How child support is determined in Ohio

On Behalf of | Dec 12, 2019 | child support |

Two questions that many parents ask before and during the divorce process are:

How much will I have to pay in support?

Or

How much will I receive in child support?

State law in Ohio uses multiple factors when calculating child support. The factors include:

  • Number of children
  • Income of each parent
  • Which parent pays for the children’s health insurance
  • Which parent the children live with (custodial/residential parent)
  • Number of nights per year the children stay with the non-custodial parent

The calculation also takes into account child care expenses.

New Ohio child support laws

In early 2019, new Ohio child support laws went into effect. With the new law:

  • The parent who pays for a child’s health insurance can deduct the amount from their income calculation.
  • Economic data was updated to reflect the current times.
  • The new child support payment table allows for variations in child support payments for incomes up to $300,000. The previous high end was $150,000.

Under the old law, child support orders sometimes exceeded low-income parents’ ability to pay. The new law established a “self-sufficiency” reserve that gives low-income parents the means to support themselves. The reserve is 116 percent of the federal poverty level.

Prior to the new law, child support calculations sometimes resulted in orders that exceeded a parent’s ability to pay. Often, the result was those parents stopped paying child support altogether. With the new law, it’s hoped that more child support will be given to children.

The law changes apply to new cases. Child support is subject to review every three years; the new method for calculating support will be used in those reviews.

Do you have questions?

If you have questions about how child support is determined, contact an experienced attorney.