Ohio residents involved in an active child support   case may be pleased to learn of the recent expansion of the Ohio Child Support Customer Service Portal, hosted by the Child Support Enforcement Agency.

The online portal system is designed to facilitate ease in accessing case information stored by the CSEA. It has recently been made available in Ross County, Ohio, which currently oversees roughly 7,000 cases. Portal registrants are able to view information about payments made and other data collected by the agency.

Those who are eligible to use the system must have an active CSEA case. The CSEA is a legal entity that was established to guide parents through the process of obtaining child support payments. CSEA services are provided free of charge.

Alternatively, parents can hire an attorney to facilitate the collection process. This option may be particularly appealing if it is determined that the CSEA will be unable to process their request within the desired timeframe.

Many case applicants are eager to learn how child support payments are calculated in Ohio. Simply put, in order to calculate payment amounts, the court must have an accurate and detailed perspective of the involved parties' income. The court reviews current and historical earnings and factors in instances of pre-existing child support and other minor children.

While the process of navigating the child support payment process may be lengthy and complex, the installation of the new portal system demonstrates an effort in streamlining this process. Interested and eligible Columbus residents may register online through the Ohio government's Child support website. For those considering filing a complaint to obtain child support or those having difficulties with the CSEA, contacting an experienced family law attorney may prove helpful to learn about options.

Source: 10 TV News, "Parents Can Track Child Support Payments Online," Feb. 7, 2012