Establishing Paternity in Fulton County

Fulton County, Ohio · Wauseon

If the parents were not married when the child was born, the mother has sole custody by default under Ohio law. To change that — for the father to seek custody or parenting time, or for child support to be set — paternity must first be legally established. Fulton paternity cases are handled by the Juvenile Division at 210 S. Fulton Street in Wauseon (same building, same judge as the DR docket), or administratively through CSEA. Since July 1, 2013, Fulton has not stocked paper forms at the courthouse — download every standardized form from the Ohio Supreme Court website.

How do I establish paternity in Fulton County, Ohio?

There are three Ohio paths. (1) Sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity at the hospital or any CSEA office — fastest if both parents agree and no other man is presumed the father. (2) CSEA administrative paternity order — CSEA can order genetic testing and enter an administrative paternity order. (3) Court order — file a Complaint to Establish Parentage at the Fulton County Juvenile Division at 210 S. Fulton Street in Wauseon under R.C. 3111. The court can also allocate custody and set child support in the same case. Fulton does not provide paper forms — download the Ohio Supreme Court standardized juvenile forms from supremecourt.ohio.gov. Filing fees are in Appendix B of the Local Rules — call (419) 337-9260.

Where to File: Fulton County Court of Common Pleas (General Division)

210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon, OH 43567, Wauseon, OH 43567
Phone: (419) 337-9260
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Website: www.fultoncountyoh.com/231/Records-Search

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Fulton County Juvenile Division
210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon, OH 43567, Wauseon, OH 43567
Phone: (419) 337-9260
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 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There is no Acknowledgment of Paternity on file, or it was rescinded or challenged.
You need a court order for custody, parenting time, or child support — which requires established paternity first.
Genetic testing is needed because one party disputes biological parentage.

Filing Fees

Filing fees in Appendix B — call (419) 337-9260 · Acknowledgment of Paternity: free · CSEA administrative path: free · No paper forms at courthouse

Forms & Filing Packets

Court petition packet (Juvenile Division)

Filed at 210 S. Fulton Street, Juvenile Division. Use when there is any dispute, when the alleged father is unreachable, or when you also want custody and support orders in the same filing.

Complaint to Establish Parentage (Ohio SC Juvenile Form) — Opens a parentage action in the Juvenile Division under R.C. 3111.
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.

Custody and child-support add-on

Add to your parentage complaint to allocate parental rights and set support in the same case — saves a second filing.

Complaint for Custody / Allocation of Parental Rights (Ohio SC Juvenile Form) — Adds the custody claim to your parentage complaint.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Use alongside Fulton's local worksheet.
Fulton County Local Child Support Worksheet — Local version used in addition to the Ohio Child Support Calculator output.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer.
Parenting Plan (Ohio SC Form 21) — Used when one parent will be designated residential parent and legal custodian. Attach one of Fulton's local Parenting Schedules (A, A-1, B, or C) as the baseline.
Fulton Parenting Schedule A — One of Fulton's four local parenting-time templates. Attach the schedule you want incorporated into the order.

How to File Paternity in Fulton County

Confirm Ohio is the child's home state under the UCCJEA. Generally, the child must have lived in Ohio for the last 6 months.
Try the Acknowledgment of Paternity first. If both parents agree and no other man is presumed the father, sign at any CSEA office. Free, final after 60 days.
Use CSEA's administrative path if needed. CSEA can order genetic testing and enter an administrative paternity order. Either party can object within 30 days and move the case to Juvenile Court.
File the court petition when contested or when you need custody / support orders. Complaint to Establish Parentage at the Fulton Juvenile Division at 210 S. Fulton Street in Wauseon. Add custody and support claims in the same case to avoid a second filing.
Attend the genetic-testing appointment and the hearing. Testing is scheduled within 30–60 days. The hearing follows once results are filed. Paternity is established by court order; custody and support orders follow.

