Establishing Paternity in Henry County

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

Henry County, Ohio · Napoleon

When parents are not married, parentage, custody, child support, and parenting time are decided in the Juvenile Division (4th floor) of the Henry County Family Court (Judge Melissa Peper Firestone; Magistrate Steve Callejas). 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 Henry County, Ohio?

There are three routes: a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity (often at the hospital); an administrative order through the Henry County CSEA, (419) 592-4633, which can order genetic testing; or a parentage complaint in the Juvenile Division (R.C. Chapter 3111) at 660 N. Perry St., 4th floor, Napoleon, (419) 599-5951, filed with the DR-3 (Parenting Proceeding) affidavit, the IV-D Application, and an Ohio child-support worksheet. The court can order genetic testing where parentage is disputed and can allocate custody, parenting time, and support in the same case. The privately filed juvenile deposit is $200; confirm current amounts before filing.

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: Henry County Family Court (Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division)

660 N. Perry St., Suite 401, Napoleon, OH 43545
Phone: (419) 599-5951
Hours: Monday–Friday (confirm current hours with the Clerk)
Website: henrycountyfamilycourt.com/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Henry County Family Court (Juvenile Division)
660 N. Perry St., Suite 401, Napoleon, OH 43545
Phone: (419) 599-5951
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

Juvenile parentage deposit $200 (privately filed) · administrative parentage via the CSEA · poverty-affidavit waiver available · confirm current amounts at (419) 599-5951 or the CSEA (419) 592-4633

Forms & Filing Packets

Parentage complaint with custody and support — $200 juvenile deposit

File the Juvenile Division parentage complaint with the DR-3 (Parenting Proceeding) affidavit, the IV-D Application, and the Ohio child-support worksheet, then serve the other parent. The court allocates parental rights and sets support in the same case.

Ohio Uniform Domestic Relations / Juvenile Forms (DR-1 – DR-4) — Henry County's Family Court uses the Ohio Supreme Court Uniform standardized forms (its four-county local rules label them DR-1 through DR-4 = Affidavits 1–4); it does not publish a separate county DR forms set. Download the complaint/petition, affidavits, separation agreement, parenting plan, and decree here.
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.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.

Genetic testing route

Where parentage is disputed, ask the court to order genetic testing; parentage can also be established administratively through the Henry County CSEA, (419) 592-4633, before or instead of a court case.

Ohio Uniform Domestic Relations / Juvenile Forms (DR-1 – DR-4) — Henry County's Family Court uses the Ohio Supreme Court Uniform standardized forms (its four-county local rules label them DR-1 through DR-4 = Affidavits 1–4); it does not publish a separate county DR forms set. Download the complaint/petition, affidavits, separation agreement, parenting plan, and decree here.
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 Henry County

Choose the route. Sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, establish parentage administratively through the Henry County CSEA, (419) 592-4633, or file a parentage complaint in the Juvenile Division.
Prepare the complaint packet. Complete the Juvenile Division parentage complaint, the DR-3 (Parenting Proceeding) affidavit, the IV-D Application, and an Ohio child-support worksheet.
File and serve. File at 660 N. Perry St., 4th floor, Napoleon, (419) 599-5951, pay the $200 deposit (or a poverty affidavit), and serve the other parent.
Resolve parentage and orders. The court can order genetic testing where parentage is disputed, then allocate parental rights, parenting time, and support.

