Mahoning County Paternity Attorneys

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

Mahoning County, Ohio · Youngstown

Paternity is the legal recognition of a child's father. In Mahoning County, parentage for never-married parents is handled by the Juvenile Division (Hon. Theresa Dellick, 300 East Scott Street, Youngstown, (330) 740-2278). Once paternity is established — by Acknowledgment of Paternity, a prior judgment, or genetic testing — the court can allocate custody and parenting time and set child support.

Hire Gavvl for your Mahoning County paternity case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Mahoning County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start.

Start with a $25 consultation and talk through your options with an Ohio family-law attorney before you commit to anything. Get started online or see payment plans & financing.

How do I establish paternity in Mahoning County, Ohio?

If both parents agree, they can sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, which becomes final 60 days after signing. Otherwise, file a Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights & Parenting Time in the Mahoning County Juvenile Division (300 East Scott Street, Youngstown, (330) 740-2278) with the parenting-proceeding affidavit and the child-support worksheet; the court can order genetic testing. The Juvenile complaint fee is $140, plus a $15 Legal Aid (OLAF) fee on custody/parenting requests. Once paternity is established, the court allocates custody and parenting time and sets support under the Income Shares worksheet.

Hire Gavvl Law to establish paternity in Mahoning County

Paternity for never-married parents is a Juvenile Division matter in Mahoning County, heard by Judge Theresa Dellick at 300 East Scott Street in Youngstown ((330) 740-2278). It can be settled the easy way — a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity that becomes final 60 days after signing — or the contested way, a Complaint for Parentage with genetic testing on a $140 filing plus the $15 OLAF fee. Gavvl Law handles either route at a flat fee, with payment plans, and ties paternity to the custody and support orders that follow.

The 60-day acknowledgment window, used or challenged. A signed Acknowledgment of Paternity is final 60 days after the last signature; inside that window it can be rescinded through CSEA, and after it you must go to court within a year on fraud, duress, or mistake grounds (R.C. 3111.27). We advise you before the clock runs, not after.
Genetic testing when parentage is disputed. If the parties don't agree, we file the Complaint for Parentage with the parenting-proceeding affidavit and worksheet in the Juvenile Division and ask the court to order genetic testing, so the father is legally established before any custody or support order is entered.
Paternity that leads straight to custody and support. Until paternity is established, an unmarried mother is the sole residential parent and legal custodian. We pair establishing parentage with the custody, parenting-time, and Income Shares support orders so you don't have to open a second case to get them.

Because paternity in Mahoning County lives in the paper-filing Juvenile Division rather than Domestic Relations, the forms, the $140-plus-OLAF fee, and the process differ from a divorce. We file the parentage complaint and affidavits the way Judge Dellick's court on East Scott Street expects, then carry the case through testing and into the custody and support orders it makes possible.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the parentage complaint to establish legal paternity — adding custody and parenting time if you need it. You appear at any hearings yourself.

Establish paternity (parentage complaint): $950
Paternity with custody & parenting time: $1,350

Prefer full representation? An Ohio attorney can carry the entire case on a $3,500 retainer.

Split any flat fee with Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan at 19% APR, $500 minimum — on a 60%-down schedule of 18 weekly, 8 bi-weekly, or 4 monthly payments, or full financing where work begins once 60% is paid. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay.

Start your paternity case or see payment plans & financing.

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: Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division

Mahoning County Courthouse, 4th Floor, 120 Market Street, Youngstown, OH 44503-1753
Phone: (330) 740-2208
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (closed legal holidays)
Website: Court website

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas — Juvenile Division
300 East Scott Street, Youngstown, OH 44505
Phone: (330) 740-2278
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed legal holidays)

Paternity is the right path if…

You are an unmarried parent and paternity has not yet been legally established.
You want to establish a father's legal rights to custody and parenting time.
You need a child-support order that depends on paternity being established first.
You disagree about parentage and need the court to order genetic testing.

Filing Fees

Acknowledgment of Paternity: no court fee · Juvenile parentage complaint: $140 (+ $15 OLAF on custody/parenting requests) · genetic-testing costs may be assessed · confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Division at (330) 740-2278

Forms & Filing Packets

Both parents agree on paternity — No court fee to sign the Acknowledgment of Paternity

Sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity (through the hospital, CSEA, or vital records); it becomes final 60 days after signing. Then a parenting/support order can be entered in the Juvenile Division.

IV-D Application for Child Support Services — Opens a IV-D case with the Mahoning County CSEA so support is collected by automatic wage withholding, distributed, and enforced.
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.

