Establishing Paternity in Greene County

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

Greene County, Ohio · Xenia

When parents were never married, parentage and the allocation of custody, parenting time, and child support are handled by the Greene County Juvenile Division at 2100 Greene Way Boulevard in Xenia — not the Domestic Relations Court. Until a court order says otherwise, an unmarried mother is the sole residential parent and legal custodian by law (R.C. 3109.042). Greene County moves quickly: on any party's motion, DNA testing is ordered immediately and without a hearing, and hearings are docketed within 3 business days of filing. The Juvenile Judge is also the Clerk of Court, so there is one intake on the building's 2nd floor.

How do I establish paternity in Greene County, Ohio?

There are three routes: sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity affidavit (usually at the hospital), request an administrative genetic-testing determination through the Greene County CSEA, or file a parentage action in the Greene County Juvenile Division under R.C. Chapter 3111. The court route is fast — on any party's motion, DNA testing is ordered immediately and without a hearing, and the case is stayed until results arrive (Juvenile Local Rule D-IV(a)). An acknowledgment establishes legal fatherhood but not custody or parenting time, so to get those you file a Complaint for Custody (or for Parenting Time) with the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and Juvenile Court Face Sheet. The complaint fee is $130 for the first child plus $100 each additional child, and a fee waiver is available with a sworn financial affidavit.

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: Greene County Domestic Relations Court

595 Ledbetter Road, Xenia, OH 45385, Xenia, OH 45385
Phone: (937) 562-6249
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Website: www.greenecountyohio.gov/415/Domestic-Relations-Court

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Greene County Court of Common Pleas — Juvenile Division
2100 Greene Way Blvd., Xenia, OH 45385, Xenia, OH 45385
Phone: (937) 562-4000
Hours: Court: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM · Clerk's Office: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Paternity is the right path if…

You and the other parent were never married to each other.
You need to legally establish who the child's father is before setting custody or support.
A father wants enforceable custody or parenting time after signing the hospital acknowledgment.
You want DNA testing ordered quickly to confirm parentage.
Child support needs to be established along with parentage.

Once parentage is established, you'll typically set custody and parenting time in the same Juvenile case. See shared parenting in Greene County.

Filing Fees

$130 first child + $100 each additional · Ex parte/emergency adds $75 · Interim orders $75 · Fee waiver available · No personal checks · Confirm current amounts with the Clerk

Forms & Filing Packets

Court parentage action (DNA testing on motion) — $130 first child + $100 each additional

Use when paternity has not been established. On any party's motion the Court orders immediate genetic testing and stays the case until results arrive (D-IV(a)).

Complaint for Custody (Greene County Juvenile) — Asks the Juvenile Division to name a residential parent and legal custodian (or approve shared parenting) when the parents were never married.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit / UCCJEA (Greene County Juvenile) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years, confirming the Court's jurisdiction. Filed with every custody/parenting complaint.
Juvenile Court Face Sheet (Greene County Juvenile) — The cover/intake sheet required on every Juvenile Division filing.
Custody Rights of the Unmarried Mother (Greene County explainer) — The Court's plain-language explainer confirming the unmarried mother is sole residential parent and legal custodian until a court order says otherwise (R.C. 3109.042).
Motion to File Without Payment of Costs (Greene County Juvenile) — The Juvenile Division fee-waiver motion (sworn financial affidavit) in place of the filing fee.

Custody / parenting time after parentage is established — $130 first child + $100 each additional

Once fatherhood is established, file for custody and a parenting-time schedule so the acknowledgment becomes enforceable rights.

Complaint for Custody (Greene County Juvenile) — Asks the Juvenile Division to name a residential parent and legal custodian (or approve shared parenting) when the parents were never married.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit / UCCJEA (Greene County Juvenile) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years, confirming the Court's jurisdiction. Filed with every custody/parenting complaint.
Juvenile Court Face Sheet (Greene County Juvenile) — The cover/intake sheet required on every Juvenile Division filing.
Standard Order of Parenting Time (effective Nov. 26, 2024) — Greene's default parenting-time template. Absent agreement or a best-interest deviation, the Court applies this schedule.

Child support add-on

Support is addressed contemporaneously with custody (D-IV(b)). Bring income evidence to every hearing or risk minimum-wage imputation.