Fulton County Practice Notes

Try the fastest path first. If both parents agree and no other man is presumed the father, sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity at any CSEA office. It is free and becomes final after 60 days.
Genetic testing. Either party can request genetic testing. The court (or CSEA) will order the parties and the child to a designated lab. Tests run 99%+ accurate. If the alleged father is excluded, the case is dismissed.
Rescinding an Acknowledgment. A signed Acknowledgment of Paternity can be rescinded within 60 days, or challenged in court within 1 year on grounds of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact (R.C. 3111.27).
Presumption of paternity. A man married to the mother at the child's birth (or within 300 days before) is presumed the father. An Acknowledgment will be rejected if there's an unrebutted presumption — you need a court action.
No paper forms at the courthouse. Fulton does not stock paper Juvenile forms. Download everything from supremecourt.ohio.gov before walking in. Court staff cannot help you select or complete forms.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I file in Fulton Juvenile Division instead of Common Pleas?: If the parents were never married, custody, parenting time, child support, and paternity are filed in the Fulton County Juvenile Division (same courthouse, same judge). If you were married, those issues travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the General Division. Heads-up: Juvenile requires a child's birth certificate at filing for Grandparent POA/Caretaker Affidavit and Application for Custodian filings — not optional.
Why do I need a birth certificate for a Grandparent Power of Attorney filing?: Fulton Juvenile requires the child's birth certificate to be filed at the same time as any Grandparent Power of Attorney / Caretaker Affidavit or Application for Custodian. This is a firm requirement — without it, the Juvenile Division will not accept the filing.
Why doesn't the courthouse have paper forms?: Since July 1, 2013, the Fulton County Court of Common Pleas does not provide paper domestic-relations forms at the courthouse. All standardized forms are free on the Ohio Supreme Court website at supremecourt.ohio.gov. The court's staff also cannot help you choose or fill out the right forms — if you need help, consult an attorney.
Does Fulton County have a separate Domestic Relations Court?: No. Fulton County does not have a separate DR Court. All family-law cases — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, post-decree motions — are heard in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas by Hon. Scott Haselman, who also handles civil and criminal cases. Cases involving never-married parents go to the Juvenile Division (same judge).
How much does it cost to file in Fulton County?: Fulton publishes its full fee schedule in Appendix B of the Local Rules at fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/13191. Call the Clerk of Courts at (419) 337-9260 to confirm the current fee for your specific case type before filing. An Affidavit of Indigency is available to waive fees for qualifying low-income filers.

Free Local Resources in Fulton County

Fulton County Court of Common Pleas. 210 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon, OH 43567. Phone (419) 337-9260 · Fax (419) 337-9293. Hon. Scott Haselman presides — handles DR, civil, and criminal cases.
Fulton County Local Rules (rev. 1/26/2024). fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/13192 — includes Appendix B fee schedule.
Fulton County Court Fee Schedule (Appendix B). fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/13191/appendix-b — confirm current amount with Clerk before filing.
Fulton County Local Forms Page. fultoncountyoh.com/235/Forms — Court Orders 1-8, Pretrial Order, Settlement Conference Notice, and Parenting Schedules A/A-1/B/C.
Local Child Support Worksheet. fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/250 — used alongside the Ohio Child Support Calculator output.
Fulton County Juvenile Division. Same courthouse, same judge. Forms at fultoncountyoh.com/650/Juvenile-Court-Forms. Birth certificate required at filing for Grandparent POA / Caretaker Affidavit and Application for Custodian filings.
Juvenile Local Rules (2021). fultoncountyoh.com/DocumentCenter/View/13596 — covers juvenile filing requirements.
Online Dockets / Records Search. fultoncountyoh.com/231/Records-Search
The Center for Child & Family Advocacy (CPO help). (419) 335-4255 · theccfa.org — free Civil Protection Order assistance.
Legal Aid Hotline. (888) 534-1432 · legalaidline.lawolaw.org — free phone-based legal advice for income-qualified residents.
Ohio Supreme Court Standardized DR & Juvenile Forms. supremecourt.ohio.gov — Fulton does not provide paper forms; download everything here.
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.
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