Ohio residents and others who are owed back child support have the right to seek it from the noncustodial parent. Those who choose to pursue back support must show several different forms of evidence to a judge to successfully do so. If the noncustodial parent is a male, he must know that he is the father of the child. In any case, a custodial parent must show that he or she made an effort to collect the money owed.
Finally, it must be shown that the noncustodial parent has not made any payments in a significant amount of time. If a parent has moved to different states to avoid providing financially for a child, it may be necessary to resolve the matter in federal court. A federal judge will first have to determine if it is not possible to do so at the state level.
In federal court, parents must show that payments have not been made for at least a year and that the total balance is $5,000 or more. It must also be shown that the noncustodial parent has willfully failed to make payments and lives in a different state than the custodial parent. The federal government may prosecute those who fail to pay child support payments under the 1992 Child Support Recovery Act.
Child support payments may be used for a variety of reasons such as helping to pay for a child’s health insurance or educational expenses. It can also be used to pay for food, clothing and shelter to help a child live a safe and comfortable life. Parents who fail to provide support could be jailed or lose professional licenses. An attorney may help those seeking child support obtain what they are owed in a timely and civil manner.