Establishing Paternity in Allen County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026

Allen County, Ohio · Lima

For parents who were not married, legal fatherhood (parentage) is established in Allen County through an Acknowledgment of Paternity, administratively through the Allen County CSEA, or by a parentage action in the Juvenile Division (R.C. 3111) before Judge Todd E. Kohlrieser at 1000 Wardhill Ave, Lima. Establishing parentage opens the door to custody, parenting time, and child support — and is generally established before or alongside those issues.

How do I establish paternity in Allen County, Ohio?

There are three paths. Parents can sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity; the Allen County CSEA can establish parentage and support administratively (and order genetic testing); or you can file a parentage action in the Allen County Juvenile Court, which may order genetic testing. A Juvenile civil parentage/custody case carries a $125 deposit, and no support order issues without a signed IV-D Application. Once parentage is established, the court can allocate custody and parenting time and set support on the Ohio guidelines.

Ohio Custody by the Numbers

Best interest The single standard that governs every Ohio custody decision Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04
No set age There is no age a child can choose a parent — the judge weighs a mature child's wishes Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(B)
Change in circumstances Required, plus a best-interest finding, before the residential parent can be changed Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(E)(1)
Shared parenting Either parent may ask the court for a joint parenting plan Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(G)

Compare Types of Custody in Ohio

Custody type	Who makes major decisions	Where the child lives	Best when
Shared parenting	Both parents jointly, under a written plan	Time is split per the plan (not always 50/50)	Parents can communicate and cooperate on decisions
Sole legal & residential	One parent	Primarily with that parent	One parent is unable or unwilling to co-parent
Split custody	Each parent for the child in their care	Siblings are divided between the two homes	Rare — only when it serves each child's best interest
Legal custody to a non-parent	The relative or caregiver granted custody	With the non-parent caregiver	Neither parent can safely care for the child

Where to File: Allen County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

301 N. Main St., Lima, OH 45801, Lima, OH 45801
Phone: (419) 223-8513
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Clerk of Courts)
Website: clerkofcourts.allencountyohio.com/
e-Filing: https://courtvweb.allencountyohio.com/eservices

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Allen County Juvenile & Probate Court (Juvenile Division)
1000 Wardhill Ave, Lima, OH 45805, Lima, OH 45805
Phone: (419) 227-5531
Hours: Clerk's office 8:30 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00 PM–4:30 PM

Paternity is the right path if…

You and the other parent were never married to each other.
You need legal fatherhood established before custody, parenting time, or support can be ordered.
You want genetic testing to confirm or rule out paternity.
You want to open a CSEA case so support can be collected and enforced.

Filing Fees

$125 Juvenile civil filing deposit · genetic testing as ordered · no support order without a IV-D Application · confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Court at (419) 227-5531

Forms & Filing Packets

Parentage action in the Allen County Juvenile Court — $125 Juvenile civil filing deposit

File a parentage complaint with the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and a IV-D Application; the court may order genetic testing and then allocate custody and set support.

Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities (Ohio SC Form 23) — Asks the Juvenile Branch to name a residential parent and legal custodian and set a parenting-time schedule when the parents were never married.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA. Required in any case involving minor children.
Allen County CSEA IV-D Application for Child Support Services — Required before any support order issues in Allen County (DR Loc.R. 20.01(C)). Opens a IV-D case so CSEA can collect and enforce support through wage withholding.
Request for Service (Allen County Juvenile Court) — Tells the Juvenile Clerk how to serve the other party — certified mail, personal service, or posting/publication.

Add custody and support once parentage is established

Run the Ohio child-support worksheet and file the Health Insurance Affidavit so the court can set support and medical coverage.

Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask the court to set or change support.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.

How to File Paternity in Allen County

Choose your route. Decide between signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity, asking the Allen County CSEA to establish parentage administratively, or filing a parentage action in the Juvenile Division.
File the parentage complaint. If filing in court, complete the parentage/custody complaint with the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and a IV-D Application, and pay the $125 deposit.
Complete genetic testing if ordered. The court or CSEA may order genetic testing to confirm or rule out paternity.
Set custody, parenting time, and support. Once parentage is established, run the Ohio worksheet and file the Health Insurance Affidavit so the court can allocate custody and order support.

Allen County Practice Notes

Three routes to parentage. An Acknowledgment of Paternity (signed by both parents), CSEA administrative establishment (which can order genetic testing), or a judicial parentage action in the Juvenile Division under R.C. 3111. The Allen County CSEA handles paternity establishment directly.
Parentage usually comes first. Legal parentage is generally established before or alongside custody and support for unmarried parents, because the Juvenile Court cannot allocate parental rights or order support until fatherhood is legally established.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is paternity established in Allen County?: Paternity can be established administratively when both parents sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, through the Allen County CSEA (which can establish parentage and support and order genetic testing administratively), or judicially through a parentage action in the Juvenile Division under R.C. 3111. Legal parentage is generally established before or alongside custody and support for unmarried parents.
Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Allen County?: If you are or were married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and support are decided in your divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division (filed through the Clerk of Courts, 301 N. Main St., Lima). If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are handled in the Allen County Juvenile Court at 1000 Wardhill Ave, Lima, (419) 227-5531. Non-parent (grandparent/relative) custody is always filed in Juvenile Court.
What does it cost to file in the Allen County Juvenile Court?: Under Juvenile Local Rule 3.1, a civil petition, complaint, counterclaim, or cross-claim (including custody, parenting-time, and parentage actions) carries a $125.00 deposit, and a motion to vacate, revive, or modify a former Juvenile judgment is $75.00 plus any unpaid costs the moving party was ordered to pay. No support order — temporary or final — issues without a completed IV-D Application. Confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Court at (419) 227-5531.
How is child support calculated in Allen County?: Allen County uses Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares guidelines — there is no county-specific formula. Run the official worksheet at the Ohio Child Support Calculator using both parents' gross incomes, parenting-time, health-insurance, and child-care figures, then print and sign it. The Allen County CSEA (200 W. Market St., Lima; (419) 224-7133) collects and enforces the order through wage withholding once it is journalized.

Free Local Resources in Allen County

Allen County Clerk of Courts. Provides current filing fees, local forms, and filing instructions for custody, divorce, and dissolution cases. Call (419) 223-8513 or visit https://clerkofcourts.allencountyohio.com before filing to confirm deposits and packet requirements.
Allen County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Allen County's IV-D agency opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. File a IV-D Application when establishing or modifying support.

Related to your paternity case

Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.
Grandparents' Rights — Seek visitation or custody when it serves the child's best interest.
Post-Decree Modification — Update custody, support, or parenting orders after your case ends.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on paternity and related Ohio family law topics.

Fathers' Rights in Ohio: Custody, Paternity, and Parenting Time — Ohio law does not favor mothers over fathers — but unmarried fathers must establish paternity before they have any rights. Here's how fathers protect their relationship with their children.
Ohio Child Custody Laws: What Every Parent Should Know — Ohio custody law turns on one principle: the best interest of the child. This guide explains sole custody, shared parenting, the statutory factors, and how courts decide.
Child Support Calculation in Ohio: How the Formula Works — Ohio calculates child support with the income shares model, combining both parents' incomes to set a shared obligation. Here's how the formula works and what changes the bottom line.

Keep exploring

Ohio Paternity guide — Statewide overview of paternity in Ohio.
Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
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