Child Support (CSEA) Home

Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA)

The purpose of the child support program is to provide children with the opportunity for a better life. Working with both parents to establish and enforce support orders is essential in helping children receive the financial and medical support they deserve. The program also strives to benefit taxpayers by defraying the cost of public assistance by helping families become and remain self-sufficient.

Ashtabula County CSEA administers nearly 8144 active support cases for over 9706 children. Of these support cases, approximately 88% are non-public assistance cases, and 12% are public assistance cases. Currently 66% of child support obligors make regular payments to support their children. The agency collects approximately $15 million annually, utilizing several enforcement methods, including income withholding, interception of federal and state tax returns, suspension of professional and driver's licenses, liens on property, and seizure of bank and financial accounts.

Next to public education, no other social service program nationally, statewide, or locally, affects more children than the child support enforcement program.

The CSEA also offers many services including: Genetic testing, administrative establishment of paternity, establishment of and enforcement of medical and child support orders, review, and modification of support orders, and locating of non-residential parents. The agency routinely works with the Sheriff's Office, the Prosecutor's Office, Domestic Relations, and Juvenile Courts to enforce support orders.

Establishing Paternity

All unmarried parents should think about establishing paternity — because all kids deserve the benefits that legally recognized fatherhood can provide. Find out what COVID restrictions are in place where the baby will be delivered. For more information, visit oh-paternity.com or call (888) 810-6446. #whatyouneedtoknow

Ohio's FREE and EASY options for parents to pay their child support.

Easy Child Support Payment Options Video - Youtube: https://youtu.be/0ev89apTpYI

Child Support Customer Service Web Portal

This is an interactive web portal that provides child support customers a secure environment in which they can view their child support case information. Once registered, Obligors and Obligees can view and print up to two years of child support payment data as well as view address, employment, health insurance and support order information on file with the child support enforcement agency.

To register, Obligors and Obligees will need their 10-digit SETS case number, social security number, and personal email address. In addition, Obligees will need either the last 4 digits of their direct deposit account or, if they have an Ohio smiONE Card, they will need to call Customer Service at 1-855-279-2744 to find out the last 4 digits of their account number.

Upon successful completion of the registration process, the User ID and Password allows the child support customer to access their case information through the Child Support Customer Service Portal. The portal is available twenty-three (23) hours a day, seven (7) days a week.

Making Child Support Payments

Payments can be made with check, or money order at the ACJFS lobby, Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm.

**Now accepting CREDIT CARD payments for child support obligations by phone at 1-888-965-2676 (option 5) or online at https://oh.smartchildsupport.com.**

Payments made online at https://oh.smartchildsupport.com accept direct debit, American Express, China UnionPay, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, Alipay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and WeChat Pay.

Payments can be made on the Ohio Child Support Mobile Application (Available on the App Store and Google Play.)

Payments by check or money order (made out to Ohio CSPC) can be mailed to:

Ohio CSPC

P.O. Box 182372

Columbus, OH 43218-2394

***To ensure prompt and accurate posting to your child support case, please be sure to include the following with your payment:

Your Name,
Your Social Security Number (optional),
SETS Case Number(s) (10-digit number that begins with a 7),
Court Order Number, and
Amount that should be applied to each case if you have more than one case.

Establishing Paternity

Child Support Payments

CSEA Terms & Definitions

Terms and Definitions:

