The Ohio Supreme Court has clarified an important rule for anyone involved in court proceedings: you do not get extra time to object to a magistrate’s decision just because the clerk mailed it to you.

The ruling centers on a Lorain County child support dispute involving Christian Wood, an NBA free agent who was released by the Los Angeles Lakers in February, and Jedda Eggleston, the mother of his child.

Their relationship began in a uniquely modern way. In 2019, a photo of Eggleston went viral on Twitter (now X), pulling in more than 7 million views. Wood saw the post, reached out on social media, and the two eventually connected. They later had a son together in early 2021.

In the legal case, Wood had been paying $5,000 a month in child support. But a magistrate increased that amount to $25,000 per month, saying it better reflected the lifestyle their child would have had if the couple had stayed together.

Wood attempted to object to the decision, but filed one day too late. He believed he had 17 days because the decision had been mailed to him. Instead, the Supreme Court said he had 14 days from the date the decision was filed with the clerk, and mailing does not add extra time.

Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy emphasized that the “three-day rule” only applies to documents that require action after they’re served. Magistrate decisions, however, are tied to the filing date, not the delivery date.

Bottom line: In Ohio, a filing deadline is firm. Mailing doesn’t extend it. And in this case, being one day late meant Wood’s objections couldn’t be considered.