Establishing Paternity in Hardin County
Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026
Hardin County, Ohio · Kenton
When parents are not married, parentage, custody, child support, and parenting time are decided on the juvenile track in the Hardin County Domestic Relations Division (Judge Maria Santo) — there is no separate juvenile court. Establishing paternity is the legal foundation for a father's custody and parenting-time rights and for a child-support order.
How do I establish paternity in Hardin County, Ohio?
There are three routes: a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity (often at the hospital); an administrative order through the Hardin County CSEA, (419) 674-2269, which can order genetic testing; or a parentage complaint filed on the juvenile track in the Domestic Relations Division (R.C. Chapter 3111), filed through the Clerk with the Parenting Proceeding (UCCJEA) affidavit, the IV-D Application, and an Ohio child-support worksheet. The juvenile complaint deposit is $300 (Juv Rule 28). The court can order genetic testing where parentage is disputed and can allocate custody, parenting time, and support in the same case.
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: Hardin County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division
One Courthouse Square, Suite 210, Kenton, OH 43326Phone: (419) 674-2233
Hours: Monday–Friday (confirm current hours with the Clerk)
Website: hardincountyjuvenilecourt.com/
Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)
Hardin County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division (juvenile, parentage & never-married matters)
One Courthouse Square, Suite 210, Kenton, OH 43326
Phone: (419) 674-2233
Hours: Monday–Friday (confirm current hours with the Clerk)
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
$300 juvenile parentage complaint deposit (Juv Rule 28) · administrative parentage through the CSEA · GAL motion $350 (includes $250 GAL) · Affidavit of Indigency waiver available · confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (419) 674-2278
Forms & Filing Packets
Parentage complaint (juvenile track) — $300 juvenile complaint deposit (Juv Rule 28)
File a parentage complaint on the juvenile track in the Domestic Relations Division through the Clerk, with the Parenting Proceeding (UCCJEA) affidavit, the IV-D Application, and the Ohio child-support worksheet. The complaint deposit is $300 (Juv Rule 28).
- 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 / UCCJEA Affidavit (Hardin County) — Required in any case involving minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's UCCJEA jurisdiction over custody (R.C. 3127.23).
- IV-D Child Support Application (Hardin County) — Opens a child-support case with the Hardin County CSEA so support is collected by automatic wage withholding and enforced. Required whenever a child-support order is set in a case with 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 add-on
If parentage is disputed, the CSEA or the court can order genetic testing. The Hardin County CSEA, (419) 674-2269, can establish parentage administratively before or instead of a court complaint.
- IV-D Child Support Application (Hardin County) — Opens a child-support case with the Hardin County CSEA so support is collected by automatic wage withholding and enforced. Required whenever a child-support order is set in a case with children.
- Parenting Proceeding / UCCJEA Affidavit (Hardin County) — Required in any case involving minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's UCCJEA jurisdiction over custody (R.C. 3127.23).
How to File Paternity in Hardin County
- Choose how to establish parentage. Sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, open an administrative case with the Hardin County CSEA, (419) 674-2269, or file a parentage complaint on the juvenile track.
- Prepare the complaint and affidavits. Use the Ohio Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights (Form 23) with the Parenting Proceeding (UCCJEA) affidavit, the IV-D Application, and the support worksheet.
- File with the deposit. File through the Clerk of Courts, One Courthouse Square, Suite 310, Kenton, and pay the $300 juvenile deposit (Juv Rule 28) or file an Affidavit of Indigency.
- Complete testing and the hearing. If parentage is disputed, the court orders genetic testing; once parentage is established the court can set custody, parenting time, and support in the same case.
Hardin County Practice Notes
- One Domestic Relations Division hears it all. Hardin County has a single Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division (Judge Maria Santo; division created 1/1/2023 under R.C. 2301.03(FF)(1)) at One Courthouse Square, Suite 210, Kenton, (419) 674-2233. The same division hears divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment AND parentage, never-married custody, and civil protection orders — there is no separate juvenile court. Only adoptions and guardianships go to the separate Probate Court (Judge Steve Christopher).
- Juvenile / parentage deposits (Juv Rule 28). Never-married parentage, custody, and non-parent custody cases follow the juvenile fee schedule, not the divorce schedule: a complaint is $300, a post-judgment motion is $150, and a motion needing a Guardian ad Litem is $350 (which includes the $250 GAL deposit). Add $25 for each additional defendant; service by publication is $175. An Affidavit of Indigency can waive prepayment.
- Support handled through the Hardin County CSEA. Child support is established, reviewed, and enforced through the Hardin County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), 175 W. Franklin St., Suite 200, Kenton, (419) 674-2269. Open a IV-D case so support is collected by automatic wage withholding; the CSEA can order genetic testing, set support administratively, and enforce orders through license suspension, tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals.
