Establishing Paternity in Lucas County

Lucas County, Ohio · Toledo

When parents were never married, paternity in Lucas County is handled by the Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division at the Juvenile Justice Center, 1801 Spielbusch Avenue, in Toledo. Establishing legal parentage is the gateway to custody, parenting time, and child support — it can be done by a voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity, by genetic testing through the Lucas County CSEA, or by filing a parentage complaint.

How do I establish paternity in Lucas County?

There are two main paths. The fastest is a voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (Ohio form JFS 07038) signed by both parents and filed with the state's Central Paternity Registry. If parentage is disputed, file a Complaint to Establish the Parent-Child Relationship in the Juvenile Division (1801 Spielbusch Avenue) or ask the Lucas County CSEA to open an administrative case; either can order genetic testing. Once parentage is established, the same case can set custody, parenting time, and support.

Where to File: Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

Family Court Center, 429 N. Michigan Street, Toledo, OH 43604, Toledo, OH 43604
Phone: (419) 213-6901
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Website: www.co.lucas.oh.us/178/Domestic-Relations-Division
e-Filing: https://www.co.lucas.oh.us/99/Domestic-Relations-Online-Dockets

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division (Juvenile Justice Center)
1801 Spielbusch Avenue, Toledo, OH 43604, Toledo, OH 43604
Phone: (419) 213-6722
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Paternity is the right path if…

  • The parents were not married when the child was born.
  • A legal father must be established before custody, parenting time, or support can be ordered.
  • Paternity is disputed and genetic testing may be needed.
  • You want the father added to the birth record or to pursue child support.

Filing Fees

No fee to sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity · Juvenile Division court costs apply to a contested parentage complaint

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish parentage in the Juvenile Division — Court costs are due at filing; a Poverty Affidavit can waive them if you qualify.

File a parentage complaint when paternity is disputed or you need a court order allocating custody, parenting time, and support.

Administrative paternity through Lucas County CSEA

The Lucas County Child Support Enforcement Agency (3737 W. Sylvania Avenue) can establish paternity and a support order administratively, including ordering genetic testing.

How to File Paternity in Lucas County

  1. Choose your path. If both parents agree, sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity (JFS 07038). If paternity is disputed, plan to file in the Juvenile Division or open a CSEA case for genetic testing.
  2. Complete the parentage packet. Fill out the Complaint to Establish the Parent-Child Relationship packet and the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3).
  3. File in the Juvenile Division. File at the Juvenile Justice Center, 1801 Spielbusch Avenue, Toledo, and serve the other parent. Request genetic testing if parentage is contested.
  4. Resolve custody and support. Once parentage is established, the court allocates custody and parenting time and sets child support using the Ohio Child Support Worksheet.

Lucas County Practice Notes

  • Acknowledgment becomes final after 60 days. A signed Acknowledgment of Paternity (JFS 07038) can be rescinded within 60 days of filing with the Central Paternity Registry. After that it has the force of a court order and can only be challenged within one year for fraud, duress, or material mistake.
  • Parentage unlocks everything else. Until paternity is legally established, the court cannot order custody, parenting time, or child support, and the father has no enforceable rights. Establish parentage first, then the same Juvenile case can decide the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do never-married parents file custody in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Lucas County?
In Lucas County, married and divorcing parents resolve custody, parenting time, and support inside their divorce or dissolution at the Domestic Relations Division (Family Court Center, 429 N. Michigan Street). Never-married parents file parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support at the Juvenile Division (Juvenile Justice Center, 1801 Spielbusch Avenue). Non-parent and grandparent custody petitions also go to the Juvenile Division.
When does the Lucas County Juvenile Court order genetic testing for paternity?
When parentage is disputed, the Juvenile Division (Juvenile Justice Center, 1801 Spielbusch Avenue) or the Lucas County CSEA can order genetic testing before paternity is established. A result showing a 99% or higher probability creates a presumption of fatherhood. Once parentage is established — by a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity, a genetic test, or a court order — the court can allocate custody, parenting time, and child support in the same case.
Can a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity be undone in Ohio?
A signed Acknowledgment of Paternity (Ohio form JFS 07038) becomes final 60 days after it is filed with the Office of Child Support's Central Paternity Registry. Within those 60 days either signer can rescind it by filing with the registry. After 60 days it carries the force of a court order and can only be challenged within one year, and only for fraud, duress, or a material mistake of fact — generally requiring genetic testing through the Juvenile Division or CSEA.
How is child support handled in Lucas County?
Support is calculated on the legislatively adopted Ohio Child Support Worksheet and collected through the Lucas County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) at 3737 W. Sylvania Avenue, Toledo, OH 43623, (419) 213-3001. Direct payments to the other parent are treated as gifts, not support, so route payments through CSEA wage withholding. File the JFS 07076 Application for Child Support Services when an order is established.
What is a IV-D application and why do I need one?
A IV-D Application (JFS 07076) opens a child-support case with the Lucas County CSEA. Once opened, CSEA collects support through automatic wage withholding, distributes it to the receiving parent, and can enforce the order through license suspension, federal tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals. Filing a IV-D Application is standard whenever a child-support order is issued.
What does it mean for Ohio to be my child's 'home state' under the UCCJEA?
Under the UCCJEA (R.C. 3127), Ohio is the children's home state when they have lived in Ohio with a parent for at least 6 consecutive months immediately before the filing. If the children recently moved, the prior state may still have jurisdiction. Ohio courts can also decline jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum under R.C. 3127.21 even when home-state requirements are met. The Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Uniform DR Affidavit 3) is how you swear to those facts.

Free Local Resources in Lucas County

  • Lucas County DR Division — Forms Hub (Schedules 1–5). Every Domestic Relations local Schedule form, the Uniform Ohio forms, and the filing instructions are posted free at co.lucas.oh.us/1360/Domestic-Relations-Division-Forms.
  • Court Counseling Department (4th Floor, Family Court Center). Established 1938 — handles family evaluations, mediation, conciliation assessments, intake services, and parenting-education scheduling through the Family Court Center.
  • Domestic Violence Resource Center (2nd Floor, Family Court Center). Helps petitioners obtain Civil Protection Orders. Call (419) 213-2700.
  • Lucas County CSEA. Child Support Enforcement Agency at 3737 W. Sylvania Avenue, Toledo, OH 43623, (419) 213-3001 — opens cases, collects, and enforces support.

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Call +1-844-694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.