Fairfield County Paternity Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 9, 2026

Fairfield County, Ohio · Lancaster

When parents were not married at the child's birth, Ohio requires a separate step to legally establish the father. In Fairfield County you can do this administratively through the Fairfield County CSEA, or by filing a parentage complaint at the Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, Lancaster. Once parentage is established, custody, parenting time, and child support can follow in the same case.

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How do I establish paternity in Fairfield County, Ohio?

There are two routes under R.C. 3111. (1) Administrative — sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, or let the Fairfield County CSEA (Fairfield County Job & Family Services, 239 West Main Street, Lancaster; fcjfs.org) order genetic testing and enter an administrative order. (2) Court — file a Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights and Responsibilities, and Parenting Time (Ohio SC Form 23 / JF 2) in the DR Division (4th Floor) or the Juvenile Court (3rd Floor, under R.C. 2151.23(A)(2)). The court complaint fee is $300, and the court can allocate custody, parenting time, and set child support in the same case. Print everything single-sided.

Establish Fairfield County paternity, then custody and support in one case

When parents were not married at birth, Ohio makes you legally establish the father before any custody, parenting time, or support order can follow. Fairfield County offers two routes under R.C. 3111: an administrative Acknowledgment of Paternity or genetic testing through the Fairfield County CSEA at 239 West Main Street in Lancaster, or a court Complaint for Parentage (Ohio SC Form 23 / JF 2), which carries a $300 filing fee and lets the court allocate custody, parenting time, and child support in the same case. Gavvl Law picks the faster route for your facts and offers a flat fee for agreed parentage or full representation when it is disputed.

The right route: CSEA or court. If both parents agree and no other man is presumed the father, a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity through the Fairfield County CSEA is the fastest, no-court-fee path. When parentage is contested or you also need custody and support, we file the Form 23 / JF 2 complaint so the court can resolve everything at once.
Parentage first, then enforceable orders. A father has no enforceable custody, parenting-time, or support rights until parentage is established. We establish it and then move straight into the parenting-time schedule under Local Rule 17 and a child-support order from the Ohio worksheet and SETS form, without starting a second case.
Genetic testing and the right court. The Juvenile Court has concurrent custody jurisdiction under R.C. 2151.23(A)(2), and when biology is disputed the court or CSEA orders genetic testing before the hearing. We line up service with the Request for Service (JF 10), the local information sheet, and single-sided filing so the case is ready for testing and hearing.

Once parentage is established, Fairfield routes later custody changes to the DR Division, so getting the first parentage-and-custody order right shapes every future filing. We file through the DR Clerk's line at (740) 652-7357, work with the Fairfield County CSEA (fcjfs.org) on the administrative side, and keep the fee to one flat amount approved up front with payment plans available.

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.

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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: Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division

Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, 4th Floor, Lancaster, OH 43130
Phone: (740) 652-7440
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (closed midday)
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Fairfield County Juvenile and Probate Court
Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Lancaster, OH 43130
Phone: (740) 652-7463
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Paternity is the right path if…

You and the other parent were not married when the child was born.
There is no Acknowledgment of Paternity on file, or it was rescinded.
You need a court order for custody, parenting time, or child support — which requires established parentage first.
Genetic testing is needed because biological parentage is disputed.

Filing Fees

Court parentage/custody/support complaint $300 · Juvenile custody $300 (includes home-study deposit) · Acknowledgment of Paternity through CSEA: no court fee · single-sided documents only · DR Clerk filing line (740) 652-7357

Forms & Filing Packets

Administrative paternity (parents agree)

Handled through the Fairfield County CSEA at 239 West Main Street, Lancaster — no court filing when both parents agree and no other man is presumed the father.

Acknowledgment of Paternity (administrative — Fairfield County CSEA) — Signed by both parents to establish the father administratively under R.C. 3111 — fastest path when both parents agree and no other man is presumed the father. Administered by the Fairfield County CSEA (Fairfield County Job & Family Services, 239 West Main Street, Lancaster; fcjfs.org).
Application for Child Support Services (Fairfield County CSEA) — Opens a IV-D child-support case with the Fairfield County CSEA so the agency can establish, collect, and enforce support. Filed with a parentage complaint.