- Guardian ad Litem in contested cases. In a contested case the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) — a court-appointed attorney who investigates and files a written report recommending the children's best interest before the merit hearing. In a Domestic Relations case the GAL adds a $500 deposit; on the juvenile track a GAL motion is $350 (including a $250 GAL deposit). The GAL complies with Sup. R. 48, and fees are typically allocated between the parents.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I establish paternity in Hardin County?
- Three routes: a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity (often at the hospital); an administrative order through the Hardin County CSEA, (419) 674-2269 (which can order genetic testing); or a parentage complaint filed on the juvenile track in the Domestic Relations Division (R.C. Chapter 3111), where the court can order genetic testing and enter a parentage judgment. The juvenile complaint deposit is $300 (Juv Rule 28). Establishing paternity is the legal foundation for an unmarried father's custody and parenting-time rights and for a support order.
- What does it cost to file a custody or parentage case for never-married parents in Hardin County?
- Never-married parentage and custody cases follow the juvenile fee schedule (Juv Rule 28), not the divorce schedule: the complaint deposit is $300, a post-judgment motion is $150, and a motion that needs a Guardian ad Litem is $350 (which includes the $250 GAL deposit). Add $25 for each additional defendant, and service by publication is $175. An Affidavit of Indigency can waive prepayment. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (419) 674-2278.
- Do married and unmarried parents file in different courts in Hardin County?
- No — the same Domestic Relations Division hears both. If you are or were married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce or dissolution (GD Rule 3 deposits). If you were never married, parentage and custody are filed as a juvenile-track case in the same Domestic Relations Division under the Juv Rule 28 fee schedule (a $300 complaint deposit). Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are also filed on the juvenile track.
- How is child support paid and enforced in Hardin County?
- Child support is set under the Ohio guidelines (2024 Income Shares, R.C. Chapter 3119) and administered with the Hardin County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), 175 W. Franklin St., Suite 200, Kenton, (419) 674-2269. Open a IV-D case so support is collected by automatic wage withholding; the CSEA can order genetic testing, review orders, and enforce through license suspension, tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals.
Free Local Resources in Hardin County
- Hardin County Clerk of Courts (record custodian). One Courthouse Square, Suite 310 (3rd floor), Kenton, OH 43326; (419) 674-2278 (fax (419) 674-2273). The Clerk is the record custodian for Common Pleas filings, posts local forms at https://www.hardincourts.com/CLSite/forms.php, and confirms current deposits and copy counts. E-filing is available through https://efile.henschen.com/; fax filings to (419) 674-2273 must be 10 pages or fewer with a compliant cover page. Court costs can be paid online at https://www.hardincourts.com/CLSite/payment.php.
- Hardin County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division. One Courthouse Square, Suite 210 (2nd floor), Kenton, OH 43326; (419) 674-2233 (https://hardincountyjuvenilecourt.com/). Created January 1, 2023 (R.C. 2301.03(FF)(1)) and led by Judge Maria Santo, this single Domestic Relations Division hears divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment AND juvenile, parentage, never-married custody, and civil protection-order cases — there is no separate Juvenile Court in Hardin County.
- Hardin County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). 175 W. Franklin St., Suite 200, Kenton, OH 43326; (419) 674-2269. The county IV-D agency establishes, modifies, collects, and enforces child support. Open a IV-D case to set up automatic wage withholding and enforcement.
- Hardin County Job & Family Services — Children Services Agency. (419) 675-1130 (after hours (419) 673-1268; or (800) 442-7346). The county children-services agency investigates child abuse, neglect, and dependency. For an emergency call 911; the statewide child-abuse hotline is 855-642-4453 (855-OH-CHILD).
- Successful Co-Parenting (parenting-education class). Hardin County's required parenting/co-parenting education is provided through OSU Extension's "Successful Co-Parenting" program — $30 per participant, offered in person and/or online. Registration is required; call (419) 674-2297 for current Hardin County dates before relying on it for a specific case.
- Hardin County Probate Court (adoption & guardianship). One Courthouse Square, Suite 200, Kenton, OH 43326; (419) 674-2230. The separate Probate Court — not the Domestic Relations Division — handles stepparent and kinship adoptions ($200, plus $100 for publication if required) and guardianships; the Probate Court requires that you have an attorney for an adoption. It does not handle divorce or custody.
- Legal Aid of Western Ohio. (888) 534-1432. Free civil legal help for income-eligible Hardin County residents, including some family-law matters. The Ohio Supreme Court also posts statewide self-help forms for self-represented litigants.
Other Family-Law Topics in Hardin County
- Hardin County Divorce — Full filing guide with forms, the Clerk deposit, and the parenting class.
- Hardin County Custody — Where to file when parents are married vs. never married.
- Ohio Child Support Calculator — Run the 2024 Income Shares worksheet yourself.
- Ohio family-law resources — 88-county directory of courts and legal aid.
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.
- Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
- Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
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Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.
