Establishing Paternity in Monroe County

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

Monroe County, Ohio · Woodsfield

When parents were never married, an unmarried mother is the child's sole residential parent and legal custodian until a court orders otherwise. Establishing paternity gives the father legal rights and responsibilities and lets the court set custody, parenting time, and support. In Monroe County, Juvenile Local Rule 1 requires you to first request a CSEA administrative determination of parentage before filing a court parentage action in the combined Probate/Juvenile Division.

How do I establish paternity in Monroe County, Ohio?

Paternity can be established by a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity, a prior court judgment, or genetic testing. In Monroe County, Juvenile Local Rule 1 requires you to first request an administrative determination of parentage from the CSEA (Monroe County DJFS, 100 Home Avenue, (740) 472-1602) before filing a court action. Once parentage is established, file a Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights (Form 23) in the combined Probate/Juvenile Division (Room 39, (740) 472-5790) with the parenting affidavit and child-support worksheet; the new-case deposit is $100.

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: Monroe County Court of Common Pleas — General Division

101 North Main Street, Room 33, Woodsfield, OH 43793
Phone: (740) 472-0841
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed legal holidays)
Website: www.monroecountyohio.com/government/clerk_of_courts/common_pleas_court/index.php

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Monroe County Combined Probate/Juvenile Division
101 North Main Street, Room 39, Woodsfield, OH 43793
Phone: (740) 472-5790
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed legal holidays)

Paternity is the right path if…

You and the other parent were never married to each other.
You need to legally establish who the father is (Acknowledgment, judgment, or genetic testing).
You want the court to set custody, parenting time, and support after parentage is established.
You understand you must request a CSEA administrative determination first (Juvenile Local Rule 1).

Filing Fees

CSEA administrative parentage determination required first (Juvenile Local Rule 1) · new Juvenile custody/parentage case $100 · reopen $60 · fee waiver available · confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Division (740) 472-5790 or the CSEA (740) 472-1602

Forms & Filing Packets

Paternity not yet established — CSEA administrative determination (confirm any cost with the CSEA)

Request a CSEA administrative determination of parentage first (Juvenile Local Rule 1). Genetic testing may be ordered if paternity is disputed. The CSEA can also handle support administratively.

Application for Child Support Services (JFS 07076) — Opens a IV-D case with the Monroe County CSEA (Monroe County DJFS) so the agency can establish, collect, and enforce support through wage withholding and other tools.
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.

Parentage established — set custody and support — $100 new Juvenile case

Once parentage is established, file the Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights (Form 23) in the Juvenile Division with the parenting affidavit (UCCJEA) and the child-support worksheet to set a residential parent, parenting time, and support.

Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities (Ohio SC Form 23 / JF 2) — Filed in the Juvenile Division to ask the court to name a residential parent and legal custodian and set parenting time when the parents were never married. In Monroe County you must first request a CSEA administrative parentage determination (Juvenile Local Rule 1) before a court parentage action.
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 Monroe County

Request the CSEA administrative determination. Start at the Monroe County CSEA (DJFS, 100 Home Avenue, Woodsfield, (740) 472-1602) to request an administrative determination of parentage, as Juvenile Local Rule 1 requires before a court action.
Complete genetic testing if needed. If paternity is disputed, the CSEA or court can order genetic testing to confirm the biological father.
File the parentage/custody complaint. After parentage is established, file the Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights (Form 23) in the Juvenile Division (Room 39) with the parenting affidavit and child-support worksheet; pay the $100 deposit or request a waiver.
Attend the hearing. The court sets custody, parenting time, and support, applying the R.C. 3109.04(F) best-interest factors; a Guardian ad Litem may be appointed in a contested case.

Monroe County Practice Notes

Administrative parentage determination comes first (Local Rule 1). Juvenile Local Rule 1 says you may not file a court action to establish the parent-child relationship before first requesting an administrative determination of parentage from the CSEA (Monroe County DJFS, (740) 472-1602). Plan to start there; the CSEA can also order genetic testing and open a support case.
Parentage unlocks custody and support. Until paternity is established, an unmarried mother is the sole residential parent and legal custodian. Once parentage is established, the Juvenile Division can allocate parental rights, set parenting time using the county's Standard Visitation Schedule, and order support on the Ohio worksheet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do unmarried parents start a custody or paternity case in Monroe County?: Under Juvenile Local Rule 1, you must first request an administrative determination of parentage from the CSEA (Monroe County DJFS, (740) 472-1602) before filing a court action to establish the parent-child relationship. Once parentage is established, file a Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights (Form 23) in the Juvenile Division (Room 39) with the parenting affidavit and support worksheet; the new-case deposit is $100.
How much does it cost to file a custody, parentage, or parenting-time case in Juvenile Court?: $100 for a new custody, visitation, or parentage case in the combined Probate/Juvenile Division, and $60 to reopen a closed case (Juvenile Local Rule 5). A fee waiver is available if you cannot afford it. Confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Division at (740) 472-5790.
Do I file in the General Division or Juvenile Court in Monroe 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 General Division (Clerk (740) 472-0761). If you were never married, paternity and custody are handled by the combined Probate/Juvenile Division in Room 39 (Juvenile (740) 472-5790) under Hon. James W. Peters. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are always filed in the Juvenile Division.
What is the Monroe County CSEA and a IV-D application?: The Monroe County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) is housed in the Monroe County Department of Job and Family Services at 100 Home Avenue, Woodsfield ((740) 472-1602). A IV-D application (JFS 07076) opens a child-support case so CSEA can prepare the support worksheet for free, collect support through wage withholding, distribute it, and enforce the order through license suspension, tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals.

Free Local Resources in Monroe County

Monroe County Clerk of Courts (General Division). Current filing fees, deposit amounts, and filing instructions for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment. Clerk Beth Ann Rose, Room 26; call (740) 472-0761 before filing. The county uses the Ohio Supreme Court standardized forms and accepts e-filing through the Henschen portal (https://efile.henschen.com/).
Monroe County Combined Probate/Juvenile Division. Handles never-married-parent custody, parentage, parenting time, and child support, plus non-parent custody and adoptions, under Hon. James W. Peters in Room 39. Juvenile line (740) 472-5790; Probate line (740) 472-1654.
Monroe County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA / DJFS). Housed in the Monroe County Department of Job and Family Services at 100 Home Avenue, Woodsfield. Prepares the support worksheet for free, opens IV-D cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. Phone (740) 472-1602.
Parenting Session — OSU Extension. The two-hour 'Helping Children Cope With Divorce' session required under Local Rule XV. Register through OSU Extension at (740) 472-0810; the fee is $10 under the rule / $15 per the Court's class page — confirm when you register.
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.
Akron family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Akron metro.
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