Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) This rule describes which child support
enforcement agency (CSEA) has administrative responsibility for an
intergovernmental case. Administrative responsibility for a
non-intergovernmental case is described in rule
5101:12-10-03 of the
Administrative Code. The CSEA with administrative responsibility
will
provide all support enforcement program services.
(B) General principles regarding
administrative responsibility.
(1) When a CSEA
receives a request for services pursuant to rule
5101:12-10-01 of the
Administrative Code, the CSEA will have administrative responsibility unless a legal
basis exists, which precludes that CSEA from assuming administrative
responsibility.
(a) For the purpose of this
rule "legal basis" means that the CSEA has determined, based on the facts and
circumstances of the case, that no legal authority exists, which will allow the
CSEA to provide support enforcement program services and
allows the CSEA to proceed in accordance with
paragraph (F) of this rule.
(b) In
making the determination regarding the CSEA's authority to proceed, the CSEA
will be
bound by the administrative responsibility provisions of paragraphs (C), (D),
and (E) of this rule.
(2) When administrative responsibility for a
case has not been determined or is disputed and a CSEA is willing to accept the
administrative responsibility and such acceptance would ensure that state and
federal program requirements are met, then that CSEA will be
considered the CSEA with administrative responsibility.
(3) When administrative responsibility for a
case is disputed and based on the facts and circumstances of the case, any of
the CSEAs involved may have administrative responsibility, these CSEAs
will
collaborate to resolve which CSEA has administrative responsibility.
(4) When administrative responsibility for a
case is disputed and not addressed by this rule, a CSEA may request the office
of child support (OCS) to resolve which CSEA has administrative responsibility.
The CSEA will provide to OCS the following:
(a) Verification that an attempt has been
made to resolve the dispute, and
(b) Written description of the facts and
circumstances that have led to the dispute.
(C) Administrative responsibility for an
initiating CSEA.
(1) Administrative
responsibility for the determination of the existence or nonexistence of a
father and child relationship.
(a) The CSEA
where the applicant for services resides has administrative
responsibility.
(b) When the
applicant for services moves to another Ohio county and the CSEA:
(i) Is preparing a Uniform Interstate Family
Support Act (UIFSA)(9/29/2014) petition and the
applicant for services has completed and submitted all documents necessary for
the UIFSA petition, the CSEA retains administrative responsibility.
(ii) Is preparing a UIFSA petition and the
applicant for services has not completed and submitted all documents necessary
for the UIFSA petition, the CSEA in the county in which the applicant for
services resides has administrative responsibility.
(2) Administrative responsibility
for the establishment of a child support order.
(a) The CSEA where the applicant for services
resides has administrative responsibility.
(b) When the applicant for services moves to
another Ohio county and the CSEA:
(i) Is
preparing a UIFSA petition and the applicant for services has completed and
submitted all documents necessary for the UIFSA petition, the CSEA retains
administrative responsibility.
(ii)
Is preparing a UIFSA petition and the applicant for services has not completed
and submitted all documents necessary for the UIFSA petition, the CSEA in the
county in which the applicant for services resides has administrative
responsibility.
(3) Administrative responsibility for the
enforcement of a support order.
(a) When an
applicant for services requests the enforcement of an Ohio support order, the
CSEA in the county in which the court or CSEA that issued the support order
retains administrative responsibility for enforcement.
(b) When an applicant for services requests
the enforcement of an order from another state or jurisdiction, the CSEA in the
county in which the applicant for services resides has administrative
responsibility to initiate a UIFSA petition to another jurisdiction.
When the applicant moves to another Ohio county and the
CSEA:
(i) Is preparing a UIFSA
petition and the applicant for services has completed and submitted all
documents necessary for the UIFSA petition, the CSEA retains administrative
responsibility.
(ii) Is preparing a
UIFSA petition and the applicant for services has not completed and submitted
all documents necessary for the interstate petition, the CSEA in the county in
which the applicant for services resides has administrative
responsibility.
(4) Administrative responsibility for the
modification of a support order.
(a) When an
applicant for services requests the modification of an Ohio order, the CSEA in
the county in which the court or CSEA that issued the support order has
administrative responsibility for modification.
When the applicant for services moves to another county, the
court or CSEA that issued the support order retains administrative
responsibility.
(b) When an
applicant for services requests the modification of an order from another state
or jurisdiction, the CSEA in the county in which the applicant for services
resides has administrative responsibility to initiate a UIFSA petition to
another state or jurisdiction.
(i) New case
that is not already existing in support enforcement tracking system (SETS).
When the applicant moves to another Ohio county and the CSEA:
(a) Is preparing a UIFSA petition and the
applicant for services has completed and submitted all the documents necessary
for the UIFSA petition, the CSEA retains administrative
responsibility.
(b) Is preparing a
UIFSA petition and the applicant for services has not completed and submitted
all documents necessary for the UIFSA petition, the CSEA in the county in which
the applicant for services resides has administrative responsibility.
(ii) Existing open case in SETS.
The initiating CSEA has administrative responsibility.
(D) Administrative responsibility for a
responding CSEA.
(1) Administrative
responsibility for the determination of the existence or nonexistence of a
father and child relationship.
When the CSEA receives a UIFSA petition to determine the
existence or nonexistence of a father and child relationship, the CSEA in the
county in which the respondent resides has administrative
responsibility.
(a) When the CSEA has
successfully completed service of process on the respondent and the respondent
moves to another Ohio county, the CSEA retains administrative
responsibility.
