Getting child support payments is not always an easy task. Luckily, Ohio is doing a pretty good job of it. According a recent report, when compared to other large states in the country Ohio ranked third in the nation for collection rates.
How does the child support collection process work?
Every state has its own methods for processing child support payments. In Ohio, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Office of Child Support collects these payments. This agency is also in charge of distributing the payments to the intended beneficiaries, establishing paternity, and enforcing orders. The group helps children receive their support payment with various methods, including income withholding. This essentially involves removing the payment directly from the paying parent’s earnings, pension, annuity, retirement benefits, disability pay, lottery prize award, or other form of income.
The process is implemented on a more local level by county child support agencies. There are almost 100 of these throughout the state.
Is this system effective?
As noted above, the state has reported success with their collection, processing, and distribution efforts. They are also fairly innovative, recently releasing a mobile app that allows families to review their child support case information at their convenience.
Parents can take steps to help better ensure the child support agreement is tailored to their unique, individual needs by negotiating wisely during the divorce or modification process. It is important to keep in mind a range of potential expenses when navigating these conversations, including possible medical as well as educational needs like the cost of private elementary school and college tuition.