Establishing Paternity in Gallia County

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

Gallia County, Ohio · Gallipolis

When parents are not married, the law decides custody, parenting time, and support through the Juvenile Court (R.C. 2151.23), not the divorce docket. Establishing parentage — who the legal father is — usually comes first under R.C. Chapter 3111, then the court allocates parental rights and sets support.

How do I establish paternity in Gallia County, Ohio?

Parentage can be established by a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity, through the CSEA administrative process, or by filing a parentage complaint in the Gallia County Juvenile Court (R.C. 3111); the court can order genetic testing. Once parentage is established, the same juvenile case can allocate parental rights — shared parenting or sole custody — set a parenting-time schedule using the county's Standard Parenting Time schedule (Loc. R. 4.43 / Appendix A), and order child support. A juvenile filing has a $102 minimum (confirm the current amount; a fee waiver is available). Confirm with the Juvenile Court at (740) 446-4612.

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: Gallia County Court of Common Pleas (General Division)

18 Locust Street, Gallipolis, OH 45631
Phone: (740) 209-1115
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: www.galliacountycommonpleascourt.gov
e-Filing: https://eaccess.gallianet.net/eservices/login.page

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Gallia County Juvenile & Probate Court
18 Locust Street, Room 1293, Gallipolis, OH 45631
Phone: (740) 446-4612
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Paternity is the right path if…

You and the other parent were never married to each other.
You need to establish who the legal father is before custody or support can be set.
You want the Juvenile Court to set custody, parenting time, and child support.
You are ready to open a IV-D case with the CSEA for the child.

Filing Fees

A juvenile filing has a $102 minimum in Juvenile & Probate court costs (confirm the current amount) · a fee waiver / Poverty Affidavit is available · open a IV-D case with the CSEA so support can be collected. Court fees and deposits change — confirm the current amount with the Gallia County Clerk of Courts at (740) 446-4612 before filing. For never-married-parent and juvenile cases, confirm deposits with the Gallia County Juvenile & Probate Court at (740) 446-4612. A fee can be waived or spread over up to three monthly installments with a Poverty Affidavit and Payment Plan (Exhibit D).

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish parentage and set custody/support — $102 minimum juvenile court costs (confirm the current amount; waiver available)

File a complaint for parentage and allocation of parental rights in the Juvenile Court. Genetic testing may be ordered. Once parentage is established, the court sets custody, parenting time, and support in the same case.

Complaint for Parentage and Allocation of Parental Rights (Gallia Juvenile) — Used by a never-married parent to establish parentage and ask the Juvenile Court to set custody, parenting time, and child support (R.C. Chapter 3111; R.C. 2151.23). Filed with the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and a child-support worksheet.
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.

Set custody and support after parentage is established — $102 minimum juvenile court costs (confirm the current amount; waiver available)

When paternity is already acknowledged or adjudicated, file in the Juvenile Court to allocate parental rights and set parenting time and support, using the county's Standard Parenting Time schedule (Loc. R. 4.43) as the default.

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.

How to File Paternity in Gallia County

Establish parentage. Use an Acknowledgment of Paternity, the CSEA process, or a parentage complaint in the Juvenile Court; the court can order genetic testing.
File for allocation. File for custody, parenting time, and support in the Juvenile Court, with the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and a child-support worksheet.
Open a IV-D case with the CSEA. Apply with the Gallia County CSEA (740) 446-3222, Option 2, so support can be set up and enforced.
Attend the hearing. The court applies the R.C. 3109.04 best-interest factors, can appoint a GAL (Sup. R. 48) in a contested case, and adopts a parenting-time schedule.

Gallia County Practice Notes

Unmarried-parent cases are Juvenile Court, not the divorce docket. In Gallia County, custody, parenting time, and support for never-married parents are handled by the combined Juvenile & Probate Court under R.C. 2151.23 before Hon. Thomas S. Moulton, Jr. (Room 1293, (740) 446-4612) — a different court from the General Division divorce docket.
Use Ohio's custody vocabulary. Ohio uses 'shared parenting' or 'sole custody' (residential parent and legal custodian) — not 'joint' or 'primary' custody. The court applies the R.C. 3109.04 best-interest factors and the county's Standard Parenting Time schedule (Loc. R. 4.43) as the default.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I file custody in the General Division or the Juvenile Court in Gallia County?: It depends on whether you were married. If you are married to (or divorcing) the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas. If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are handled by the combined Juvenile & Probate Court. A grandparent or other non-parent custody request follows the same split — it is filed in the Juvenile Court when the child's parents were never married, but when the parents are or were married to each other it may instead belong in the Common Pleas DR Division within the parents' case, so confirm the right court.
Do I have to establish paternity before getting custody in Gallia County?: Usually, yes. For a child born outside marriage, parentage generally must be established first — by a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity, through the CSEA process, or by a parentage complaint in the Juvenile Court — before the court can set custody, parenting time, or support for the father. The court can order genetic testing.
How does the Gallia County CSEA help with child support?: The Gallia County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), part of Gallia County Job & Family Services at 848 Third Avenue (PO Box 449), Gallipolis ((740) 446-3222, Option 2), opens the IV-D case, sets support under Ohio's guidelines, collects it by income withholding, distributes payments, and can administratively review and adjust an existing order; a contested result can go to the court. Open a IV-D case whenever support is established or changed.
What parenting-time schedule does Gallia County use?: When parents cannot agree, the court applies the county's Standard Parenting Time schedule under Local Rule 4.43 and Appendix A. The standard schedule gives the non-residential parent alternating weekends from Friday 6:00 p.m. to Sunday 6:00 p.m., one weekday evening from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., a rotating holiday schedule, and a separate long-distance schedule when the parents live more than 90 miles apart. Parents can agree on their own plan instead, which the court usually approves if it fits the children.
When does Gallia County appoint a guardian ad litem?: In a contested custody or parenting-time case, the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) to investigate and recommend what is in the child's best interest. GALs serve under Ohio's Rules of Superintendence (Sup. R. 48). Local Rule 4.01 lists a $250 GAL deposit, which the court can waive; GAL fees are typically allocated between the parents at the court's discretion.

Free Local Resources in Gallia County

Gallia County Clerk of Courts. The Clerk (Noreen M. Saunders) handles filing, fees, and the docket for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and domestic-relations post-decree matters. File in person or by mail at 18 Locust Street, Gallipolis, or electronically through the eAccess portal. Confirm current deposits and packet requirements at (740) 446-4612 (ext. 1221–1224) or https://www.galliacountycommonpleascourt.gov.
Gallia County Juvenile & Probate Court. The combined Juvenile & Probate Court (Hon. Thomas S. Moulton, Jr., Room 1293) handles never-married parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support, plus non-parent custody and adoption. Confirm juvenile filing deposits and procedures at (740) 446-4612.
Gallia County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). The CSEA, part of Gallia County Job & Family Services at 848 Third Avenue (PO Box 449), Gallipolis ((740) 446-3222, Option 2), opens the IV-D case, sets support under Ohio's guidelines, collects by income withholding, distributes payments, and can review existing orders. Open a IV-D case whenever support is established or changed.
Domestic Relations Local Rules (Rules 4.01–4.47). The Gallia County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations Local Rules set the fee schedule, parenting seminar, mediation, GAL, and parenting-time procedures. Read them at https://www.galliacountycommonpleascourt.gov/_files/ugd/ab95c8_054a7f91260c4199b3ab33d2b8baf314.pdf.
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.

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Ohio Paternity guide — Statewide overview of paternity in Ohio.
Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
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