Henry County Practice Notes

Henry County's combined Family Court. Henry County has a combined Family Court (Judge Melissa Peper Firestone; Magistrate Steve Callejas) at 660 N. Perry St., Suite 401, Napoleon, (419) 599-5951. The Domestic Relations Division (3rd floor) hears divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment; the Juvenile Division (4th floor) hears parentage, custody, and support for never-married parents. Adoptions, name changes, and marriage licenses are handled by the separate Probate Division (Judge Amy C. Rosebrook, Suite 203, (419) 592-7771).
Juvenile filing deposits ($200) and GAL/CASA. For never-married parents, a privately filed parentage, allocation-of-parental-rights, or parenting-time case carries a $200 deposit (not the $325/$400 Domestic Relations schedule). A Guardian ad Litem appointment is $1,000, a CASA appointment $150, a court evaluation $100, and a motion to re-open $150. A poverty affidavit can waive prepayment. Confirm current amounts on the court-costs page or at (419) 599-5951.
Support handled through the Henry County CSEA. Child support is established, reviewed, and enforced through the Henry County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), 104 E. Washington St., Hahn Center Suite 202, Napoleon, (419) 592-4633 (toll-free 888-844-9783). The CSEA can order genetic testing, set support administratively, and enforce orders through wage withholding, license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals.
Henry uses the Ohio Uniform DR forms. Henry County's Family Court uses the Ohio Supreme Court Uniform Domestic Relations/Juvenile standardized forms — its four-county local rules label them DR-1 (Income & Expenses), DR-2 (Property), DR-3 (Parenting Proceeding), and DR-4 (Health Insurance). The court does not publish a separate county DR forms set. With children, Local Rule 10.01 also requires the IV-D Application.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I establish paternity in Henry County?: Three routes: a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity (often at the hospital); an administrative order through the Henry County CSEA, (419) 592-4633 (which can order genetic testing); or a parentage complaint in the Juvenile Division (R.C. Chapter 3111), where the court can order genetic testing and enter a parentage judgment. Establishing paternity is the legal foundation for an unmarried father's custody and parenting-time rights and for a child-support order.
Do unmarried parents file custody in the Domestic Relations or Juvenile Division in Henry County?: If you are or were married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce or dissolution in the Domestic Relations Division (3rd floor). If you were never married, parentage and custody are handled by the Juvenile Division (4th floor) of the same Family Court. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are always filed in the Juvenile Division.
What does it cost to file a custody or parentage case in the Henry County Juvenile Division?: A privately filed parentage, allocation-of-parental-rights, or parenting-time case carries a $200 deposit. A Guardian ad Litem appointment is $1,000 and a CASA appointment is $150; a court evaluation is $100; a motion to re-open a juvenile case is $150. A poverty affidavit can waive prepayment. Confirm current amounts on the court-costs page or at (419) 599-5951.
How is child support paid and enforced in Henry County?: Child support is set under the Ohio guidelines (2024 Income Shares, R.C. Chapter 3119) and administered with the Henry County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), 104 E. Washington St., Hahn Center Suite 202, Napoleon, (419) 592-4633 (toll-free 888-844-9783). The CSEA can order genetic testing, establish or review support administratively, and enforce orders through wage withholding, license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals.

Free Local Resources in Henry County

Henry County Clerk of Courts (record custodian). 660 N. Perry St., Suite 302, Napoleon, OH 43545; (419) 592-5886. The Clerk is the record custodian for Family Court filings, posts the filing-fee schedule, and confirms current deposits and copy counts. There is no general e-filing portal — file in person or by mail. Court costs can be paid online at https://payments.lexisnexis.com/oh/co/henry/familycourt or by phone at (888) 562-9935.
Henry County Family Court (Domestic Relations & Juvenile Divisions). 660 N. Perry St., Suite 401, Napoleon, OH 43545; (419) 599-5951 (https://henrycountyfamilycourt.com/). One combined Family Court — Judge Melissa Peper Firestone and Magistrate Steve Callejas hear both Domestic Relations (3rd floor) and Juvenile (4th floor) cases, including divorce, dissolution, custody, parenting time, support, paternity, and non-parent custody.
Henry County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). 104 E. Washington St., Hahn Center Suite 202, Napoleon, OH 43545; (419) 592-4633 (toll-free 888-844-9783). The county IV-D agency establishes, calculates, collects, and enforces child support. Open a IV-D case to set up automatic wage withholding and enforcement.
Henry County Family, Adult & Children's Services (FACS). (419) 592-4210. 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).
Henry County Probate Division (adoption, name change, marriage). 660 N. Perry St., 2nd Floor (Suite 203), Napoleon, OH 43545; (419) 592-7771 (https://www.henrycountyohio.gov/261/Probate-Division). Judge Amy C. Rosebrook's separate Probate Division handles stepparent and kinship adoptions, name changes, and marriage licenses — not divorce or custody.

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.
Toledo family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Toledo metro.
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