Establishing Paternity in Lawrence County

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

Lawrence County, Ohio · Ironton

When parents were never married, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided in the Probate & Juvenile Court (R.C. 2151.23), not in a divorce. Establishing parentage — who the legal father is — usually comes first under R.C. Chapter 3111, then the Juvenile Court allocates parental rights and sets support.

How do I establish paternity in Lawrence County, Ohio?

There are three ways to establish parentage: sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity (often at the hospital — once final it has the effect of a court order); have the Lawrence County CSEA establish it administratively with genetic testing if needed ((740) 533-4338); or file a parentage complaint in the Probate & Juvenile Court (Form 23 / Juvenile Form 2). The court can order genetic testing if paternity is contested. Once parentage is established, the same juvenile case can allocate parental rights — sole custody or shared parenting — set a parenting-time schedule using the county's Standard Visitation Guidelines (Local Rule 53), and order child support under the Ohio guidelines. Confirm the current juvenile deposit with the Probate & Juvenile Court at (740) 533-4372.

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: Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas (General Division)

3rd Floor Annex Building, 111 South 4th Street, Ironton, OH 45638
Phone: (740) 533-4329
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: www.lawcocp.us

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Lawrence County Probate & Juvenile Court
111 South 4th Street, Ironton, OH 45638
Phone: (740) 533-4372
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 Lawrence County CSEA for the child.

Filing Fees

A parentage/custody/support filing is made in the Probate & Juvenile Court; confirm the current deposit with the court at (740) 533-4372 (a fee waiver is available). Open a IV-D case with the Lawrence County CSEA so support can be collected through the Ohio Child Support Payment Central. Lawrence County does not fix family-law filing fees in its local rules — the deposit is set on the Clerk's cost schedule (Local Rule 4), so confirm the current amount with the Lawrence County Clerk of Courts before filing (case search / e-services at https://eservices.lawrencecountyclerk.com; domestic-relations office (740) 533-4329). A poverty (indigency) affidavit can substitute for the deposit, but costs must be paid in full before a final decree is accepted, and a publication deposit is required in all cases (even with an indigency affidavit) when service is by publication. For never-married-parent and juvenile cases, confirm the current deposit with the Probate & Juvenile Court at (740) 533-4372.

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish parentage and set custody/support — Confirm the current juvenile deposit with the Probate & Juvenile Court at (740) 533-4372

File a complaint for parentage and allocation of parental rights in the Probate & Juvenile Court (Form 23 / Juvenile Form 2), with the Parenting Proceeding (UCCJEA) Affidavit and a child-support worksheet. Genetic testing may be ordered; once parentage is established, the court sets custody, parenting time, and support in the same case.

Complaint for Parentage & Allocation of Parental Rights (Form 23 / Juvenile Form 2) — 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 Parenting Proceeding (UCCJEA) 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 — Confirm the current juvenile deposit with the Probate & Juvenile Court at (740) 533-4372

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 Visitation Guidelines (Local Rule 53) as the default schedule.

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 Lawrence County

Establish parentage. Use an Acknowledgment of Paternity, the Lawrence County CSEA process, or a parentage complaint in the Probate & Juvenile Court; the court can order genetic testing.
File for allocation. File for custody, parenting time, and support in the Juvenile Court, with the Parenting Proceeding (UCCJEA) Affidavit and a child-support worksheet.
Open a IV-D case with the CSEA. Apply with the Lawrence County CSEA at (740) 533-4338 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 guardian ad litem (Sup.R. 48) in a contested case, and adopts a parenting-time schedule.

Lawrence County Practice Notes

Unmarried-parent cases are Juvenile Court, not the divorce docket. In Lawrence County, custody, parenting time, and support for never-married parents are handled by the Probate & Juvenile Court (Juvenile Division) under R.C. 2151.23 before Hon. Patricia Sanders, (740) 533-4372 — a different court from the General Division that hears divorces. Confirm the juvenile deposit with that court, not the Clerk's domestic cost schedule.
Use Ohio's custody vocabulary. Ohio uses 'shared parenting' (both parents legal custodian and residential parent under an approved plan) or 'sole custody' (one residential parent and legal custodian) — not 'joint' or 'primary' custody. The court applies the R.C. 3109.04 best-interest factors with the county's Standard Visitation Guidelines (Local Rule 53) as the default.

