Establishing Paternity in Carroll County

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

Carroll County, Ohio · Carrollton

For parents who were not married, legal fatherhood (parentage) is established in Carroll County through an Acknowledgment of Paternity, administratively through the Carroll County CSEA, or by a parentage action in the Probate & Juvenile Division (R.C. Chapter 3111) before Judge Sean R.H. Smith at 119 S. Lisbon St., Suite 202, Carrollton. Establishing parentage opens the door to custody, parenting time, and child support — and is generally done before or alongside those issues.

How do I establish paternity in Carroll County, Ohio?

There are three paths. Parents can sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity; the Carroll County CSEA can establish parentage and support administratively (and order genetic testing); or you can file a parentage action in the Probate & Juvenile Division, which may order genetic testing. A new Probate & Juvenile parentage/custody case carries a $150 deposit, and the court asks that you contact the deputy clerk for a hearing date before filing. Once parentage is established, the court can allocate custody and parenting time and set support on the Ohio guidelines.

Hire a Carroll County paternity attorney at a flat fee

A flat fee means no clock running on every call or email. Our attorneys handle paternity for Carroll County families for one agreed price, with payment plans and the option to step up to full representation at any time. This page also covers the local side for Carroll County: court contacts in Carrollton, forms, and fee details.

One flat fee, agreed up front. See the exact flat-fee options below and approve them before we start — no open-ended hourly bills.
Payments that fit your budget. Pay in full, split it into a plan, or finance it — three ways to fit the same transparent flat fee into your budget.
Why Carroll County families choose us. Carroll County families pick us because the flat fee removes the billing pressure — we work to close out your paternity case, not to log more hours. Ohio-licensed attorneys, all 88 counties.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the parentage complaint to establish legal paternity — adding custody and parenting time if you need it. You appear at any hearings yourself.

Establish paternity (parentage complaint): $950
Paternity with custody & parenting time: $1,350

Prefer full representation? An Ohio attorney can carry the entire case on a $3,500 retainer.

Split any flat fee with Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan at 19% APR, $500 minimum — on a 60%-down schedule of 18 weekly, 8 bi-weekly, or 4 monthly payments, or full financing where work begins once 60% is paid. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay.

Start your paternity case or see payment plans & financing.

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: Carroll County Court of Common Pleas, General & Domestic Relations Division

119 S. Lisbon St., Suite 401, Carrollton, OH 44615
Phone: (330) 627-4886
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Carroll County Probate & Juvenile Division
119 S. Lisbon St., Suite 202, Carrollton, OH 44615
Phone: (330) 627-2323
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 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

$150 new Probate & Juvenile parentage/custody complaint · genetic testing as ordered · cases with minor children include an IV-D application with the CSEA — confirm current amounts with the court at (330) 627-2323

Forms & Filing Packets

Parentage action in the Probate & Juvenile Division — $150 new Probate & Juvenile complaint

File a parentage/custody complaint with the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit; the court may order genetic testing and then allocate custody and set support. Contact the deputy clerk for a hearing date before filing.

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.

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 Carroll County

Choose your route. Decide between signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity, asking the Carroll County CSEA to establish parentage administratively, or filing a parentage action in the Probate & Juvenile Division.
Contact the deputy clerk and file. If filing in court, contact the deputy clerk for a hearing date before filing, then file the parentage/custody complaint with the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and pay the $150 deposit.
Complete genetic testing if ordered. The court or the 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.

Carroll 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 Probate & Juvenile Division under R.C. Chapter 3111.
Parentage usually comes first. Legal parentage is generally established before or alongside custody and support for unmarried parents, because the court cannot allocate parental rights or order support until fatherhood is legally established.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is paternity established in Carroll County?: Paternity can be established when both parents sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, administratively through the Carroll County CSEA (which can establish parentage and support and order genetic testing), or judicially through a parentage action in the Probate & Juvenile Division under R.C. Chapter 3111. Establishing legal parentage is generally done before or alongside custody and support for unmarried parents.
Do I file in the General & DR Division or the Probate & Juvenile Division in Carroll County?: If you are or were married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and support are decided inside your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the General & Domestic Relations Division (Clerk of Courts, Suite 401). If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are handled by the combined Probate & Juvenile Division (Suite 202, (330) 627-2323). Non-parent (grandparent/relative) custody and companionship are always filed in the Probate & Juvenile Division.
What does it cost to file in the Carroll County Probate & Juvenile Division?: The combined Probate & Juvenile Division keeps its own schedule. A new Parentage/Custody/Visitation/Support complaint carries a $150.00 deposit; re-opening such a case or filing a new action (or a motion) in an existing case is $100.00; a privately filed abuse/neglect/dependency case is $125.00. A Deputy Clerk confirmed a new filing (including one registering an out-of-state order) is $150 and a new motion on an existing case is $100. Confirm current amounts with the court at (330) 627-2323.
How is child support calculated in Carroll County?: Carroll County uses Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares guidelines — there is no county-specific formula. Run the official worksheet on the Ohio Child Support Calculator using both parents' gross incomes, parenting time, health-insurance, and child-care figures, then print and sign it. A Child Support Computation Worksheet is required in any case with minor children (General & DR Division Local Rule 10.08), and the CSEA enforces the order through wage withholding once it is journalized.

Free Local Resources in Carroll County

Carroll County Clerk of Courts. Provides current filing fees, local forms, and filing instructions for custody, divorce, and dissolution cases. Call (330) 627-4886 or visit https://carrollcountyohio.us/agencies-and-departments/courts/court-of-common-pleas/ before filing to confirm deposits and packet requirements.
Carroll County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Carroll 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.

More Carroll County family-law resources

Ohio Paternity guide — Statewide overview of paternity in Ohio.
Akron family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Akron metro.
Carroll County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Carroll County guide.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
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