Paternity is disputed (Juvenile Division) — $140 Juvenile complaint fee (+ $15 OLAF on custody/parenting requests)

File a Complaint for Parentage in the Juvenile Division with the parenting affidavit and worksheet; the court can order genetic testing before allocating custody and setting support.

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 Mahoning County

Decide whether parentage is agreed or disputed. If both parents agree, sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity; if not, prepare a Complaint for Parentage for the Juvenile Division.
File in the Juvenile Division. File the parentage complaint with the parenting-proceeding affidavit and the child-support worksheet at 300 East Scott Street, Youngstown, with the $140 fee.
Complete genetic testing if ordered. If parentage is disputed, the court orders genetic testing; results establish or exclude the alleged father.
Get custody, parenting time, and support orders. Once paternity is established, the court allocates custody and parenting time and sets support under the Income Shares worksheet; open a IV-D case for enforcement.

Mahoning County Practice Notes

Two separate courts: Domestic Relations and Juvenile. Mahoning County runs two separate courts. The Domestic Relations Division (Hon. Beth A. Smith, Mahoning County Courthouse, 4th Floor, 120 Market Street, Youngstown, (330) 740-2208) handles divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment — plus the custody, parenting time, and support that travel with them for married or divorcing parents. The separate Juvenile Division (Hon. Theresa Dellick, 300 East Scott Street, Youngstown, (330) 740-2278) handles paternity and custody for never-married parents and non-parent custody.
Acknowledgment of Paternity and the 60-day window. A signed Acknowledgment of Paternity becomes final 60 days after the last signature. Within those 60 days it can be rescinded through your local CSEA; after 60 days you must challenge it in court within one year on grounds of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact (R.C. 3111.27), and genetic testing is typically ordered. Until paternity is established, an unmarried mother is the sole residential parent and legal custodian.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do unmarried parents establish custody and support in Mahoning County?: An unmarried mother is the child's sole residential parent and legal custodian until a court orders otherwise. The father establishes rights by filing a Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights & Parenting Time in the Mahoning County Juvenile Division (300 East Scott Street, (330) 740-2278); paternity must be established (by Acknowledgment of Paternity, a prior judgment, or genetic testing) before the court allocates custody or sets support. The Juvenile complaint fee is $140 (plus the $15 OLAF fee on custody/parenting requests).
Do I file in the Domestic Relations or Juvenile Division in Mahoning County?: If you are married to (or were married to) the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the Domestic Relations Division (120 Market Street, Youngstown, (330) 740-2208). If you were never married, paternity and custody are handled by the separate Juvenile Division (Hon. Theresa Dellick, 300 East Scott Street, Youngstown, (330) 740-2278). Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are filed in the Juvenile Division.
How much does it cost to file a custody, parentage, or support case in the Juvenile Division?: In the Mahoning County Juvenile Division, a Complaint for Parentage, Custody, Third-Party Custody, Visitation, or a Petition for Order of Support is $140. A Motion for Custody or for Visitation/Modify Visitation is $115, and a Motion for Change of or to Modify Child Support is $100. An additional $15 Legal Aid (OLAF) fee applies to custody, visitation, and parenting motions and complaints. There are no filing costs for Juvenile CPO petitions. Confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Division at (330) 740-2278.
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 child's home state when the child has lived in Ohio with a parent for at least six consecutive months immediately before filing. If the child recently moved, the prior state may still have jurisdiction, and Ohio can decline jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum (R.C. 3127.21). An out-of-state custody order is registered under the UCCJEA before an Ohio court can enforce or modify it.

Free Local Resources in Mahoning County

Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court. Local forms, local rules, and filing information for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, custody, support, and protection orders at https://www.mahoningcountyoh.gov/699/Domestic-Relations-Court. E-filing is mandatory; the Clerk of Courts ((330) 740-2100) handles intake at 120 Market Street, Youngstown. Court staff cannot give legal advice or help complete forms.
Mahoning County Juvenile Division. Handles never-married-parent custody, parentage, parenting time, and child support, plus non-parent custody, at 300 East Scott Street, Youngstown (Hon. Theresa Dellick). Filing line (330) 740-2278; the Juvenile Division is a paper-filing court.
Mahoning County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Opens IV-D cases, runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, collects support by wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. Located at 345 Oak Hill Avenue, Youngstown, OH 44502; phone (330) 740-2600. Payment questions go to Ohio Child Support Payments at 1-800-860-2555.
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.
Community Legal Aid Services / VALU. Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Mahoning County and northeast Ohio, including the Volunteer Advocate Legal Unit (VALU) that assists with protection-order petitions and hearings. Intake line 1-800-998-9454.

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 Mahoning County family law

Ohio Paternity guide — Statewide overview of paternity in Ohio.
Akron family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Akron metro.
Mahoning County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Mahoning County guide.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
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