My husband is going for a child support modification hearing next Thursday at the Cuyahoga County CSEA (Ohio) for his 2 kids with his ex wife. Right now, he has 2 separate hearings because they are on two separate orders (2 courts handled this - as his son was born after their divorce was final and paternity was ordered as she wasn't sure the child was my husbands). Anyway, there is no way to combine the orders we are told. However, CSEA did say my husband should ask for a credit for the fact that both kids reside in the same household (i.e. share the same electric, gas, rent, etc.) even though right now the two orders would lead one to believe that my husband is supporting 2 separate households. For example: If their combined income is $60,000 - the support for one child annually is $8,000. For two kids annually it goes up to $11,500. The way it is set up now comes to $16,000 annually for the two kids. That's $4,500 more per year because the orders are separated. My question is this: Can this be handled at the Child Support office? Or will they have to send us to the courts for this to be accomplished? We were told that the folks at CSEA are "high school educated idiots" by someone at the Domestic Relations Court here in Cleveland so we are pretty worried that part of our financial future is in the hands of these people.

Can this even be accomplished? Has anyone heard of this kind of credit given to the non-custodial parent? The way it stands, his support will almost double...

Why are you listening to the people at the Domestic Relations Court and not hiring your own attorney to fix this mess? For the price of an attorney your husband stands to keep a lot of money every year for who knows how many years. Trying to fix a mess like this yourself or himself is only asking for more problems, believe me.

The cases will have to be Court ordered to be combined by the Judge.