9.1 Registration and Enforcement of Foreign Support Order Pursuant to ORC 3115.601, et seq:
To register a Foreign Support Order:
A) A support order or income-withholding order of another state or a foreign support order may be registered in this state by sending the following records to the appropriate tribunal in this state:
1. A letter of transmittal to the tribunal requesting registration and enforcement;
2. Two copies, including one certified copy, of the order to be registered, including any modification of the order;
3. A sworn statement by the person requesting registration or a certified statement by the custodian of the records showing the amount of any arrearage;
4. The name of the obligor and, if known, all of the following:
A. The obligor’s address and social security number;
B. The name and address of the obligor’s employer or other payor and any other source of income of the obligor;
C. A description and the location of property of the obligor in this state not exempt from execution.
5. Except as otherwise provided in section 3115.312 of the Revised Code, the name and address of the oblige and, if applicable, the person to whom support payments are remitted.
B) On receipt of a request for a registration, the registering tribunal shall cause the order to be filed as an order of a tribunal of another state or a foreign support order, together with one copy of the documents and information, regardless of their form.
C) A petition or comparable pleading seeking a remedy that must be affirmatively sought under other law of this state may be filed at the same time as request for registration or later. The pleading must specify the grounds for the remedy sought.
D) If two or more orders are in effect, the person requesting registration shall do all of the following:
1. Furnish to the tribunal a copy of every support order asserted to be in effect in addition to the documents specific in this section;
2. Specify the order alleged to be the controlling order, if any; and
3. Specify the amount of consolidate arrears, if any.
E) A request for a determination of which is the controlling order may be filed separately or with a request for registration and enforcement or for registration and modification. The person requesting registration shall give notice of the request to each party whose rights may be affected by the determination.
See local rule 6.1 for additional required documents.
If enforcement or modification of the foreign support order is being sought, follow the above procedure PLUS prepare a Motion and requisite accompanying documents setting forth the relief sought. The Motion shall be e-filed, sent via U.S. mail, or be presented to the Docket Office and the original Motion (after review by the Docket Office) is to be filed with the Clerk of Court. There will be a $125.00 cost for the Motion.
9.2 Registration and Enforcement of Foreign Decree Pursuant to ORC 3127.35:
To register a child custody determination:
A) The clerk of a court with appropriate jurisdiction may register a child custody determination issued by a court of another state, with or without a simultaneous request for enforcement, on receipt of all of the following:
1. A letter or other document requesting that the child custody determination be registered;
2. Two copies, including one certified copy, of the determination sought to be registered, and a statement under penalty of perjury that, to the best of the knowledge and belief of the person seeking registration, the order has not been modified;
3. Except as otherwise provided in section 3127.23 of the Revised Code, the name and address of the person seeking registration and any parent who is designated the residential parent and legal custodian of the child or to have parenting time with respect to the child or any person acting as a parent who has been awarded custody or visitation in the child custody determination sought to be registered;
4. A filing fee of $75.00.
B) On receipt of the documents and information required by division (A) of this section, the registering court shall do both of the following:
1. Cause the child custody determination to be filed as a foreign judgment together with one copy of any accompanying documents and information, regardless of their form;
2. Serve notice of the registration request on the persons named pursuant to division (A)(3) of this section, and provide them with an opportunity to contest the registration in accordance with this section.
See local rule 5.1 for additional required documents.
FILING PROCESS:
U.S. Mail:
1. Submit all original documents to the Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations Docket Office for review.
Mail the document to:
Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations
Attn: Docket Office, Room 3-46
800 Broadway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
2. If all documents are correct and approved, the Docket Office will contact you to obtain a hearing date, if needed. If documents are incorrect, they will be mailed to the address indicated on the forms.
In Person:
1. Present the required documents to the Docket Office, Room 3-46.
2. Go to the Clerk of Courts, Room 3-47 to file the case and pay any required fees.
3. Go back to the Docket Office to obtain a hearing date, if needed.
4. Return to the Clerk of Courts to indicate hearing date on service copy.
If enforcement or modification of the foreign support order is being sought, follow the above procedure PLUS prepare a Motion and requisite accompanying documents setting forth the relief sought. A copy of the Motion must be provided to the Docket Office and the original Motion (after review by the Docket Office) is to be filed with the Clerk of Court. There will be a $125.00 cost for the Motion.