Child support is a necessity, and both parents are required to make monetary provisions for their children. Child support is a legal issue in Ohio, and it is imperative that you are informed and precise when outlining your child’s requirements for support. Being informed necessitates seeking out legal guidance, and you can easily find quality free legal advice for child support in Ohio.

Whether you are the parent responsible for providing support or the parent who is receiving support, it is vital that you fully understand the laws regarding Ohio child support. In many instances, the funds from child support represent the lion share of disposable income for the child in question. Therefore, that child’s life is significantly impacted by the availability of that payment.

As a woman, you must first prove the paternity of your child’s father in order to begin receiving your child support payments. Establishing paternity involves genetic testing and proof of the results. After genetic testing has been completed, you will need to make contact with the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE).  At which point, you can obtain a caseworker with whom you can set up an appointment to discuss your specific situation.

During your appointment at the OCSE, you will need to bring several specific pieces of paperwork with you. Whether you are going to the OCSE for the first time or to request a change, you should be sure to bring a valid photo ID. Additionally, proof of address is required, for which you could use a rent receipt, a mortgage statement, or a utility bill. The birth certificate of the child for whom you are seeking child support is also required, as is your wage information, which can be verified with a recent pay stub and/or a W-2 form.  If it is possible, you should bring your proof of paternity and social security cards for both yourself and your children. If the absent parent has made any payments, then you should bring dated history or the arrears statement with you to your appointment. Furthermore, any recent information pertaining to the current location of the absent or unreachable parent is quite helpful to bring as well.

To help you prepare for your meeting with the OCSE representative, go to the Ohio child support website. As youare putting together your paper work, you should include any judicial information that is pertinent to your current support petition. If there are any existing court support orders, including Uniform Support Petitions or a Notice of Determination of Controlling Order, you should bring them with you. Additionally, bring your Divorce Decree, if available, and a description of your real and personal property.

In the event of one parent not wishing to be a part of his or her child’s life, that parent is still obligated to support his or her child financially. Some parents choose to have an oral, or an unwritten, contract regarding the amount of money that each payment will consist of; however, this approach often leads to problems down the line. If a written contract does not exist, the court will need to be involved. Working with an attorney is generally beneficial when dealing with child support concerns so as to make sure that your child support will always be present and timely. In order to obtain an idea of how much child support you are eligible for in Ohio, you may use the Ohio Child Support Calculator. 

Typically, the support will occur on a monthly basis. There are many factors that determine how much support your child will receive, such as the area in which you live and its unique standard of living, as well as the health of your child.

To collect child support in Ohio, you will need an Ohio child support court order, which is a legally binding order issued by a judge. If you don’t have a court order, contact your local OCSE and request one. An attorney may be able to provide you with further assistance in obtaining the court order; however, you also have the option of representing yourself in court. For more information, visit the Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio Judicial System website. Child support delinquencies are at an alarmingly high level in the United States, and they can give way to significant financial difficulties for many single parents.  You should file for child support as soon as you and your partner break off your relationship. Child support judgments are issued as of the date of filing, not as of the birth of the child. They are also not retroactive. If you are not married, file for child support as soon as possible after your child is born.

If a father accepts a child as his own, he is required to pay child support for that child. If a man takes a child into his home and treats him or her as his own, he could be presumed the legal father, meaning that he is responsible for providing child support. Also, non-custodial parents (parents who do not have custody of their children after a divorce or separation) are obligated to pay support even if they are barred from visiting their children.