Child support in the state of Ohio is regulated by Ohio Revised Code Title 31. These Ohio statutes govern the establishment and computation of an initial child support obligation. The law sets forth the manner in which a child support order is enforced in the state. Additionally, these statutory provisions determine when a child support obligation terminates.
Child Support Calculation
The statutes of the state of Ohio establish both guidelines and a schedule to calculate a parent's child support obligation. Calculating child support in Ohio begins with a determination of the gross income of both parents. Certain deductions, as outlined in the guidelines, reduce the combined income of the parents to a net figure. The net figure is used on the child support schedule to determine the base child support obligation of the non-custodial parent.
An additional amount can be added to the base child support obligation to extraordinary expenses associated with the child. These expenses include health care, education or child care.
Enforcement
If the parent with the child support obligation fails to make appropriate payments, the custodial parent can seek enforcement through a court order. Enforcement of the child support obligation commences with the filing of a motion with the court that ordered child support in the first instance.
Enforcement orders from the court can include everything from adding an additional amount on the non-custodial parent's recurring obligation to pay off past due support to a contempt citation to a jail sentence.
Alter Child Support
Ohio law permits the alteration of a child support obligation in certain circumstances. To amend a child support order, the proposed base child support obligation must deviate from the current amount ordered by the court by at least 10 percent, up or down. Child support is altered or amended through filing a motion with the court that issued the original child support order.
Termination of Obligation
According to Ohio law, a child support obligation terminates when a child reaches the age of 18. If the child does not graduate from high school by the age of 18, the child support obligation continues until that child reaches the age of 19 or graduation, whichever occurs first. The child support obligation ends if the child becomes legally emancipated by order of the court before the age of 18.
