch away from the default when:

• Your matter’s legal theory relies on a different, claim-specific SOL rule (the tool’s default does not incorporate those special rules).
• Your decision is driven by contractual deadlines, administrative timelines, or enforcement processes that don’t track the general SOL horizon.
• You are modeling a business decision not tied to SOL at all (in those cases, you may prefer a custom retained period).

Step-by-step example

Below is a concrete walkthrough that shows how inputs affect outputs. For this example, imagine you’re evaluating whether to seek earlier resolution in an Ohio matter.

You’ll interact with the DocketMath tool here: /tools/cost-of-delay.

Example assumptions

• Modeling start date (start): 2026-01-15
• Modeling end date (end): 2026-08-15
• Annual discount/interest rate: 8% (0.08)
• Value per year at risk (or cost rate): $120,000 per year
• Default retained SOL horizon used by the calculator: 0.5 years (from the Ohio general/default framework)

Step 1: Set your dates

1. Enter the start date: 2026-01-15
2. Enter the end date: 2026-08-15

The calculator will compute elapsed time between those dates (you’ll see it reflected as the “delay duration” or equivalent output).

Step 2: Confirm the retained horizon

Because this is the Ohio model guide, the retained horizon is defaulted to 0.5 years based on the general/default SOL period associated with Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.13.

• If the tool allows you to keep the default: leave it as 0.5 years
• If the tool allows you to adjust: you can run additional scenarios (see “Common scenarios” below)

Step 3: Enter the value per unit time

Set the “value per year” (or your chosen metric) to $120,000/year.

Interpretation:

• A higher value per year increases the estimated cost of delay proportionally (subject to discounting).
• A lower value per year reduces the cost estimate.

Step 4: Add discounting assumptions (rate)

Set discounting to 8% annually.

Interpretation:

• Higher discount rate usually reduces the present value of costs occurring later in the timeline, lowering the present-value “cost of delay” compared to a lower discount rate.
• Lower discount rate generally increases the present-value weight of delayed amounts.

Step 5: Run the model and read outputs

You’ll typically see outputs in 2 categories:

• Time-based outputs: delay duration and retained horizon usage
• Cost-based outputs: total estimated cost of delay and present value style outputs (depending on the calculator’s method)

If your computed delay duration is longer than the retained horizon, the tool’s retained-horizon logic will cap or adjust the portion counted (the exact behavior depends on the calculator’s configuration, but your output will clearly reflect the effective modeling window).

Quick sensitivity check (to understand what’s driving results)

After the first run, change only one input:

• Keep dates the same
• Change value per year from $120,000/year to $150,000/year

If the output rises by roughly the same proportion (adjusted for discounting), then you know your estimate is dominated by your cost-rate assumption.

Common scenarios

Use these scenarios to test whether your cost-of-delay conclusion is robust—or whether it flips when assumptions change.

Scenario A: Earlier end date (resolution accelerates)

Change: End date moves closer to start.
Expected effect: lower delay duration → lower cost of delay.

Suggested test:

• Run with end date = 2026-06-15
• Then rerun with end date = 2026-08-15
• Compare the totals

Scenario B: Higher cost rate (stakes are larger)

Change: Value per year increases from $120,000/year to $250,000/year.
Expected effect: total cost rises materially.

Checklist for this run:

• Keep dates fixed
• Keep discount rate fixed
• Only change value per unit time

This isolates whether your model is cost-rate sensitive.

Scenario C: Higher discount rate (more “time value” effect)

Change: discount/interest rate from 4% to 12%.
Expected effect: present-value cost decreases as the model discounts later impacts more heavily.

Interpretation tip:

• If output changes sharply when you vary the discount rate, your model’s conclusion is sensitive to time-value assumptions.

Scenario D: Retained horizon override (testing default vs custom horizon)

Change: Use the default retained horizon (0.5 years) vs. a custom retained horizon (e.g., 1.0 years) if the tool permits it.

Why this matters:

• The Ohio guide uses only the general/default SOL period from Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.13.
• Many real-world decisions revolve around a timeframe that may not match that general baseline.

Run this as a “what if”:

• Model 0.5-year retained horizon
• Model 1.0-year retained horizon
• Observe how much of your estimated cost comes from the extra horizon time

Scenario E: Multiple resolution windows (portfolio view)

If you’re evaluating several matters, run the same assumptions across cases with different end dates. You’ll be able to rank:

• which matters have the largest modeled cost of delay, and
• which timing improvements are most valuable.

Tips for accuracy

To keep the DocketMath output credible and reusable, focus on inputs that drive the result.

1) Use consistent date conventions

Pick a single approach for dates and stick with it:

• Use actual calendar dates (YYYY-MM-DD)
• Avoid rounding to “about” months unless your business logic also uses rounded months

Even a few weeks can matter if you’re comparing scenarios close together.

2) Confirm you’re using the Ohio general/default SOL horizon

This guide’s Ohio basis is:

• General SOL period: 0.5 years
• Statute: Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.13
• Default modeling horizon: general/default only (no claim-type-specific sub-rule found in this brief)

If your purpose is purely operational (timeline planning) this may be fine. If your purpose is legal-timeline dependent, you may need a different horizon than the

Related reading

• Cost of Delay Modeler Guide for Alabama
• Cost of Delay Modeler Guide for Arizona
• Cost of Delay Modeler Guide for Colorado