Frequently Asked Questions

We were never married — which court do we use in Lawrence County?: When parents were never married, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided in the Probate & Juvenile Court (Juvenile Division) under R.C. 2151.23, before Hon. Patricia Sanders, (740) 533-4372 — not the General Division divorce docket. Married (or formerly married) parents have custody decided in the divorce/dissolution in the General Division. Confirm the right court for your situation, especially when a non-parent is involved.
Do I have to establish paternity before custody or support in Lawrence County?: Usually yes. Before the Juvenile Court can order custody or support for an unmarried father, parentage normally must be established. You can do that by signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity, through the Lawrence County CSEA administratively (with genetic testing if needed), or by filing a parentage complaint in the Probate & Juvenile Court (Form 23 / Juvenile Form 2). The court can order genetic testing if paternity is contested.
What does the Lawrence County CSEA do?: The Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), part of the Department of Job & Family Services at 1100 South 7th Street, Ironton ((740) 533-4338), establishes paternity, sets and collects child support under the Ohio guidelines, and can review existing orders administratively. Support payments run through the Ohio Child Support Payment Central — even amounts paid directly to the local CSEA are credited through the state payment center.
What is the standard parenting-time schedule in Lawrence County?: Under the county's Standard Visitation Guidelines (Local Rule 53), the non-residential parent has alternating weekends from 6:00 p.m. Friday to 8:00 p.m. Sunday — but ending 6:00 p.m. Sunday if the following Monday is a school or pre-school day — plus one weekday evening 4:00–8:00 p.m. (Wednesday if the parties can't agree). Holidays alternate by even/odd year, the non-residential parent has Christmas from 4:00 p.m. December 25 to 6:00 p.m. December 28, and there are Mother's Day, Father's Day, and birthday provisions. The schedule can be changed on motion if it is in the children's best interest; liberal arrangements beyond the minimum are encouraged.
Will the court appoint a guardian ad litem in Lawrence County?: In a contested custody case, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem (GAL) to investigate and recommend a parenting plan in the child's best interest, consistent with Sup.R. 48. The court may also order a custody investigation (Local Rule 52). Ask the court about any GAL deposit and how the fees are assessed between the parties.

Free Local Resources in Lawrence County

Lawrence County Clerk of Courts. The Clerk handles filing, fees, and the docket for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, DVCPOs, and domestic-relations post-decree matters in the General Division. File at 111 South 4th Street, Ironton; case search and e-services at https://eservices.lawrencecountyclerk.com. Confirm the current deposit on the Clerk's cost schedule and packet requirements before filing (domestic-relations office (740) 533-4329).
Lawrence County Probate & Juvenile Court. The Probate & Juvenile Court (Hon. Patricia Sanders) handles never-married parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support, plus non-parent custody and adoption. Confirm juvenile filing deposits and procedures at (740) 533-4372 or https://lawrenceohiopjc.org/juvenile.php.
Lawrence County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). The CSEA, part of the Department of Job & Family Services at 1100 South 7th Street, Ironton ((740) 533-4338), establishes paternity, sets support under Ohio's guidelines, collects by income withholding, and can review existing orders. Support payments run through the Ohio Child Support Payment Central. More at https://www.lawrencecountydjfs.com/child-support.htm.
Common Pleas Rules of Practice (Local Rules). The Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas Rules of Practice set the cost schedule (Rule 4), Domestic Track (Rule 21), magistrate/objection rules (Rules 35, 40), mediation (Rule 37), custody investigations (Rule 52), and the Standard Visitation Guidelines (Rule 53). Read them through the Law Library at https://lawrencelawlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Rules-of-Practice-Common-Pleas-2013-to-Print-web.pdf.
Lawrence County Law Library. The Law Library offers online resources and the local rules for self-represented parties and attorneys at https://lawrencelawlibrary.org.
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.

Keep exploring

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