If your child support case began a while ago, then the chances are good you may have moved since then to a new county. Each of Ohio’s 88 counties handles its own child support cases, and there are often differences between them. Furthermore, if you live a long way away from the court, it can make attending hearings difficult.
If you want to see about moving your case to a new county because you and the other parent do not live in that county anymore, then you may be able to do that. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services explains that you may be able to move the case to the county in which the children live.
Retention of jurisdiction
In general, the Child Support Enforcement Agency in the county in which you had your original child support case will maintain jurisdiction over your child support case for the duration of the time you owe child support. The CSEA can voluntarily give up its jurisdiction and transfer the case to another county, but this is not a common action.
Court transfer
If the court that heard your case transfers the case to a new county, then the new county’s CSEA will now have jurisdiction over your child support. However, the new county must accept the jurisdiction. In some cases, if the new county has an overloaded system, it will not accept the case, so the old county will retain the jurisdiction.
Determination of jurisdiction
In most cases, you have little control over the transfer of your case to a new county. It is a decision largely up to the CSEAs in the original county and the county where you wish to move your case. Due to the system often having more cases than workers can manage, it is not common for cases to move from one county to another county despite where you, the children, and the other parent live.
Free 30-minute Consultation
To discuss your child support needs with a family law attorney, call our Milford law firm at 513-716-5940. You can also send us an inquiry through our firm’s online contact form.
