What if I am not receiving support?
If you are not receiving support, please contact the agency by phone, in writing or through the Child Support Web Portal. If we do not hear from you, we cannot assume that collection or enforcement is required.
The following information may be requested if you are requesting enforcement. Your assistance can greatly enhance and even guide our actions.
When can an order be enforced?
Pursuant to OHIO law and regulations enacted by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), a CSEA can take action to enforce a support order when a case is in default.
To be in “default”, an obligor, or person paying support, must have an arrearage greater than or equal to one month’s support obligation. Ohio support orders are, by law, administered on a monthly basis.
What happens if the obligor misses a payment?
Pursuant to regulations issued by the State of Ohio, the CSEA takes action to enforce a support payment when the payment is one month or more in default. The CSEA will investigate to determine why support is not being paid (illness, loss of employment, change in employment, etc.) The CSEA will work with all parties concerned to resume payments as soon as possible.
How are child support arrears collected?
When a case falls into default, a Notice of Default issues ordering that an additional amount of support be deducted from the obligor’s wages. This is automatically set at 20% of the current child support order. Arrears may also be collected through the interception of lump sums, federal and state income tax refunds, bonuses, lottery winnings, etc.
The obligor is not currently working and is collecting unemployment compensation. Can child support payments be withheld and sent to me?
Yes, unemployment compensation can be withheld for child support.
Can the Agency collect support arrears after a child emancipates?
Yes, if there is an order to collect on arrears, the Agency will continue to enforce the order.
We have been unable to locate the obligor. What information will the CSEA need to find him or her?
The most helpful information is the obligor’s social security number and current employer's name and address. Other information that can assist in location include the names, addresses and phone numbers of any relatives, friends, or past employers who might know where the obligor works or lives. Unions, local clubs or organizations, including professional organizations, might also have information. Finally, information about local creditors, such as banks or utility companies, might yield an address.
The non-residential parent lives in another State, and my Case Manager sent a petition to establish/enforce my support order there. How long will it take to receive support payments?
This varies, depending on what action is necessary. If an interstate request is made to another State for enforcement of an order, it may take several months or years to get the case into court. If legal action is required, the Agency will closely monitor the status of the request.