The amount of child support a parent is required to pay is based on many factors. The income and financial situation of both parents are reviewed. Child care expenses, medical costs, and the amount of parenting time ordered for each parent are also reviewed. To make sure the correct amount of child support is ordered, child support enforcement agencies and courts use the "Ohio Child Support Guidelines". Simply put, the Guidelines are a detailed worksheet which adds or subtracts all the possible financial factors to come up with a final dollar amount - the amount the non-custodial parent will be ordered to pay.

Ohio law says that the Guidelines used must be reviewed every four years to make sure they adequately provide for the needs of children involved in child support cases. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is required to organize a Child Support Guidelines Advisory Council to review the current Guidelines and public feedback, and prepare a report of recommendations to the Ohio Legislature.

To learn more about the details of the Ohio Child Support Guidelines and the Guidelines Advisory Council, visit the Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 3119: Calculation of Child Support Obligation -- Health Insurance Coverage online at http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3119

If you would like to send a comment to the Council, please click “Public Feedback” in the left frame of this page.