ADMINISTRATIVE FEES – Service fee set by state law to cover the cost of posting and disbursing payments, updating, and maintaining the case.
ARREARS - past due, unpaid child and/or spousal support owed by the obligor
AUDIT - A computation of the actual balance of your support order. This is done by determining what should have been paid on all child support orders, and then comparing that with what was paid by the obligor according to the records of the CSEA.
CALL CENTER - The CSEA Call Center handles all incoming calls to the agency. Menu options allow you to speak to an investigator who can answer your questions and complete actions on your case resulting from your call. All calls are generally answered within 8 minutes.
CASH MEDICAL ORDER - an amount of child support the obligor must pay in addition to the “regular” child support order. Cash medical orders must be established on all cases established after July 21, 2008. These orders go into effect any time the child(ren) is/are not covered by private primary care insurance. “Medicaid”, “Healthy Start”, etc. are not considered primary care insurance.
CARETAKER - A person other than the biological parents who has assumed legal custody of the children through the court system.
CURRENT CHILD SUPPORT - The amount of money ordered by the Court or administrative process owed by the obligor for the support of the child(ren). This is a monthly obligation.
CSEA - Child Support Enforcement Agency ACCSEA is the Ashtabula County Child Support Enforcement Agency.
CUSTODY ORDER - A court issued legally binding document that establishes with whom the child(ren) will reside. It can only be changed through a private petition of the Court.
DEFAULT - When a child support and/or spousal support obligation has fallen begin in the payment schedule equal to one month’s total support obligation.
EMANCIPATION - Termination of the current support order, usually due to the child reaching age of majority (18 years old) and graduating from high school, or the child is 19 years old, whichever is later. A child may also be emancipated due to marriage, entering the military, or by court order.
INCOME WITHHOLDING - A garnishment order sent by the CSEA to an income source of an obligor (See Income Withholding Information sheet)
INVESTIGATOR - Case Managers in every area of Child Support. Your case is assigned to an enforcement investigator for case maintenance, but you may need to speak to an investigator in another area of the agency to address your specific need.
OBLIGEE - Any person to whom child support and/or spousal support is owed. Also known as the Payee, Residential Parent or Custodial Parent
OBLIGOR - Any person ordered to pay child support and/or spousal support. Also known as the Payor, Non- Residential Parent or Non-Custodial Parent
PATERNITY - Legal determination of fatherhood. May be done through genetic testing, voluntary acknowledgement, or through the courts. Paternity must be established before child support or medical support can be ordered.
SETS - Support Enforcement Tracking System. Every case is assigned a case number in the state of Ohio SETS computer system that begins with a ‘70’ . Use this number when inquiring about your case.
TOTAL SUPPORT OBLIGATION - Total of the monthly child support and/or spousal obligations, including payment on arrears and processing fees.

Customer Service Information

Document Drop Off

The ACJFS main lobby is currently open. Any document needing to be dropped off for CSEA may be put into the drop box located right inside the ACJFS main lobby door, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm.

Online Case Access

Recipients of CSEA services can access their cases and payment history online! Click here for the Child Support Customer Service Web Portal.

You now have online access to all your child support cases, including:

General case information
Option to make online payments on support cases
Payment history
Ability to report changes in residence, employment, and more

Click here for the Portal's User Guide

Ashtabula County CSEA Call Center

Phone: (440) 994-1212
Fax: (440) 998-1538
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm

Customer Service Specialists on the Ashtabula County CSEA Call Center can assist with the following:

Lost or stolen payment inquiries
General payment information
General case information for established orders
Information on establishment and paternity
Modification information
General information for employers and attorneys

Employers

For the Employer Resources Overview, please click here

You can view the video below to learn more about the options available for Employer direct child support payment options. Please view the Employer Resources Overview by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Service for all of the details available for employers.

Establishment

The primary responsibility of this unit is to establish paternity and to obtain an order for child support and/or health insurance for children who are not receiving the financial support of one or both parents. The unit also must determine eligibility for Federal Title IV-D services and waive support to State Department of Job and Family Services when children are in receipt of TANF assistance.

A man is a "putative" father of a child unless he was married to the mother, signed a birth certificate prior to January 1, 1998, filed an acknowledgment in Ohio's Central Paternity Registry, or has had paternity established in an administrative hearing or by a court. Before a support order can be obtained, paternity must be established by one of the methods described above. The unit is also responsible for scheduling genetic testing as needed, scheduling administrative paternity and support hearings and mistake of fact hearings, locating the absent parent, and gathering sufficient evidence to proceed with a paternity and support action.

Enforcement

Support Enforrcement Tracking System (SETS)

Ashtabula County and other Ohio counties are part of a statewide computer system known as the Support Enforcement Tracking System (SETS). Benefits of the new system include automated case management, non-custodial parents’ location and tracking, statewide information sharing, and up to date network hardware. Centralized collection, whereby all support payments are remitted to and distributed by an agent of the state was implemented in 2000 although Ashtabula County does continue to accept some payments at the CSEA.

The State of Ohio continues to make changes and enhancements to SETS to comply with Federal requirements. Many changes have been made to improve the interface between the public assistance computer system and SETS to ensure that public assistance case referrals are processed, and orders are established and enforced so that expenditures for cash and medical assistance are reimbursed by child support obligors.

