Support Order Termination

A child support order should end (or Terminate) in situations such as:

• The child gets married, is emancipated, enlists full-time in the military, dies, or is adopted
• There is a change in the child's legal custody
• The child is 18 and no longer attends an accredited high school full-time
• The child is 19 and the court order does not require the support order to continue beyond the child's 19th birthday
• The person ordered to pay support (obligor) or the person ordered to receive support (obligee) is a grandparent and there is a change in the status of the child or the child's parent

A parent’s duty to support a child may be longer than this if:

1. The child is permanently disabled or
2. The Domestic or Juvenile Court Entry that created or modified the support order requires that it go longer.

A support order can end when the person ordered to pay support (obligor) and the person ordered to receive support (obligee) marry one another and reside together with the child.

If you believe child support should stop or you have questions, contact CSEA by phone (614-525-3275) or by filling out our Customer Assistance Form.

Termination Process

1. Investigation

When appropriate, the CSEA will begin a termination investigation to determine if there is a reason to end the order, if there are other children subject to the support order, and any past due support or other balances.

2. Recommendation

Once the investigation is complete, CSEA will mail a copy of the recommendation to both parties.

This recommendation includes:

• The date and reason why the order should terminate
• The amount of any unpaid balances or back support (arrearage) that exist
• The monthly amount of back support (arrearages) that should be paid if there are unpaid balances.

3. Objection Rights

Both parties have 14 days from the date the recommendation was issued to object. If neither party objects within that time frame, the CSEA recommendation will become the final order.

This administrative process typically takes 2-3 months. Child support records and withholding notices will not be updated until the Court or CSEA issues a new final order. The time frames will be longer if objection hearings are needed.