"Every child living in Allen County has a legal right to the financial support of both parents, even if the parents are divorced, separated, or never married."

Services provided by the Allen County Child Support Enforcement Agency (ACCSEA) include:

Establishment of a Paternity Order

The Allen County Child Support Enforcement Agency can assist in locating an absent parent and in establishing the parent/child relationship for children born out of wedlock, even if the absent parent is located outside the State of Ohio. The ACCSEA will coordinate DNA testing, at the request of either party, should the need arise to assist in proving and establishing the parent/child relationship. Benefits of establishing parent/child relationship include: The establishment and collection of child support to which the parent and child are entitled; establishment of a medical support order for the child; revelation of the child's heritage; and enhanced availability of accurate medical histories from both parents of the child. It is possible that children may also become entitled to other rights and privileges which may be extended through both parents, such as social security benefits should a parent become deceased during the child's minority.

Establishment and Enforcement of a Child Support Order

The ACCSEA can assist in locating an absent child support obligor and his/her assets for purposes of establishing and/or enforcing an existing child support order, even if the child support obligor has moved outside the State of Ohio.

Modification of a Child Support Order

Periodically it may become necessary to adjust an existing child support order. Generally, child support orders cannot be adjusted less than thirty-six (36) months from the latest child support order unless:

1. Child support was established when one or both parties were unemployed or underemployed and, at the present time, one or both parties have become employed or have changed occupations and are now fully employed;
2. One or both parties have involuntarily lost employment for at least six (6) consecutive months and the unemployment is reasonably expected to continue for an extended period of time;
3. One or both parties become permanently disabled. The disability must be medically verified by a physician's statement of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the disability, or the receipt of social security benefits;
4. Either party is placed in an institution or incarcerated and has no income or assets available to be levied or attached for support;
5. Either party has experienced a thirty percent (30%) change in gross income or income producing assets.
6. Interstate Establishment or Enforcement of Child Support

The ACCSEA offers assistance in establishing the parent/child relationship, child support and medical support orders, and enforcement of the orders, across state lines through application of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA).

The ACCSEA can also assist in the enforcement of a pre-existing support order from another state for a new resident of the State of Ohio.

For further information contact The Allen County Child Support Enforcement Agency, 200 West Market Street, Lima, Ohio, 45801, or call (419) 224-7133.