Establishing Paternity in Fayette County

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

Fayette County, Ohio · Washington Court House

When parents are not married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are decided in the Probate-Juvenile Court (Judge Mary E. King, 110 East Court Street, 2nd Floor). Establishing paternity is the legal foundation for a father's rights and for a child-support order.

Hire Gavvl for your Fayette County paternity case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Fayette County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start.

Start with a $25 consultation and talk through your options with an Ohio family-law attorney before you commit to anything. Get started online or see payment plans & financing.

How do I establish paternity in Fayette County, Ohio?

Sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, request genetic testing through the Fayette County CSEA, (740) 335-0745, or have the Probate-Juvenile Court determine parentage by filing a parentage case with a parenting affidavit and the Ohio child-support worksheet. Once parentage is established, the Juvenile Division can set custody, parenting time, and support in the same case. A new juvenile matter is a $100 deposit.

Establish paternity in Fayette County with Gavvl Law

For unmarried parents, everything — a father's legal rights, custody, parenting time, and support — starts with establishing parentage, and in Fayette County that happens in the Probate-Juvenile Court under Judge Mary E. King at 110 East Court Street, 2nd Floor. You can sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, ask the CSEA at (740) 335-0745 for genetic testing, or file a parentage case on a $100 deposit. Gavvl Law opens the case in the right court, ties custody and support into the same matter, and works on a flat fee approved up front.

The full parentage packet, not just a form. A juvenile parentage case is more than a name on a birth certificate: we file the complaint with a parenting affidavit and the Ohio child-support worksheet so the court can allocate parental rights and set support in the same case, instead of leaving a father with a paternity finding but no enforceable schedule.
Genetic testing through the court or the CSEA. Where parentage is disputed, testing can be ordered by the Probate-Juvenile Court or arranged administratively through the Fayette County CSEA at (740) 335-0745 before a case ever reaches a hearing. We advise which route is faster for your situation and prepare the affidavit that supports the request.
Flat fee, and the Juvenile Division's mediation. A new juvenile matter is a $100 deposit, a fee waiver is available for indigent filers, and our own fee is one flat amount you approve before work starts. The Probate-Juvenile Court also runs a mediation program under Local Rule 18, and we prepare you to use it when agreement on a schedule is within reach.

Paternity, custody, parenting time, and support for never-married parents all belong in the same 2nd-floor Probate-Juvenile Court at (740) 335-0640, not the Domestic Relations Division that handles divorce. Because we work that court regularly, we can build parentage, a parenting order, and support into one filing rather than sending you back for separate cases.

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: Fayette County Court of Common Pleas — General & Domestic Relations Division

110 East Court Street, 3rd Floor, Washington Court House, OH 43160
Phone: (740) 335-4750
Hours: Monday–Friday
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Fayette County Probate-Juvenile Court
110 East Court Street, 2nd Floor, Washington Court House, OH 43160
Phone: (740) 335-0640
Hours: Monday–Friday

Paternity is the right path if…

The parents were not married when the child was born.
You need to legally establish who the father is.
An unmarried father wants enforceable custody or parenting-time rights.
A parent needs a child-support order tied to established parentage.

Filing Fees

Probate-Juvenile Court parentage matter $100 deposit · administrative parentage and genetic testing via the CSEA, (740) 335-0745 · fee waiver for indigent filers · confirm current amounts with the Probate-Juvenile Court at (740) 335-0640

Forms & Filing Packets

Parentage case with custody and support — $100 deposit (Probate-Juvenile Court)

File the parentage case in the Probate-Juvenile Court with a parenting affidavit and the Ohio child-support worksheet; the court allocates parental rights and sets support in the same case.

Probate-Juvenile Court Page (Fayette County) — The combined Probate-Juvenile Court page (Judge Mary E. King, 2nd Floor, (740) 335-0640), where unmarried-parent custody, support, visitation, and parentage are filed; all new juvenile family matters are a $100 deposit.
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.
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.

Genetic testing / CSEA route

Where parentage is disputed, ask the court to order genetic testing; parentage can also be established administratively through the Fayette County CSEA before or instead of a court case.

Juvenile Self-Help Custody Information (Fayette County) — Fayette County Probate-Juvenile Court self-help information for unmarried parents and non-parents seeking custody, parenting time, or support (Judge Mary E. King, 2nd Floor).
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.

