 |
The
Child Support/Support Order Process
The
first step to establishing child support is completing
an application. However, clients who receive cash assistance
through the Lawrence County Job & Family Services do
not need to apply. You may obtain a Child
Support application online or by calling the Child
Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) at (740) 533-4338,
or by coming into the agency. To help prevent delays,
please fill in all sections that apply then sign and
date the signature lines.
The
child support process is initiated in the following
ways:
State-Mandated Cases The CSEA receives a referral
from the Department of Job and Family Services when
a client receives cash assistance.
Court Orders In these instances a court may order
the CSEA to conduct genetic testing to determine paternity,
establish a child support order or collect payments
ordered by the court.
Foster Care Cases The CSEA receives referrals
and support orders as a result of a child being placed
in a foster care home.
Child
support orders are established in one of two ways:
Administrative: The CSEA hearing officer conducts
a hearing at the CSEA office. Both parents must be present.
For this hearing you must provide the most recent three
years tax information, six to eight current pay stubs,
health insurance costs, written statement signed by
provider of service of child care costs, proof of mandatory
expenses related to job performance (tools, uniforms,
union dues, etc.), and documentation of other biological
children in the household. Custody and visitation issues
cannot be addressed or determined by the CSEAonly by
a court.
Court: If child support is not established through
the administrative process, a court date will be set
to determine support.
Recipient Responsibilites
To
help ensure successful administration and enforcement
of child support cases, the Child Support Enforcement
Agency (CSEA) asks obligees (persons receiving child
support) to do the following:
Inform the CSEA of any changes in address, phone number,
employment status, etc. for the obligee or obligor
(person paying
support)
Inform the CSEA of any of the following reasons why
an order
should terminate, including but not limited to:
emancipation of the
child, death of any party, permanent disability
of the obligor,
change of legal custody, or child receiving Social
Security
benefits or veterans benefits due to the obligor's
disability.
Enroll the supported child in a health insurance plan
if ordered
by the court to provide medical coverage. Also,
provide
insurance information to the CSEA.
Report to the CSEA any problems or issues in receiving
child
support or medical coverage and any other issues
that arise in
the support case.
Administrative
Review and Modification of Orders
Either
party to a child support case can request a review of
their child support and/or medical support order. The
requesting party must complete a Request for an Administrative
Review of the Support Order.
Circumstances
that make a case eligible for review:
It has been 3 years or 36 months since the date of the
most
recent support order
If it has not been 3 years, certain circumstances
may allow
a review.
Read
more about Administrative Review and Modification
of Orders.
Interstate
Orders
In
some child support cases, the parent ordered to pay
support lives in one state while the custodial parent
and child live in another. In these cases, the Lawrence
County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) works
with another state's child support agency to establish,
enforce or modify a child support order. Such interstate
actions operate under the authority of the Uniform Interstate
Family Support Act (UIFSA).
Federal
law mandates all states to adopt uniform rules. Child
support agencies across the nation use a structured
set of rules to determine which state in a particular
case has jurisdiction.
For
specific information, please contact your local county
CSEA or the state or county that issued your support
order. For information pertaining to each state's child
support system, visit the website of the Federal
Office of Child Support Enforcement.
Child
Support Terms
Need
more help understanding Child Support terminology? Click
here to download an information sheet that will
help define many terms.
|
|
Make
a Child Support Payment Online
Make
online child support payments:
Using a bank account through Expert
Pay
* Using a credit card through e-childsPay.com
With Ohio
e-QuickPay Debit MasterCard Card
To
check the status of your payment to be received: All
payments are processed through Child Support Payment
Central, even those paid directly to the local CSEA.
For payment information contact the Child Support Payment
Central at (888) 965-2676. Or online at the Child
Support Web Portal. From this website you can set
up an account and access payment information, print
payment histories and much, much more.
Payer
Responsibilities
To
help ensure successful administration and enforcement
of child support cases, the Child Support Enforcement
Administration (CSEA) asks obligors (persons paying
child support) in addition to making timely child support
payments, to do the following:
Inform the Child Support Enforcement Administration
(CSEA)
of any changes in address, phone number, employment
status,
etc. for the obligor or obligee (person receiving
support)
Pay child support through the CSEAnot directly to
the
obligee. Direct payments to the obligee are considered
a gift
and cannot be credited by the CSEA toward the
obligor's
obligation.
Inform the CSEA of any of the following reasons why
an order
should terminate, including but not limited to:
emancipation of
the child, death of any party, permanent disability
of the obligor,
change of legal custody, or child receiving Social
Security
benefits or veterans benefits due to the obligor's
disability.
Enroll the supported child in a health insurance plan
if ordered
by
the court to provide medical coverage. Also, the obligor
must
provide insurance information to the CSEA. Report
to the
CSEA any problems or issues that arise in the
support case.
Terminating
Orders
Child
support orders can be terminated for a variety of reasons:
The child reaches the age of 18 and no longer attends
an
accredited high school full time
The child attends an accredited high school but has
reached
the age of 19
The child marries
The child dies
The child enlists in the armed services
The child is deported
Legal custody of the child changes
The
procedures for terminating a child support order are
as follows:
The Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) receives
notice from an obligor, obligee or agency of
a possible reason
or reasons for termination.
Within 20 days of receiving notice, the CSEA completes
an
investigation. The CSEA files findings of the
termination
investigation with the court. The CSEA also may
file an order to
hold funds pending resolution of the case. The
obligor and
obligee receive copies of the findings and their
hearing rights.
Objections to the findings must be received by the
CSEA within
30 days to request an administrative termination
hearing.
Notice of an administrative hearing is sent to the
parties.
After the hearing, results are sent to the parties,
who have 33
days to object and file a court motion.
The final termination order is filed with the court.
The CSEA notifies the obligor's employer of amended
or
terminated withholding.
|
|