Court parentage complaint

Filed in the DR Division (4th Floor) or Juvenile Court (3rd Floor) when parentage is disputed, the other parent is unreachable, or you also want custody and support orders.

Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights and Responsibilities, and Parenting Time (Ohio SC Form 23 / JF 2) — The core pleading for unmarried parents. The Fairfield Clerk's schedule lists it as the "Complaint for Parentage, Custody, Parenting Time, and/or Support" ($300). Establishes the father legally and lets the court allocate custody, parenting time, and support in the same case.
Parenting Proceeding 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.
Financial Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
Request for Service (Ohio SC Form 31 / JF 10) — Tells the Clerk how to serve the other parent (certified mail, sheriff, or process server). Required to open a parentage or custody case.
Private Custody / Parent-Custodian Information Sheet (HB 595, Fairfield Juvenile local) — Fairfield Juvenile Court local intake sheet required with private custody and parentage filings.
Personal Identifier Form (Fairfield local) — Lists SSNs, DOBs, and other personal identifiers separately from the public docket — required at filing.
Notice of Filing for Family File (Fairfield local) — Required intake notice creating the case's family file.

Custody & child-support add-on

Adds the parenting-time schedule and the support order once parentage is established.

Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign.
SETS Child Support Information Form (Fairfield local) — Required SETS intake form for any case involving a child-support order.
Standard Parenting Time Order (Local Rule 17, rev. March 1, 2023) — Fairfield's Standard Parenting Time Order — applies unless the parties agree to a different schedule.

How to File Paternity in Fairfield County

Confirm Ohio is the child's home state. Generally the child must have lived in Ohio for the last 6 months under the UCCJEA.
Try the administrative path if both parents agree. Sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity or open a case with the Fairfield County CSEA (239 West Main Street, Lancaster; fcjfs.org), which can order genetic testing and enter an administrative order.
File the court complaint when contested or when you need custody/support. Complaint for Parentage (Form 23 / JF 2) with Affidavits 1, 3, and 4, the Request for Service (JF 10), the Personal Identifier Form, and the Family File notice. Filing fee $300. Print single-sided.
Serve the other parent and attend genetic testing if ordered. Use the Request for Service to direct service. If parentage is disputed, the court or CSEA schedules genetic testing before the hearing.
Get the custody, parenting-time, and support orders entered. Once parentage is established, file the child support worksheet and SETS form, and the court sets parenting time under Local Rule 17.

Fairfield County Practice Notes

Try the administrative path first. If both parents agree and no other man is presumed the father, a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity through the Fairfield County CSEA is the fastest route. CSEA can also order genetic testing and enter an administrative parentage and support order.
Parentage comes before custody and support. A father has no enforceable custody, parenting-time, or support rights until parentage is established. The Form 23 / JF 2 complaint lets the court do all of it in one case.
DR and Juvenile both have jurisdiction. The Juvenile Court has concurrent custody jurisdiction under R.C. 2151.23(A)(2). By the courts' agreement, later changes to a custody order are routed to the DR Division.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I establish paternity in Fairfield County?: For unmarried parents, Ohio establishes parentage under R.C. 3111 either administratively — through a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity or genetic testing arranged by the Fairfield County CSEA (Fairfield County Job & Family Services, 239 West Main Street, Lancaster; fcjfs.org) — or by a court action. The court path is a Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights and Responsibilities, and Parenting Time (Ohio SC Form 23 / JF 2), filed in the DR Division (4th Floor) or the Juvenile Court (3rd Floor) under R.C. 2151.23(A)(2). The DR complaint fee is $300. Establishing parentage is a prerequisite to a father's custody, parenting time, and support.
When do I file in Fairfield Juvenile Court instead of DR?: If the parents were never married, custody, parenting time, child support, and paternity are filed in the Fairfield County Juvenile Court on the 3rd Floor of the same Hall of Justice in front of Hon. Terre L. Vandervoort. If you were married, those issues travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the DR Division on the 4th Floor (Hon. Laura B. Smith). Judge Vandervoort uniquely serves as both Judge and Clerk of the Juvenile/Probate Courts.
Where do I file for custody in Fairfield County?: If you and the other parent were married, custody and parenting time travel with your divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the DR Division on the 4th Floor of the Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, Lancaster (Hon. Laura B. Smith). If you were never married, file a Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities in the Fairfield County Juvenile Court on the 3rd Floor of the same building (Hon. Terre L. Vandervoort), (740) 652-7463. Both courts decide custody under the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors, and Fairfield's Local Rule 17 Standard Parenting Time Order sets the default schedule.
How much does it cost to file in Fairfield County?: Fairfield's Domestic Relations filing fees depend on the case type (Clerk of Courts schedule, rev. 2/2026): divorce is $350 without children or $400 with children; dissolution is $300 without children or $350 with children; annulment or legal separation is $300 without children or $350 with children; a complaint for custody and/or support is $300; a post-decree motion or a motion for contempt is $200; and registering a foreign order is $150. Call the DR Clerk's filing line at (740) 652-7357 to confirm, or view the official fee schedule at fairfieldcountyclerk.com/filing-fees-costs.html. Ohio's Civil Fee Waiver (Affidavit of Indigency) is available for filers who cannot afford the deposit. New cases and other fee-bearing pleadings cannot be filed by fax or email — file in person, by mail, or through the e-filing portal at eservices.fairfieldcountycpcourt.org.
Why won't the Clerk accept my paperwork?: Fairfield County Clerk will NOT accept forms printed on both sides of the paper. Every page must be single-sided. This is one of the most common reasons filings get rejected at the counter — reprint anything that's double-sided before you go in.