The trend to use administrative enforcement tools in place of judicial actions relative to child support orders continues.

Administrative enforcement remedies allowable by law include:

SETS automated reporting to Credit Bureau Agencies when arrears exceed two months of obligation
Withholding of additional 20% of the current support obligation when an income withholding order is in place
Driver’s Professional or Recreation License Suspension
Federal and State Tax Refund Intercept
Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM)
Intercepting a lump sum payment (bonus, lump sum vacation payment from an employer, a separation lump sum, etc.)
The CSEA is bound by specific requirements in the law or agency procedure when enforcement actions are taken.

Driver’s License Suspension:

CSEA has the authority to suspend a defaulting obligor’s driver’s license. Prior to this action, the obligor will be sent a notice to their last known address. The obligor who receives such a notice must contact the CSEA immediately to avoid suspension. Various arrangements, including providing a wage withholding source or paying off arrears, may halt the suspension.

The CSEA staff also initiates judicial enforcement actions through the Ashtabula County Prosecutor's Office, whose attorneys review cases for litigation, recommend appropriate legal proceedings, conduct pre-trial negotiation and collection activities, and finalize proceedings and appropriate court orders. The attorneys represent the state of Ohio. Judicial enforcement tools include contempt of a court or administrative order; felony non-support; liens; attachments; and executions.

Default (When your case is in arrears):

An obligor is considered in Default when he/she is behind in payments totaling one month or more of his/her current support obligation. By law, no enforcement actions can be taken before a default notice has been sent to the obligor. (See Terms and Definitions sections – Arrears)

When the obligor owes more than one month’s obligation, a Notice of Default and Potential Action will be automatically generated by SETS. The default notice will be sent to the Obligor warning him/her of possible enforcement remedies that CSEA may take to secure the past due support obligation. When a case goes into Default, this is the beginning of the Enforcement Process.

Income Withholding:

Most child support is collected through Income Withholding (IW). It is important to report to the CSEA whenever new employment begins and ends or when other income benefits start.

If the Obligor is employed, CSEA will issue the IW directly to the employer. The employer will deduct the payments from the Obligor’s wages and send them directly to CSPS (Child Support Payment Central) in Columbus.
CSEA also can issue an IW if the Obligor is receiving benefits from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (OBWC), Ohio Bureau of Employment Services/Unemployment Compensation (OBES) and certain Social Security benefits.
If the Obligor is self-employed, CSEA can have support payments deducted from a bank account (savings or checking)
After payment is received, CSPC can take up to two business days to process it. After processing, funds will be either direct-deposited into a bank account via EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) or onto the Obligee’s Ohio e-Quick Pay Mastercard.
The employer is asked to send payments to OCSPC as often as the Obligor is paid, however, this is not required if the monthly obligation is met.

For example, the Obligor is ordered to pay $200 per month in support including fees. The Obligor is ordered to pay $2,400 ($200 per month x 12 months) in support per year.

An additional 2% fee is added onto the Obligor’s support obligation. When monthly payments are received, after the full monthly obligation is fulfilled, the fee will be paid. Some months these fees will not be paid, depending on the number of payments received in that month.

The word "income" includes, but is not limited to:

Personal Earnings
Workers' Compensation Payments
Unemployment Compensation Benefits
Pensions
Annuities
Allowances
Private or Governmental Retirement Benefits
Disability or Sick Pay
Insurance Proceeds
Lottery Prize Awards
Any Form of Trust Fund or Endowment
Lump-sum Payments
Assets in a Financial Institution
Any Other Payment in Money

Cash Medical Support

What Is Cash Medical Support?

Cash medical support is an amount ordered to be paid in a child support order toward ordinary medical expenses incurred during the calendar year. Every child support order established or modified on or after March 28, 2019, includes a cash medical order as part of the total order.

Who Receives the Cash Medical Support?

The child support obligee will receive the Cash Medical Support unless the child support obligee is receiving Medicaid. Then, the Cash Medical Support is paid to the State of Ohio to defray the cost of Medicaid expenditures.

What If the Ordinary Medical Expenses of The Child(ren) Exceed the Annual Cash Medical Amount?

Once the annual cash medical amount, currently $388.70 per child, is spent on ordinary medical expenses, the remainder of the child(ren)'s medical expenses will be split by the parties according to a percentage determined by the CSEA or court.

