Child Support Law in Ohio

Ohio uses an income-shares model set out in Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3119. Both parents' gross incomes are added together and checked against the state's basic child support schedule to find the combined support obligation. That total is then split between the parents in proportion to each parent's share of combined income. Adjustments can be made for work-related child care costs, health insurance premiums for the child, and certain other factors.

Yes, but legal parentage must be established first. If both parents agree, they can sign a voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3111. If there is a dispute, either parent—or the county Child Support Enforcement Agency—can ask a court to order genetic testing. Once parentage is legally established, a support order can be entered.

Under Ohio Revised Code § 3119.86, a child support order generally ends on the child's 18th birthday. It can continue until age 19 if the child is still enrolled full-time in an accredited high school. Support may continue beyond that only if the child has a mental or physical disability that prevents self-support, or if the parents expressly agreed to a longer period in a divorce or dissolution decree.

You can file a motion in court under Ohio Revised Code § 3119.79 or ask the county Child Support Enforcement Agency to conduct an administrative review under Ohio Revised Code § 3119.60. Ohio treats a recalculated amount that is more than 10 percent higher or lower than the current order as a substantial change of circumstances warranting modification. The existing order stays in force—and unpaid amounts continue to accumulate—until a court formally issues a new order, so acting promptly matters.

The county Child Support Enforcement Agency can take enforcement steps without the receiving parent hiring a lawyer. Tools include intercepting state and federal tax refunds, suspending driver's and professional licenses, reporting the debt to credit bureaus, and asking a court to hold the nonpaying parent in contempt. The Ohio child support customer service portal at childsupport.ohio.gov lets families track payments and report enforcement issues.

Yes. Ohio Revised Code § 3119.06 requires courts and agencies to enter at least the statutory minimum support order even when a parent has little or no income. The specific minimum dollar amount is set in rules adopted under Ohio Revised Code § 3119.022 and is updated periodically by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

No. Under Ohio law the right to child support belongs to the child, not the parents. A private agreement that attempts to waive or reduce support below the guideline amount is not enforceable as a court order. Only a court can formally modify or terminate a child support obligation, and the child's interest must be considered in any modification.