(A) In a support proceeding under sections 3115.701 to 3115.713 of the Revised Code, the support enforcement agency shall do both of the following:

Terms Used In Ohio Code 3115.704

  • Another: when used to designate the owner of property which is the subject of an offense, includes not only natural persons but also every other owner of property. See Ohio Code 1.02
  • Bond: includes an undertaking. See Ohio Code 1.02
  • Child: means an individual, whether over or under the age of majority, who is or is alleged to be owed a duty of support by the individual's parent or who is or is alleged to be the beneficiary of a support order directed to the parent. See Ohio Code 3115.102
  • Convention: means the convention on the international recovery of child support and other forms of family maintenance, concluded at The Hague on November 23, 2007. See Ohio Code 3115.102
  • Foreign country: means a country, including a political subdivision of the country, other than the United States, that authorizes the issuance of support orders to which at least one of the following applies:

    (1) It has been declared under the law of the United States to be a foreign reciprocating country;

    (2) It has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with this state as provided in section 3115. See Ohio Code 3115.102

  • Foreign support order: means a support order of a foreign tribunal. See Ohio Code 3115.102
  • Obligee: means any of the following:

    (1) An individual to whom a duty of support is or is alleged to be owed or in whose favor a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child has been issued;

    (2) A foreign country, state, or political subdivision of a state to which the rights under a duty of support or support order have been assigned or that has independent claims based on financial assistance provided to an individual obligee in place of child support;

    (3) An individual seeking a judgment determining parentage of the individual's child;

    (4) A person that is a creditor in a proceeding under sections 3115. See Ohio Code 3115.102

  • Obligor: means an individual, or the estate of a decedent, to whom or to which any of the following applies:

    (1) The individual or estate owes or is alleged to owe a duty of support. See Ohio Code 3115.102

  • State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession under the jurisdiction of the United States. See Ohio Code 3115.102
  • Support enforcement agency: means a public official, governmental entity, or private agency authorized to do any of the following:

    (1) Seek enforcement of support orders or laws relating to the duty of support;

    (2) Seek establishment or modification of child support;

    (3) Request determination of parentage of a child;

    (4) Attempt to locate obligors or their assets; or

    (5) Request determination of the controlling child-support order. See Ohio Code 3115.102

  • Support order: means a judgment, decree, order, decision, or directive, whether temporary, final, or subject to modification, issued in a state or foreign country for the benefit of a child, a spouse, or a former spouse, which provides for monetary support, health care, arrearages, retroactive support, or reimbursement for financial assistance provided to an individual obligee in place of child support. See Ohio Code 3115.102
  • Tribunal: means a court, administrative agency, or quasi-judicial entity authorized to establish, enforce, or modify support orders or to determine parentage of a child. See Ohio Code 3115.102

(1) Transmit and receive applications;

(2) Initiate or facilitate the institution of a proceeding regarding an application in a court of this state.

(B) The following support proceedings are available to an obligee under the convention:

(1) Recognition or recognition and enforcement of a foreign support order;

(2) Enforcement of a support order issued or recognized in this state;

(3) Establishment of a support order if there is no existing order, including, if necessary, determination of parentage of a child;

(4) Establishment of a support order if recognition of a foreign support order is refused under division (B)(2), (4), or (9) of section 3115.708 of the Revised Code;

(5) Modification of a support order of a tribunal of this state;

(6) Modification of a support order of a tribunal of another state or a foreign country.

(C) The following support proceedings are available under the convention to an obligor against which there is an existing support order:

(1) Recognition of an order suspending or limiting enforcement of an existing support order of a tribunal of this state;

(2) Modification of a support order of a tribunal of this state;

(3) Modification of a support order of a tribunal of another state or a foreign country.

(D) A tribunal of this state may not require security, bond, or deposit, however described, to guarantee the payment of costs and expenses in proceedings under the convention.