Establishing Paternity in Defiance County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green, Esq. · Managing Partner, Gavvl Law · Last updated May 27, 2026

Defiance County, Ohio · Defiance

For never-married parents, paternity (parentage) is the legal step that has to come before a court can order custody, parenting time, or child support. In Defiance County, the Juvenile Court (Judge Jeffrey A. Strausbaugh) handles paternity for unmarried parents, and the Defiance County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) also handles paternity. The Juvenile Court is at 221 Clinton Street, Second Floor, and accepts filings only in person or by mail.

How do I establish paternity in Defiance County, Ohio?

For never-married parents, paternity is established in the Defiance County Juvenile Court (Judge Jeffrey A. Strausbaugh) at 221 Clinton Street, Second Floor, or through the Defiance County Child Support Enforcement Agency, which handles paternity. File the Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Form 23 / Juv. Form 2) along with the Custody Affidavit / UCCJEA (Affidavit 3), the Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4), and the Ohio Child Support Worksheet. The Juvenile Court does not accept e-filing — file in person or by mail. Once parentage is established, custody, parenting time, and support can be decided in the same case. The county fee schedule lists no separate juvenile parentage fee; confirm with the Juvenile Court at (419) 782-4181.

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: Defiance County Court of Common Pleas (General & Domestic Relations Division)

221 Clinton Street, Third Floor, Defiance, OH 43512, Defiance, OH 43512
Phone: (419) 782-5931
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM (closed for lunch)
Website: www.defiance-county.com/common-pleas-court/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Defiance County Probate and Juvenile Court
221 Clinton Street, Second Floor, Defiance, OH 43512, Defiance, OH 43512
Phone: (419) 782-4181
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (closed for lunch 12:00-1:00 PM, no electronic filings)

Paternity is the right path if…

The parents were never married and parentage has not yet been legally established.
You need paternity established before asking the court for custody, parenting time, or support.
You want to file in the Defiance County Juvenile Court or open a case with the Defiance County CSEA.
You can file in person or by mail — the Juvenile Court does not accept e-filing.

Filing Fees

The Defiance County fee schedule does not list a separate juvenile parentage fee — confirm the current deposit with the Juvenile Court at (419) 782-4181 or the Defiance County CSEA. All juvenile filings are made in person or by mail.

Forms & Filing Packets

Establishing parentage with custody and support (Juvenile Court) — Fee not listed in the county schedule — confirm with the Juvenile Court at (419) 782-4181

Filed at the Defiance County Juvenile Court, 221 Clinton Street, Second Floor. The Complaint for Parentage opens the case; the affidavits and worksheet let the court allocate custody and set support in the same matter. All filings are by mail or in person.

Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Form 23 / Juv. Form 2) — Opens a Defiance County Juvenile Court case for never-married parents to establish parentage and allocate custody and parenting time. File in person or by mail at 221 Clinton Street, Second Floor.
Custody Affidavit / UCCJEA (Ohio SC Affidavit 3) — Required in any DR case with minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign.

Establishing parentage on its own

Parentage can also be established through the Defiance County Child Support Enforcement Agency, which handles paternity, support establishment, modification, and enforcement.

Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Form 23 / Juv. Form 2) — Opens a Defiance County Juvenile Court case for never-married parents to establish parentage and allocate custody and parenting time. File in person or by mail at 221 Clinton Street, Second Floor.
Custody Affidavit / UCCJEA (Ohio SC Affidavit 3) — Required in any DR case with minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years.

How to File Paternity in Defiance County

Choose where to start — Juvenile Court or CSEA. Establish parentage by filing in the Defiance County Juvenile Court, or open a case with the Defiance County CSEA, which handles paternity.
File the Complaint for Parentage. File the Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Form 23 / Juv. Form 2) with the Custody Affidavit / UCCJEA (Affidavit 3). Add the Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4) and the Ohio Child Support Worksheet if you also want custody and support set.
File in person or by mail and serve the other parent. The Juvenile Court does not accept e-filing — submit your packet in person or by mail to 221 Clinton Street, Second Floor, and arrange service on the other parent. Call (419) 782-4181 to confirm the current deposit and copies.
Resolve custody and support in the same case. Once parentage is established, the Juvenile Court can allocate custody and parenting time and set child support under the four-county local rules.

