Establishing Paternity in Montgomery County

How do I establish paternity in Montgomery County, Ohio?

File the Establish Parentage / Paternity Packet at the Montgomery County Juvenile Court, 380 West Second Street, Dayton, OH 45422. Citizen Services, (937) 224-3977, provides the pro se packet for free. The court can order genetic testing if parentage is disputed. Once paternity is established, the same case can allocate custody and parenting time and set child support through the Montgomery County CSEA.

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

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Montgomery County Juvenile Court
380 West Second Street, Dayton, OH 45422, Dayton, OH 45422
Phone: (937) 496-7908
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Paternity is the right path if…

• The parents were never married and legal fatherhood has not been established.
• You need paternity established before custody, parenting time, or support can be ordered.
• Genetic testing may be needed to confirm or rule out the alleged father.
• Ohio is the child's home state under the UCCJEA.

Filing Fees

Juvenile Court parentage filings follow the Juvenile Court fee schedule · genetic testing ordered when parentage is disputed

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Paternity in Montgomery County

1. Get the correct packet from the Juvenile Court. Use the Establish Parentage / Paternity Packet (or the Disestablish Paternity Packet) from mcjcohio.org or Citizen Services.
2. File at the Juvenile Court. File at 380 West Second Street, Dayton. Include the child's name, date of birth, and your contact information.
3. Complete genetic testing if ordered. If parentage is disputed, the court or CSEA orders genetic testing at a designated lab. Tests are 99%+ accurate.
4. Add custody and support. Once paternity is established, open a IV-D case with CSEA and ask the court to allocate custody and set support.

Montgomery County Practice Notes

• Genetic testing. Either party can request genetic testing. The court (or CSEA) will order the parties and child to a designated lab. Tests run 99%+ accurate. If the alleged father is excluded, the case is dismissed and the Ohio Department of Health updates the birth record.
• Citizen Services helps with pro se parentage filings. The Montgomery County Juvenile Court's Citizen Services, (937) 224-3977, provides free packets, form review, and notary services for self-represented parents — walk-in Monday and Tuesday, by appointment Wednesday through Friday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Montgomery County?

If you are married to the other parent (or were married when the children were born), custody, parenting time, and child support travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment at the Domestic Relations Court, 301 W. Third Street. If you were never married, paternity and custody go to the Montgomery County Juvenile Court at 380 W. Second Street — a separate building in downtown Dayton. Grandparent and non-parent custody is always Juvenile.

What does Montgomery County CSEA do?

The Montgomery County Child Support Enforcement Agency at (937) 225-4600, 1111 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., opens IV-D cases, runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, collects support through wage withholding, distributes it to the receiving parent, and enforces orders through license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals. File an IV-D Application whenever a child-support order is established.

Can I rescind an Acknowledgment of Paternity in Ohio?

A signed Acknowledgment of Paternity can be rescinded within 60 days of the last signature by contacting your local Child Support Enforcement Agency and completing a Request for Paternity Determination. After 60 days you must challenge the acknowledgment in court within 1 year on grounds of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact (R.C. 3111.27). Genetic testing is typically ordered, and the Ohio Department of Health updates the birth record if the alleged father is excluded.

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.

Free Local Resources in Montgomery County

• Montgomery County DR Court — Ohio Legal Help Self-Help Portal. Free step-by-step interviews and fillable forms for Montgomery County divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, custody, support, and protection-order cases at mcdrc.ohiolegalhelp.org.
• Montgomery County DR Court Navigator & Legal Clinic. The Court Navigator (Room 222, (937) 496-7766) and the free virtual Legal Clinic with the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project (2nd Tuesday and 3rd Thursday monthly) help self-represented parties understand procedures and complete forms.
• Montgomery County Juvenile Court Citizen Services. Free pro se assistance for custody, parenting time, child support, paternity, contempt, and grandparent filings at (937) 224-3977, citizen.services@mcjcohio.org — walk-in Monday/Tuesday, by appointment Wednesday–Friday.
• Montgomery County CSEA. The county IV-D child-support agency at (937) 225-4600, 1111 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., opens cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders.

Other Family-Law Topics in Montgomery County

• Montgomery County Divorce — Full filing guide for contested divorce in Montgomery DR.
• Montgomery County Dissolution — Both-parties-agree route — faster and cheaper than divorce.
• Montgomery County Custody — Married parents file inside divorce; never-married parents file at the Juvenile Court.

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.

Keep exploring

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