Ohio Child Support Lawyers

The Ohio government website shares that the Ohio child support program serves the families of Ohio. The application is free, and child support services are available at no additional charge from your local county Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Services are not based on your income, and anyone residing in Ohio with a child may apply. Your local CSEA provides these services:

• Open a Child Support Case;
• Establish Legal Parentage or Paternity;
• Establish a Child and Medical Support Order;
• Provide Options to Pay or Receive Support;
• Enforce the Support Order; and
• Modify or End a Support Order.

A child support case may be opened when the CSEA receives the following:

• An application for child support services from either parent or caretaker ;
• A child support order from a court;
• A request for child support services from another state or country; and
• A referral from the Office of Family Assistance or Protective Services.

Moreover, paternity translates to legal fatherhood. Paternity establishment is how a biological father becomes the legal father of their child if the parents are not married. If you are not married when your child is born, your child does not have a legal father. Paternity must be established before the father’s name can appear on the birth certificate. Paternity needs to be established before an order for child support can be created.

Furthermore, paternity can be established any time before the child reaches 23 years of age. Paternity can be determined even if the other parent resides in another state or a foreign country. The Central Paternity Registry maintains a record of paternity establishments for children born out of wedlock in Ohio. The Medical Support Order is the process of creating a legal order which addresses the financial and medical needs of the child(ren). This generally results in a monthly support amount paid through the CSEA.

Contact a lawyer if you have questions about any of these requirements.

What Else Do I Need to Know About Applying?

The support order will identify how the medical needs of the child(ren) will be addressed and will direct one or more parties to maintain medical coverage for the child(ren) when available at a reasonable cost. The CSEA or court will utilize the Ohio Child Support Guidelines to determine the amount of monthly support. The child support guidelines calculator is a great tool to estimate the amount that may be included in your support order and can be located at the Ohio Child Support Calculator.

Moreover, Ohio Child Support Lawyers are part of these programs and can help with individual cases. Therefore, if there are further inquiries into how child support operates or to keep up with payments, reaching out to the local Ohio county child support services will be useful. All child support payments in each state must be paid through one centralized location. In Ohio, this is referred to as Child Support Payment Central (CSPC) and is responsible for collecting and disbursement of all Ohio child support payments.

If you are receiving support in Ohio, payments must be sent to you electronically. This provides a faster, simpler, safer way to receive support payments. You can visit oh.smartchildsupport.com and choose your preferred method, including either:

• Direct deposit;
• Debit card; and
• A helpful video on options for receiving your support can be found at Receiving Child Support in Ohio.

How Does Enforcement Work?

Once the order is final, the CSEA will start enforcing the order. This includes sending an income withholding notice to the employer (or another payor) of the person responsible for paying support. Income withholding ensures that payments are made and distributed promptly while reducing the potential for past-due balances to pile up. Additionally, income withholding is required by state law. Keep in mind that It is the responsibility of the CSEA administering the order to monitor payment of the obligation.

If payment of the current obligation falls behind, there are a variety of measures to collect past-due support that consists of the following:

• Increase in the income withholding amount to pay off past-due support4
• Credit reporting;
• State and federal tax offset;
• Drivers and or professional license suspension;
• Interception of Ohio lottery, casino, or casino winnings;
• Liens;
• Seizure of funds in financial institutions;
• Interception of lump sums or other payouts;
• Civil contempt;
• Criminal penalties for non-payment of support; and
• Altering a Support Order.

Moreover, either parent or guardian can request a change in the order, also referred to as a modification or adjustment to the order. Child support orders can be reviewed every 36 months from when the order was established or the date of the last review.

Some orders can be reviewed sooner than the required time frame if certain conditions are met. A convenient way to request a review of your order and submit documentation is to send a message to the Child Support Customer Service Web Portal and select the topic “Modify My Order.”

How to Terminate a Support Order

In Ohio, child support usually ends when the child turns 18 or when they graduate from high school, whichever comes later (not to exceed age 19). But, there are other reasons an order may end before this. Please contact your Child Support Agency as soon as possible to ensure your order terminates promptly. The CSEA will then review the case to determine if the child support order should end and will issue a recommendation to end the order.

A convenient way to report the date and submit documentation for your child’s high school graduation is to send a message to the Child Support Customer Service Web Portal. In the Message Center, select the topic “Termination of Support.” The CSEA will initiate an investigation to evaluate if the child support order should end.

How Long Can I Collect Child Support Payments?

According to Ohio County Government Services, the Ohio state law usually provides that child support continues until a child reaches the age of 18 and continues beyond age 18 so long as the child is attending an accredited high school on a full-time basis. Child support ends when a child reaches the age of 19, regardless of school enrollment, unless otherwise stated in the original order. Usually, the earliest date for termination of a support order is the month and year in which a child reaches the age of majority.

Furthermore, an administrative hearing will be scheduled at the agency to establish a child support order and a medical support order. Parties must provide proof of their income year-to-date-copies of their tax returns for the last three years, proof of expenses for daycare and health insurance premiums, and copies of birth certificates or child support orders for other biological children. This information is required to calculate the amount of child support to be ordered while abiding by the Ohio local laws.

When Do I Need to Contact A Lawyer?

If you reside in Ohio, do not hesitate to contact your local Ohio child support attorney if you have any child support issues. Child support lawyers in Ohio can assist you with your case as needed. Issues can arise during the time frame of the case. Therefore, reaching out to a lawyer is useful for receiving guidance on your situation.