Defiance County Practice Notes

Paternity comes before custody and support. For never-married parents, the court cannot allocate custody or order support until parentage is established. The Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Form 23 / Juv. Form 2) lets you establish parentage and ask for custody, parenting time, and support in the same Juvenile Court case.
The CSEA also handles paternity. The Defiance County Child Support Enforcement Agency handles paternity, support establishment, modification, and enforcement. You can establish parentage through the CSEA as an alternative to filing directly in Juvenile Court.
No e-filing in Juvenile Court. The Defiance County Juvenile Court does not accept electronic, online, or email filings. File in person or by mail to 221 Clinton Street, Second Floor, Defiance, OH 43512.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do never-married parents establish paternity in Defiance County?: The Defiance County Juvenile Court (Judge Jeffrey A. Strausbaugh) handles paternity for unmarried parents. You can establish parentage through the Defiance County Child Support Enforcement Agency, which handles paternity, or by filing the Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Form 23 / Juv. Form 2) in Juvenile Court. Once parentage is established, custody, parenting time, and support can be decided in the same case.
What does the Defiance County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) do?: The Defiance County Child Support Enforcement Agency handles paternity, support establishment, modification, and enforcement. It is the agency to contact when you need to establish parentage, set up a new child-support order, request a review of an existing order, or enforce unpaid support.
What forms do never-married parents file for custody and support in Defiance County?: File the Complaint for Parentage, Custody & Parenting Time (Form 23 / Juv. Form 2), the Custody Affidavit / UCCJEA (Affidavit 3), the Health Insurance Affidavit (Affidavit 4), and the Ohio Child Support Worksheet at the Defiance County Juvenile Court, 221 Clinton Street, Second Floor. Additional fillable forms are posted on the county's Juvenile Court Forms page. All filings are by mail or in person — there is no e-filing.
Does Defiance County Juvenile Court accept electronic filings?: No. The Defiance County Juvenile Court does not accept electronic, online, or email filings. All juvenile filings must be made in person or by mail to 221 Clinton Street, Second Floor, Defiance, OH 43512.
When do I file in Defiance County Juvenile Court instead of DR?: If the parents were never married, custody, parenting time, and child support are filed in the Defiance County Juvenile Court at 221 Clinton Street, Second Floor — (419) 782-4181. Judge Jeffrey A. Strausbaugh presides; Magistrate Carson L. Slade hears matters. All filings must be made in person or by mail (no electronic filings). If you were married, those issues travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in DR.

Free Local Resources in Defiance County

Defiance County Common Pleas Court. 221 Clinton Street, Third Floor, Defiance, OH 43512. Phone (419) 782-5931. Clerk (419) 782-1936. Court Administrator Alyson M. Hageman.
Four-County Local Rules (Defiance/Fulton/Henry/Williams). defiance-county.com — uniform local rules covering all four Northwest Ohio counties.
Defiance County Probate and Juvenile Court. 221 Clinton Street, Second Floor — (419) 782-4181. Judge Jeffrey A. Strausbaugh. Magistrate Carson L. Slade. Email probatecourt@defiancecounty.oh.gov.
Defiance County Juvenile Probation Department. 1300 East Second Street, Suite 203, Defiance, OH 43512. Phone (419) 782-0226. Hours M-F 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM.
Ohio Supreme Court Standardized Forms. supremecourt.ohio.gov — Defiance County uses Ohio SC standardized DR and Juvenile forms for all filings.
Defiance County Child Support Enforcement Agency. Handles paternity, support establishment, modification, and enforcement.
Legal Aid of Western Ohio. Serves Defiance County. Phone 1-888-534-1432.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov — run the worksheet and print it for filing.
Ohio Legal Help. ohiolegalhelp.org — plain-language guides and interactive court forms.

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.

Keep exploring

Ohio Paternity guide — Statewide overview of paternity in Ohio.
Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.

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