Free Local Resources in Fairfield County

Fairfield County DR Division. Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, 4th Floor, Lancaster, OH 43130. DR Division (740) 652-7440 · Clerk filing line (740) 652-7357 · Fax (740) 652-7399. Hon. Laura B. Smith presides; Magistrates Lora H. Cleary and Sandra S. Miller. Clerk of Courts: Branden C. Meyer.
Fairfield County e-Filing Portal. eservices.fairfieldcountycpcourt.org — the Common Pleas e-filing system for Domestic Relations cases.
Fairfield County Clerk Fee Schedule. fairfieldcountyclerk.com/filing-fees-costs.html — the official, current Clerk of Courts filing-fee schedule by case type.
Fairfield County DR Forms Hub (HTML + PDF). co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/DR-Court-Forms-FC.html — accessible HTML and printable PDF versions of every local DR form.
Fairfield County DR Local Rules. co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/FC-Local-Rules-of-Court-DR.html — including Local Rule 17 Standard Parenting Time Order.
Local Rule 17 — Standard Parenting Time Order (rev. 2023). co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/pdf/Local-Rule-17-rev-2023.03.01.pdf — current standard order.
Children In Between® (online, $25). divorce-education.com/OH/fairfield — required parent-education for parents with minor children. 24/7 online; 30-day account.
Dissolution & Divorce Document Checklist. co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/documents/Dissolution-and-Divorce-Document-Checklist.pdf — work through it before filing.
Standard Mutual Restraining Order (auto-effective on filing). co.fairfield.oh.us/dr/documents/restraining_order.pdf
Fairfield County Visitation Center. 407 East Main Street, Lancaster — supervised visitation and exchange services.
Fairfield County Juvenile & Probate Court. Hall of Justice, 224 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Lancaster. Juvenile (740) 652-7463 · Probate (740) 652-7485. Hon. Terre L. Vandervoort (also serves as Clerk). Magistrates Michelle L. Edgar and Troy M. Sitzmann.
Juvenile Resource Center (Connexion West). 625 Garfield Avenue, Lancaster · (740) 652-7374 — diversion services, behavioral health, and youth programming.
The Lighthouse, Inc. (CPO advocacy). 136 West Main Street, 2nd Floor, Lancaster · (740) 687-6778 ext. 3027 — free CPO advocacy (not legal advice).
SEOLS Virtual Legal Clinics. 4th Tuesday of every month, 5:00–7:00 p.m. Call 844-302-1800 Mon–Fri to register.
Court Appointed Counsel Application (Ohio OPD). opd.ohio.gov/appointed-counsel/reimbursement/05-financial-disclosure-form-opd-206r
Ohio Supreme Court Standardized Forms. supremecourt.ohio.gov — Fairfield DR uses Ohio SC standardized forms alongside Fairfield locals.
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.

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.