Establishing Paternity in Logan County

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

Logan County, Ohio · Bellefontaine

When parents are not married, the law decides custody, parenting time, and support through the Juvenile section of the Family Court (R.C. 2151.23), not Domestic Relations. 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 Logan 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 Juvenile section of the Family 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 Logan County Visitation Guidelines, and order child support. Any case involving children requires the Application for Child Support Services. Juvenile filing deposits: confirm with the Juvenile Department at (937) 599-7245.

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: Logan County Court of Common Pleas, Family Court Division

101 S. Main Street, Bellefontaine, OH 43311
Phone: (937) 292-4043
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Website: www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court---family-court.html

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Logan County Court of Common Pleas, Family Court Division — Juvenile
101 S. Main Street, Bellefontaine, OH 43311
Phone: (937) 599-7245
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 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 section to set custody, parenting time, and child support.
You are ready to file the Application for Child Support Services for the child.

Filing Fees

Juvenile new-filing deposits are not on a posted schedule — confirm the current amount with the Juvenile Department. A fee waiver is available, and any case involving children requires the Application for Child Support Services. Court fees and deposits change — confirm the current amount with the Logan County Clerk of Courts before filing: Domestic Relations Department (937) 292-4043 or the Family Court main line (937) 599-7249 (Juvenile Department (937) 599-7245 for never-married-parent cases).

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish parentage and set custody/support — Juvenile filing deposit: confirm with the Juvenile Department (waiver available)

File a complaint for parentage and allocation of parental rights in the Juvenile section. 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 (Logan Juvenile) — Used by a never-married parent to establish parentage and ask the Juvenile section 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.
Application for Child Support Services (Logan County, 3-6-18) — Required (Title IV-D) under DR Loc. R. 1.03 in any Logan County case involving children. It opens the CSEA support case so support can be collected by income withholding and enforced. Tip: File this whenever children are involved, even if you and the other parent currently agree on an amount.

Set custody and support after parentage is established — Juvenile filing deposit: confirm with the Juvenile Department (waiver available)

When paternity is already acknowledged or adjudicated, file in the Juvenile section to allocate parental rights and set parenting time and support, using the Logan County Visitation Guidelines 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.
Logan County Visitation Guidelines (Form DR-01, eff. 1-19-18) — The court's standard parenting-time schedule, applied as the default when parents do not agree on something different. The posted PDF is a scanned document, so confirm the current schedule specifics (holidays, distance, exchanges) with the court. Tip: Use these as your starting point; the court can tailor a different schedule when it fits the children.

How to File Paternity in Logan County

Establish parentage. Use an Acknowledgment of Paternity, the CSEA process, or a parentage complaint in the Juvenile section; the court can order genetic testing.
File for allocation. File for custody, parenting time, and support in the Juvenile section, with the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and a child-support worksheet.
File the Application for Child Support Services. Submit the Logan Application for Child Support Services so the CSEA can set up and enforce support.
Attend the hearing. The court applies the R.C. 3109.04 best-interest factors, can appoint a GAL in a contested case, and adopts a parenting-time schedule.

Logan County Practice Notes

Unmarried-parent cases are Juvenile, not Domestic Relations. In Logan County, custody, parenting time, and support for never-married parents are handled in the Juvenile section of the Family Court under R.C. 2151.23 — a different section (and phone, (937) 599-7245) from the Domestic Relations 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 Logan County Visitation Guidelines as the default schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I file custody in Domestic Relations or Juvenile in Logan 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 Domestic Relations section. If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are handled in the Juvenile section — both sections are in the same combined Family Court at 101 S. Main Street, Bellefontaine.
Do I have to establish paternity before getting custody in Logan 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 section — before the court can set custody, parenting time, or support for the father. The court can order genetic testing.
How does the Logan County CSEA help with child support?: Any Logan County case involving children requires the Application for Child Support Services (a Title IV-D application, DR Loc. R. 1.03), which opens the CSEA case. The CSEA sets support under Ohio's guidelines, collects it by income withholding, and can administratively review and adjust an existing order; a contested result can go to the court.
What parenting-time schedule does Logan County use?: When parents cannot agree, the court applies the Logan County Visitation Guidelines (Form DR-01, eff. 1-19-18) as the default schedule. The posted guidelines PDF is a scanned document, so confirm the current specifics (holiday rotation, distance provisions, exchanges) with the court. Parents can agree on their own plan instead, which the court usually approves if it fits the children.
When does Logan County appoint a guardian ad litem, and what does it cost?: Under DR Loc. R. 8, the court appoints a Guardian ad Litem to protect a child's interest in contested custody and parenting-time matters (and where required by statute). GAL fees are 14 hours x $50 = $700; anything over $700 requires prior written court approval. A deposit is required at appointment, and fees are assessed between the parties. If both parties are indigent, the court may appoint someone to serve pro bono or with partial public funding. CASA of Logan County also provides trained volunteer advocates.

Free Local Resources in Logan County

Logan County Court of Common Pleas — Family Court Division. The single combined Family Court for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, post-decree matters, and protection orders (Domestic Relations), plus never-married-parent custody/support, non-parent custody, and CPS (Juvenile), and adoption (Probate), at 101 S. Main Street, Bellefontaine. Family Court main line (937) 599-7249; Domestic Relations (937) 292-4043; Juvenile (937) 599-7245; Probate (937) 599-7252. DR/civil documents can be e-filed by email before 4:15 p.m. Court information and rules are at https://www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court---family-court.html.
Logan County Domestic Relations Forms. Logan County uses the Ohio Supreme Court standardized DR/Juvenile forms, plus a few local forms (the Visitation Guidelines, the Application for Child Support Services, and the Affidavit of Indigency). The DR forms page is at https://www.logancountyohio.gov/domestic-relations-forms.html.
Logan County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Any case involving children requires the Application for Child Support Services (Title IV-D). The CSEA sets support under Ohio's guidelines, collects by income withholding, and can review existing orders. Confirm contact details with the Family Court at (937) 599-7249.
CASA of Logan County. Provides trained volunteer Guardian ad Litem advocates for children in contested cases. Learn more at https://www.casaoflogancounty.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.

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