Legal Question in Family Law in Ohio

There is no linkage between how long you pay child support and when you can file for custody. Courts determine which parent should have custody of the child by considering which arrangement is in the best interests of the child. If you can convince the court that the child is better off with you than the other parent, then you will likely get the child regardless of how long you have been paying child support. If you can't convice the court that it is in the child's best interest that you have custody, then the Court will not award you custody even if you have been paying child support for a million years.