What If the Cost of My Health Insurance Has Changed and Is No Longer Considered Reasonable or My Income Has Been Reduced?

When determining reasonableness of insurance, the CSEA is required to consider the cost of the insurance based on the parent's gross income. Once a child support order is set, if the cost of health insurance changes, either party may request a Review & Adjustment of the support order to determine whether the cost is no longer reasonable. If so, the order will be adjusted accordingly.

Determination Of Reasonable Cost for Health Insurance Coverage

The child support obligee is presumed to be responsible to carry insurance. The child support obligor may rebut this presumption if they already have health insurance coverage for the child(ren) that is reasonable in cost, have health insurance coverage in place for the child(ren) that is not reasonable in cost but wish to continue providing coverage, or they have health insurance coverage available at a reasonable cost through an employer or other source. Health insurance is considered in cost if the annual cost does NOT exceed 5% of that reasonable parent's gross income. Health insurance is accessible if primary care services are available within thirty miles of the child's home. Health care coverage includes public health care plans through Ohio Medicaid (including Healthy Start).

My Order Contains a Provision for Cash Medical Support and Child Support.

I Want to Waive Child Support, Can I Also Waive Cash Medical Support? If the child support order is owed to you, you may be able to waive or deviate the child support order, including cash medical support, through the court. If you receive public assistance and/or Medicaid, all or a portion of your child support may be assigned to the State of Ohio and you may not be able to waive or deviate the child support order, including cash medical support.

Important Things to Remember

Cash Medical Support is part of the overall child support obligation and remains at the same amount, regardless of insurance being provided. Cash Medical Support covers the out-of-pocket medical expenses. When the CSEA becomes aware of changes that affect a parent's obligation to provide health insurance, the CSEA will notify both parents. Cash Medical Support may be assigned (paid) to the State of Ohio when the child is receiving Medicaid benefits. When the child is NOT receiving Medicaid benefits, the cash medical support is paid to the family.

Modification

Once every 36 months, or when a substantial change in circumstances has occurred, either party may request a modification of the order. The CSEA Modification unit is responsible for obtaining income and health insurance information from both parties, determining the new order based on state guidelines, offering administrative hearings for those parties who do not agree with the new findings, and submitting the modification recommendation to a court or other authority for adoption of the recommendation in an order. Expedited service to modify an order is given to military personnel who have overseas assignments, both upon leaving and returning. In addition, this unit assists with the modification of orders that may exist outside of Ohio.

The Adjustment and Review (modification) process is the method by which the child support order is reviewed to reflect the current financial situation of both parties. The Adjustment and Review process takes several months to complete, from the initial request to final order. A review does not require the appearance of the parties. It is completed by the Investigator on the review date, and all parties will receive a copy of the modified order.

Reasons to qualify for a Modification Review:

36 months have elapsed since establishment of the order or most recent review
Less than 36 months but a substantial change has occurred. Evidence must be provided for more than 180 days
30% change in gross income of either party for at least 6 months

Possible Results of Modification Review:

Results of a review are submitted by the CSEA to the Court for adoption of the CSEA’s recommendations. The new amount will commence the first day of the month after the modification was scheduled for review. CSEA cannot predict the result of your modification, and parties take the chance of any of these results occurring:

No Change – If the current child support amount and modified amount did NOT change by >10%, order remains the same
Increase in current Child Support
Decrease in current Child Support
Dismissal review if requested information is not returned by the specified date

Interstate cases may have different criteria. Please contact your Investigator and advise that one or both parties reside out of state.

If either party disagrees in the computation of income or other factor used, either party may object to the modification by requesting a Mistake of Fact hearing within fourteen (14) days. A hearing will be scheduled with a CSEA Administrative hearing Officer. Either party may then object to the Hearing Officer’s determination, in which case a hearing will be scheduled with the Court for final determination.