Affidavit of Income and Expenses (Greene County Juvenile) — Greene's local income/expense affidavit used whenever the Court sets or changes child support. Bring income evidence to every support hearing or risk minimum-wage imputation.
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.
IV-D Application (Greene County CSEA services) — Enrolls the case for CSEA collection and enforcement services.

How to File Paternity in Greene County

Pick your route to parentage. Acknowledgment of Paternity affidavit, an administrative CSEA genetic-testing determination, or a Juvenile Court parentage action under R.C. Chapter 3111. The court route gets immediate DNA testing on motion.
Build the complaint packet. File the Complaint for Custody with the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA) and the Juvenile Court Face Sheet. Add the Affidavit of Income and Expenses (and the IV-D Application to use CSEA) if support is involved.
File on the 2nd floor in Xenia. File in person with the Clerk of Court at 2100 Greene Way Boulevard, Xenia. Pay the $130 first-child fee (+$100 each additional) or file the Motion to File Without Payment of Costs. No personal checks.
Get the hearing and serve the other parent. The Clerk schedules the matter within 3 business days of filing. Serve the other parent by certified mail or sheriff (or posted notice if the address is unknown and costs are waived).
Resolve custody, parenting time, and support. The final order names a residential parent/legal custodian (or approves shared parenting), sets parenting time under the Standard Order, and addresses support with the required withholding and notice language.

Greene County Practice Notes

DNA testing is immediate on motion. Greene's Juvenile Local Rule D-IV(a) orders genetic testing immediately and without a hearing when any party moves for it, and stays the case until results arrive. There is no preliminary fight over whether testing happens — costs fall on the moving party or CSEA, subject to reallocation.
Acknowledgment ≠ custody. Signing the hospital Acknowledgment of Paternity establishes legal fatherhood but not custody or parenting time. Until a court order issues, the unmarried mother remains sole residential parent and legal custodian (R.C. 3109.042). File a Complaint for Custody to obtain enforceable rights.
Support rides along with custody. Under D-IV(b), child support is addressed at the same time as any custody order unless the Court grants leave. A CSEA representative (or audit affidavit) must be present at support hearings, and a party who appears without income evidence risks minimum-wage imputation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the ways to establish paternity in Greene County?: Three routes: signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity affidavit (usually at the hospital, processed through the state Central Paternity Registry); an administrative genetic-testing determination through the Greene County CSEA; or a Juvenile Court parentage action under R.C. Chapter 3111, where DNA testing is ordered immediately on motion.
How fast can I get DNA testing in a Greene County paternity case?: Greene County's Juvenile Local Rules (D-IV(a)) make it fast: on any party's motion, genetic testing is ordered immediately and without a hearing, and the case is stayed until results arrive. Testing costs fall on the moving party or CSEA, subject to later reallocation.
I signed the paternity affidavit at the hospital — do I have custody rights now?: You have legal fatherhood, but not enforceable custody or parenting time. Until a court order issues, the unmarried mother is the sole residential parent and legal custodian by law (R.C. 3109.042). To get custody or parenting time, file a Complaint for Custody (or for Parenting Time) in the Greene County Juvenile Division.
Where do I file a paternity or custody case in Greene County if we were never married?: In the Greene County Juvenile Division on the 2nd floor of 2100 Greene Way Boulevard, Xenia, OH 45385, (937) 562-4000 — not the Domestic Relations Court on Ledbetter Road. The Juvenile Judge is also the Clerk of Court, so there is no separate county clerk intake for these cases.
Does child support get decided with custody in a Greene County Juvenile case?: Yes. Greene County's Juvenile Local Rule D-IV(b) requires child support to be addressed at the same time as any order establishing or modifying custody, unless the Court grants leave otherwise. File the Affidavit of Income and Expenses and bring income evidence to every support hearing — a CSEA representative must be present and a party who fails to appear with evidence risks minimum-wage income imputation.

Free Local Resources in Greene County

Self-Represented Parties Hub & Pro Se Guide. greenecountyohio.gov/420/Self-Represented-Parties — Greene's official online resource page for SRPs, including a comprehensive Pro Se Guide for the divorce-with-children process.
Clerk of Courts (filing after compliance review). Greene County Clerk of Courts — Legal Division, Greene County Courthouse, 45 N. Detroit Street, Xenia. Pleadings are filed here only after the DR Court's Local Rule 1.7 compliance review.
Greene County Juvenile Court. 2100 Greene Way Blvd., Xenia. (937) 562-4000.
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.

Keep exploring

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