Establishing Paternity in Madison County

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

Madison County, Ohio · London

When parents are not married, parentage, custody, child support, and parenting time are decided in the Madison County Probate & Juvenile Court (Judge Christopher J. Brown, 1 N. Main St., London). 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 Madison County, Ohio?

In Madison County, paternity is usually established administratively first: the Madison County CSEA, 200 Midway St., London, (740) 852-4770, can confirm parentage by a signed Paternity Affidavit or genetic testing. A parentage action filed in the Madison County Juvenile Division must be preceded by a CSEA administrative determination under R.C. 3111.22 (Juv. Loc.R. 16). For the court route, file a Petition to Establish Paternity at 1 N. Main St., London, with the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3) and a support worksheet, then serve the other parent (or use a Waiver of Service of Summons); the $200 deposit applies under Appendix A of the Juvenile Local Rules, and the court can order genetic testing and may appoint a Guardian ad Litem.

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: Madison County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

1 N. Main Street, London, OH 43140
Phone: (740) 852-9776
Hours: Monday–Friday (confirm current public-counter hours with the Clerk)
Website: www.co.madison.oh.us/departments/court_system/common_pleas/index.php

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

$200 Juvenile parentage deposit · GAL adds $2,000 (request within 90 days) · administrative parentage via CSEA · confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Division or CSEA at (740) 852-4770

Forms & Filing Packets

Petition to establish parentage and parenting orders — $200 Juvenile deposit (Appendix A)

A court parentage action must be preceded by a CSEA administrative determination (R.C. 3111.22; Juv. Loc.R. 16). For the court route, file the Petition to Establish Paternity with the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and a support worksheet, then serve the other parent.

Petition to Establish Paternity — Madison County Juvenile — Asks the Juvenile Division to legally establish a child's father (parentage), the foundation for custody, parenting time, and support orders.
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.
Waiver of Service of Summons — Madison County Juvenile — Lets the other parent voluntarily accept service in a Juvenile case instead of being formally served.

Genetic testing add-on

Where parentage is disputed, ask the court to order genetic testing; parentage can also be established administratively through the Madison County CSEA before or instead of a court case.

Petition to Establish Paternity — Madison County Juvenile — Asks the Juvenile Division to legally establish a child's father (parentage), the foundation for custody, parenting time, and support orders.
Madison County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) — The Madison County CSEA, 200 Midway St., London, (740) 852-4770, establishes, calculates, collects, and enforces child support. Payments are processed through the Ohio CSPC.

How to File Paternity in Madison County

Start with a CSEA determination (required first). A court parentage action must be preceded by a CSEA administrative determination under R.C. 3111.22 (Juv. Loc.R. 16). Madison County CSEA, (740) 852-4770, can establish paternity by a signed Paternity Affidavit or genetic testing — often resolving parentage without a court case.
Prepare the petition packet. If a court case is needed, complete the Petition to Establish Paternity, the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3), and a support worksheet.
File with the $200 deposit. File at the Juvenile Division, 1 N. Main St., London, and pay the $200 deposit (Appendix A).
Serve and resolve parentage. Serve the other parent (or use a Waiver of Service of Summons); the court can order genetic testing where parentage is disputed.
Get the parenting orders. The court allocates parental rights, parenting time, and support once parentage is established.

Madison County Practice Notes

A Juvenile parentage case must follow a CSEA administrative determination. Before a parentage action is filed in the Madison County Juvenile Division, the plaintiff must first request a CSEA administrative determination under R.C. 3111.22 (Madison Co. Juv. Loc.R. 16). In most cases paternity is established administratively through the Madison County CSEA, 200 Midway St., London, (740) 852-4770 — by a signed Paternity Affidavit or genetic testing — and a court parentage case follows only if it is not resolved that way.
Juvenile Division uses its own local form set. Unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting-time cases are filed in the Probate & Juvenile Court (Judge Christopher J. Brown, 1 N. Main St., London, (740) 852-0760) using its local PDF forms. The court is open 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. M-F; self-represented parents reactivating a case by motion are not accepted after 3:30 p.m. (Juv. Loc.R. 3).
Guardian ad Litem in Juvenile cases ($2,000; request within 90 days). In a contested Juvenile custody or parenting case the court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem. A GAL adds a $2,000 deposit, and the request must be made within 90 days of the original complaint or motion or it is waived (Juv. Loc.R. 25).
Support runs through Madison County CSEA. Child-support services run through the Madison County Child Support Enforcement Agency, 200 Midway St., London, (740) 852-4770. CSEA can establish, calculate, collect, and enforce support; payments are processed through the Ohio CSPC. Support is calculated under Ohio's 2024 Income Shares model.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to go through CSEA before filing a paternity case in Madison County?: Yes. Before a parentage action can be filed in the Madison County Juvenile Division, the plaintiff must first request a CSEA administrative determination under R.C. 3111.22 (Madison Co. Juv. Loc.R. 16). Madison County CSEA (200 Midway St., London, (740) 852-4770) can establish paternity administratively by a signed Paternity Affidavit or genetic testing; in most cases parentage is resolved this way without a court case, and a Juvenile parentage filing follows only if the administrative route does not resolve it.
Married vs. never-married parents — which court decides custody in Madison County?: If you are or were married, custody and parenting time are decided as part of the divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas. If the parents were never married, parentage, custody, support, and parenting time are decided in the Juvenile Division (R.C. 2151.23) using the Juvenile Division's local forms.
What does it cost to file a custody, paternity, or support case in the Madison County Juvenile Division?: Under Appendix A of the Juvenile Local Rules, a new or modified custody, parentage, child-support, or visitation case is a $200 deposit; a motion for change of custody for school purposes only is $100; and a contempt motion is $100. Publication is $75, and a Guardian ad Litem adds a $2,000 deposit (request within 90 days, Juv. Loc.R. 25). The Clerk may demand up to $150 more if the deposit is insufficient. Fees change — confirm with the Juvenile Division at (740) 852-0760.
How is child support handled in Madison County?: Child-support services run through the Madison County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), 200 Midway St., London, (740) 852-4770. CSEA can establish, calculate, collect, and enforce support; support is calculated under Ohio's 2024 Income Shares model. Payments are processed through the Ohio CSPC. Support is ordered in the General Division for married/divorcing parents or the Juvenile Division for never-married parents.
Which court handles family-law cases in Madison County?: The General Division of the Madison County Court of Common Pleas (Judge Eamon P. Costello, 1 N. Main St., London) hears all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases — there is no separate Domestic Relations court, and most domestic matters are referred to a magistrate (C.P. Loc.R. 6.1). The combined Probate & Juvenile Court (Judge Christopher J. Brown, 1 N. Main St., London) handles unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting time (Juvenile, R.C. 2151.23) and adoptions (Probate). Domestic-relations cases are filed through the Clerk of Courts at (740) 852-9776.

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.
Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.

Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.