(b) When the CSEA
has not successfully completed service of process on the respondent and the
respondent moves to another Ohio county, the CSEA in the county in which the
respondent resides has administrative responsibility.
(2)
When the alleged
father is deceased, the CSEA in the county in which proceedings for the probate
of the alleged father's estate have been or can be commenced will have
administrative responsibility.
(3) Administrative
responsibility for the establishment of a child support order.
When the CSEA receives a request to establish a child support
order from another state or jurisdiction, the CSEA in the county in which the
respondent resides has administrative responsibility.
(a) When the CSEA has successfully completed
service of process on the respondent and the respondent moves to another Ohio
county, the CSEA retains administrative responsibility.
(b) When the CSEA has not successfully
completed service of process on the respondent and the respondent moves to
another Ohio county, the CSEA in the county in which the respondent resides has
administrative responsibility.
(4) Administrative
responsibility for the enforcement of a support order.
(a) When the CSEA receives a UIFSA petition
to enforce an Ohio support order, the CSEA with administrative responsibility
is the CSEA:
(i) In the same county as the
court that issued the court support order.
(ii) In the same county as the court that
adopted the administrative child support order.
(iii) That issued the administrative child
support order and the court has not adopted the administrative child support
order.
When the obligor moves to another Ohio county, the CSEA retains
administrative responsibility.
(b) When the CSEA receives a UIFSA petition
from another state or jurisdiction to enforce the other state support order,
the CSEA in the county in which the obligor resides has administrative
responsibility.
When the obligor moves to another Ohio county and the CSEA
has:
(i) Successfully completed
service of process on the obligor, the CSEA retains administrative
responsibility.
(ii) Not
successfully completed service of process on the obligor, the CSEA in the
county in which the obligor resides has administrative
responsibility.
(5) Administrative
responsibility for the modification or
redirection of a support order.
(a) When
the CSEA receives a UIFSA petition to modify or
redirect an Ohio support order, the CSEA with administrative
responsibility is the CSEA:
(i) In the same
county as the court that issued the court support order.
(ii) In the same county as the court that
adopted the administrative child support order.
(iii) That issued the administrative child
support order and the court has not adopted the administrative child support
order.
(b) When the CSEA
receives a UIFSA petition from another state or jurisdiction to register the
support order for modification purposes when the issuing state has lost
continuing exclusive jurisdiction (CEJ) and the nonrequesting party is in Ohio,
the CSEA in the county in which the nonrequesting party resides has
administrative responsibility.
When the non-requesting party moves to another Ohio county and
the case is:
(i) New to SETS:
(a) When the CSEA has successfully completed
service of process on the non-requesting party, the CSEA retains administrative
responsibility.
(b) When the CSEA
has not successfully completed service of process on the non-requesting party,
the CSEA in the county in which the non-requesting party resides has
administrative responsibility.
(ii) Existing open case in SETS.
The CSEA that is enforcing the support order retains
administrative responsibility regardless if the non-requesting party moves to
another county.
(iii)
Closed SETS case.
When a case closes pursuant to the request of an initiating
agency, and the CSEA receives a subsequent request for modification, the CSEA
in the county in which the non-requesting party resides has administrative
responsibility despite the existence of a prior case, which has been
closed.
(E) Other state order when all parties reside
in Ohio.
(1) When the CSEA receives a UIFSA
petition or a request for services to enforce a support order from another
state or jurisdiction when all the parties reside in Ohio, the CSEA in the
county where the obligor resides has administrative responsibility.
When the obligor moves to another county and the CSEA
has:
(a) Successfully completed
service of process of the registration on the obligor, the CSEA retains
administrative responsibility.
(b)
Not successfully completed service of process of the registration on the
obligor, the CSEA in the county in which the obligor resides has administrative
responsibility.
(2) When
the CSEA receives a UIFSA petition or a request for services to modify a
support order from another state or jurisdiction when all parties reside in
Ohio, the CSEA in the county where the obligor resides has administrative
responsibility.
(a) For a case that is new to
SETS, the CSEA in the county in which the obligor resides has administrative
responsibility.
When the obligor moves to another county and the CSEA
has:
(i) Successfully completed
service of process of the registration on the obligor, the CSEA retains
administrative responsibility.
(ii)
Not successfully completed service of process of the registration on the
obligor, the CSEA in the county in which the obligor resides has administrative
responsibility.
(b) For
a case that is open in SETS and the case is:
(i) Open responding and the case is
registered with the court, the CSEA retains administrative responsibility even
if the obligor moves.
(ii) Open
initiating, the CSEA in the county where the obligor resides has administrative
responsibility.
(c) If a
case closes pursuant to the request of an initiating agency and a subsequent
request is received, the CSEA in the county in which the obligor resides has
administrative responsibility despite the existence of a prior responding
case.
(F)
Case transfer.
(1) The CSEA that completed
case intake or most recently had administrative responsibility
will
transfer a case to another CSEA in accordance with this rule.
(2) "Case transfer" includes electronically
transferring the case in SETS. "Case transfer" also includes mailing any
hard-copy documents contained in the case record that are necessary to provide
support enforcement program services to the CSEA with administrative
responsibility.
When the CSEA mails hard-copy documents, the CSEA
will
include a cover letter that identifies the parties, the reason the hard-copy
documents are being mailed, and the name and telephone number of a contact
person in the CSEA that mailed the hard-copy documents.
(3) The CSEA will complete
the case transfer within ten days of determining that another CSEA has
administrative responsibility for the case.