To request a modification, contact the CSEA Customer Call Center at (440) 994-1212 or toll free in Ohio at (800) 935-0242 and press Option #3, or mail your request to our office. Further Support Guidelines in the Ohio Revised Code can be located at www.onlinedocs.andersonpublishing.com or www.allaw.com

Fiscal

This area is comprised of the Data Entry Unit, Bookkeeping, and the Payment Accuracy Unit. The Data Entry unit enters all administrative orders, as well as all court orders for child support or spousal support, modifications, and journal entries with other changes. The Payment Accuracy unit contains Auditors who review and prepare audits of cases using payment histories and disbursement activity to ensure accuracy. Although all child support and spousal support payments are entered and disbursed by Child Support Payment Central in Columbus, the county is responsible to make adjustments and corrections to posted payments for child support, spousal support, birth expenses, legal fees, and other ordered payments payable through the CSEA. Recoupment accounts for overpayments are also established and monitored by this area. The CSEA also accepts payments from obligors who personally appear at our Payment Office.

Why is my check smaller this time?

If the smaller check was the last of the month, you may have received your full amount for the month. Administrative processing fees are above your monthly ordered amount and are collected by the CSEA at the end of the month.

I did not receive my last payment. Why aren't you taking action against the obligor?

All child support orders are administered on a monthly basis. Until the obligor is behind an amount equal to one month's support, he/she is not considered in default and action cannot be taken.

When can I request a review of my order?

A review may be requested every three years or if there has been a 30% change in income beyond the control of either party. There may be other reasons CSEA can review the order.

How long does it take the CSEA to receive paternity test results?

It takes several weeks to receive the results from the testing lab. Results are mailed to the parties.

Is there a cost for CSEA services?

No, services are free to the custodial parent. The parent paying support pays an administrative fee pursuant to state law.

What if I purchase things for my child over and above my support order?

Any gift or money not paid through the CSEA is considered a gift and not credited to your obligation.

When will I have to use direct deposit or an "e-card" to receive my support payments?

Payments sent to the State of Ohio are issued in either of two ways:

1. EFT- Direct deposit to your checking or savings account.

2. E-Payment Card- Payments are deposited to your state issued "e Master Card" which can be cashed in at banks or used as debit cards at retailers. **Please note effective July 1, 2019, the Ohio e-QuickPay Debit Mastercard will be discontinued, and a new card (the SmiONE payment card) will take its place. For a smooth transition, make sure your Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) has your correct address on file and keep your e-QuickPay card until you spend down the balance. The balance will NOT transfer; however, it can still be used after July 1, 2019.

Making Child Support Payments

**Now accepting CREDIT CARD payments for child support obligations by phone at 1-888-965-2676 (option 5) or online at https://oh.smartchildsupport.com.**

Payments can be made on the Ohio Child Support Mobile Application (Available on the App Store and Google Play.)

Payments by check or money order (made out to Ohio CSPC) can be mailed to:

Ohio CSPC

P.O. Box 182372

Columbus, OH 43218-2394

***To ensure prompt and accurate posting to your child support case, please be sure to include the following with your payment:

Your Name,
Your Social Security Number (optional),
SETS Case Number(s) (10-digit number that begins with a 7),
Court Order Number, and
Amount that should be applied to each case if you have more than one case.

Obligee Responsibilities

Obligee Responsibilities (Party Receiving Support)

It’s your Support Order, Be an Active Participant

By law, the obligee is required to provide information needed to process the case and manage the order. The obligee must:

Inform CSEA of any changes in your or the Obligor’s address, phone number and employment status
Inform CSEA or any of the following reasons why an order should terminate, including but not limited to: Emancipation of the child, death of any party (child obligor or obligee), permanent disability of the obligor, incarceration of any party, child on order placed in the custody of Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS) or Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), or the child becomes eligible for dependent benefits through the Obligor’s Social Security or Veteran’s disability or retirement benefits.
Provide CSEA with supporting documents to complete the emancipation process and end or modify the support order. This can include a copy of a high school diploma or withdrawal letter from school when the child reaches age 18; proof of enlistment in the armed forces; proof of the child’s marriage, court orders showing a change in legal custody or adoption of the child.
Enroll the child in a health insurance plan if you are ordered by the Court of by CSEA.
Keep all records pertaining to your support order, including payments made. Additional copies of your court orders may cost money to obtain.
Repay any money you received in surplus of your order or in error due to a misapplied payment to your account to which you are not entitled.
Provide documents requested by the CSEA by the stated deadline in the notice(s) you receive.
Contact the CSEA to report any problems or issues arising on your support case (Arrears paid in full, spousal support obligation to end).

Become educated about your support order. You are ultimately accountable for your order. Know your rights and responsibilities and exercise them.

Obligor Responsibilities

Obligor Responsibilities (Party Paying Support)