Ohio Law Says Step-Parent’s Income Cannot Be Considered When Determining The Amount Of Child Support Owed
Generally speaking, we as a society tend to be of the mindset that if you decide to have a child, then you should be the one to take care of it…period. In reality, however, the issue is not so cut and dry.  Different circumstances and factors come into play which, in the end, can alter who ultimately provides for a child.  Take, for example, adoption.  While the adoptive parent is not the natural, he or she ultimately chooses to become the child’s caregiver and supporter.  What should happen though, in a case where a person is not the biological parent and does not necessarily choose to be financially responsible for a child, as is often the case with step-parents?  When a person with children from a previous relationship remarries, should the new step-parent be on the hook for child support even when their new spouse is not the primary caregiver?
In Ohio, the answer is no. Â According to Ohio Revised Code 3103.03(A), the statutory duty to pay child support is only imposed on biological or adoptive parents. Â Therefore, when a couple with … Read More... “Child Support: Should Step-Parents Income Be Considered?”