How to File Paternity in Fayette County

Choose the court or CSEA route. File a parentage case in the Probate-Juvenile Court, or establish parentage administratively through the Fayette County CSEA, (740) 335-0745.
Prepare the case packet. Complete the juvenile parentage complaint, a parenting affidavit, and an Ohio child-support worksheet.
File and serve. File at the Probate-Juvenile Court, 110 East Court Street, 2nd Floor, (740) 335-0640, pay the $100 deposit, and serve the other parent.
Resolve parentage and orders. The court can order genetic testing where parentage is disputed, then allocate custody and parenting time and set support.

Fayette County Practice Notes

Never-married parents file in the Probate-Juvenile Court. If the parents were never married, custody, parenting time, support, and parentage are decided by the separate combined Probate-Juvenile Court under Judge Mary E. King, 110 East Court Street, 2nd Floor, (740) 335-0640 — not the Domestic Relations Division. The Juvenile deposit for a new custody, support, visitation, or paternity matter is $100, not the Domestic Relations fee schedule.
Fayette County CSEA handles support administratively. The Fayette County Child Support Enforcement Agency, (740) 335-0745, can arrange genetic testing, open a IV-D case, set support under Ohio's guidelines, collect by income withholding, and review existing orders.
Court mediation runs through the Juvenile Division. The Probate-Juvenile Court runs a court mediation program (Local Rule 18) for visitation, agreed custody, and related issues, funded by the dispute-resolution fee in the filing deposit, and it is mandatory when the judge refers a case. The Domestic Relations / General Division does not offer mediation through the court — divorcing parents who want mediation arrange it privately.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I establish paternity in Fayette County?: Sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, request genetic testing through the CSEA, (740) 335-0745, or have the Probate-Juvenile Court determine parentage. Custody and support for unmarried parents are then handled in the Juvenile Division, where a new matter is a $100 deposit.
Who hears custody if the parents were never married in Fayette County?: The Juvenile Division of the Fayette County Probate-Juvenile Court (Judge Mary E. King), at 110 East Court Street, 2nd Floor, (740) 335-0640 — not the Domestic Relations Division. The Juvenile Division handles unmarried-parent custody, support, visitation, parentage, and non-parent custody. New juvenile family matters are a $100 deposit.
How much does it cost to start a custody or paternity case in Fayette County?: In the Probate-Juvenile Court, all new custody, child-support, visitation, and paternity matters are a $100 deposit. A fee waiver is available with an Affidavit of Poverty. Confirm current amounts with the Probate-Juvenile Court at (740) 335-0640.
Does Ohio use 'joint custody' or 'primary custody' in Fayette County?: No. Ohio uses sole custody (one parent is residential parent and legal custodian) or shared parenting (both parents are legal custodian and residential parent under an approved plan). Fayette County's courts use the Standard Parenting Order or, for distant parents, the Long-Distance order.

Free Local Resources in Fayette County

Fayette County Clerk of Courts (Domestic Relations). Current filing fees, deposit amounts, and case filing for divorce ($400), dissolution ($350), legal separation, annulment, and post-decree motions ($200). Clerk of Courts, 3rd Floor, 110 East Court Street, Washington Court House; (740) 335-6371; https://courts.fayette-co-oh.com/. Attorneys must e-file via Henschen (https://www.fayette-co-oh.com/341/eFiling-Henschen); pro se filers are exempt.
Fayette County Probate-Juvenile Court. Judge Mary E. King, 2nd Floor, (740) 335-0640. Handles never-married-parent custody, parenting time, support, and parentage, plus non-parent custody, and runs a mediation program (Local Rule 18). All new juvenile family matters are a $100 deposit. There is no e-filing. Self-help: https://www.fayette-co-oh.com/269/Juvenile-Court.
Fayette County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Arranges genetic testing, opens IV-D cases, sets support under Ohio's guidelines, collects by income withholding, and reviews existing orders. Contact (740) 335-0745.
Prosecutor's Victim Witness Division. Fayette County directs people seeking a civil protection order to the Prosecutor's Victim Witness Division for help determining eligibility and preparing the petition. There is no filing fee for the person seeking protection.
Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) Online. Fayette County promotes Triple P Online as a free parent/caregiver resource: https://octf.ohio.gov/what-we-do/statewide-initiatives/triple-p-online. A parenting class is not a standard DR requirement, but the court may order one case by case.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares child-support worksheet at https://ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov/ before any case that sets or changes 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 Fayette County family-law resources

Ohio Paternity guide — Statewide overview of paternity in Ohio.
Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
Fayette County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Fayette County guide.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.

Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.