Glossary of Child Support Terms:

Absent Parent: Also referred to as AP, non-residential, non-custodial or obligor; the person who is ordered to pay child support.  

Administrative Hearing: Instead of going to court, a child support hearing officer makes a determination on issues such as paternity, child support, medical insurance, review and adjustment, or mistake of fact.

Arrearage: Past due child support.

Birthing Cost: The cost associated with the birth of the child paid for by Medicaid. It may be assessed to one or both parents.

Child Support Payment Central (CSPC):  Ohio’s centralized system for collecting and disbursing child support payments.

Contempt:  Failure to comply with the court.

CSEA:  Child Support Enforcement Agency

Custodial Parent: Also known as the residential, CP or obligee; the person who has legal custody of the child.

Default:  An arrears balance that is equal to or greater than one month’s current support.

Defendant:  A person who has a court action filed against him or her.

Emancipation: The removal of a child from a child support case. Typically, this occurs when a child is 18 years old and has completed high school or is no longer attending an accredited high school on a full-time basis.

Felony Non-Support:  A criminal action taken in some cases where an obligor has missed paying 26 out of the last 104 weeks in child support.

FIDM:  Financial Institution Data Match. The process by which money is removed from a bank account to pay an arrears balance.

Garnishment:  A withholding of earnings from a person’s wages or assets.

Genetic Tests:  Analysis of blood, tissue, or DNA of the mother, child and alleged father(s) to prove or disprove paternity.

Income Withholding:  An administrative order sent by the CSEA to an obligor’s employer to inform the employer of the child support obligation to be withheld from the obligor’s paycheck.

IV-A:  Refers to the Department of Job and Family Services providing cash assistance, food stamps and/or a medical card to parties meeting financial requirements.

IV-D:  Refers to the section of the Social Security Act that established the child support agency.  If a case is IV-D, then the CSEA provides full services on the case.

IV-E: Refers to Children Services.

Lien:  Legal claim upon property to prevent sale or transfer until debt is satisfied.

Long Arm Statute:  A law that permits one state to claim personal jurisdiction over someone who lives in another state.

Medical Support:  An order by the court for medical insurance coverage.

Mistake of Fact Hearing:  An administrative or court hearing that is scheduled at the request of the obligor or obligee because he or she disagrees with formal findings and recommendations of the agency.

NMSN:  National Medical Support Notice. A federal notice requiring a party’s employer to enroll the child on an employer’s insurance plan if available at a reasonable cost.

Non-Custodial Parent:  Parent who does not have custody.

OBES:  Ohio Bureau of Employment Services. This agency provides unemployment benefits in the State of Ohio.

Obligee:  Person entitled to receive the child support obligation.

Obligor:  Person required to pay the child support obligation.

Ohio Works First:  The name for the public assistance program in Ohio.

Paternity:  Establishment of the biological father.

Plaintiff:  Person who requests initial court action.

Presumed Father:  A man named as a potential father of a child; legal determination has not been made.

Seek Work: Program that requires the obligor to report every month to the agency to indicate that he or she is searching for a job.

State Hearing:  A review of the child support case by the State of Ohio requested when a party does not believe that his or her IV-D case is being handled in accordance with state or federal guidelines.

Support Enforcement Tracking System (SETS):  The statewide computer system that maintains records of all child support cases in the State of Ohio.

Support Order:  The amount of money to be paid for the current child support obligation. It is determined by the Ohio Child Support Guidelines.

Tax Offset: Federal and state process that applies tax refunds to a past due child support obligation.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF):  Formerly known as ADC or welfare; public assistance.

UIFSA:  Uniform Interstate Family Support Act.  The federal law that sets forth the process of establishing and enforcing court orders when the parents of a child do not reside in the same state.